Absence of toilets remains one of the leading causes of death and illnesses among children in India — with over 200,000 child deaths per year due to exposure of the bacteria in feces. Those children that do survive the exposure, are cognitively and physically stunted because of that exposure.
Studies tie open defecation to the reason why 50% of India’s children are malnourished and stunted. That’s right. Half of a country’s children currently have brains that will never develop to full capacity because they don’t have toilets.
That’s a lot of wasted talent and potential the world is missing out on. We’re here to change that.
Water Security
This sanitation crisis is often compounded by the lack of access to water in many slums. Additionally, lack of access to water sources place women and girls at risk for gender-based violence from having to commute long distances away from their homes.