In the last Poverty 180: Water post, we saw the strong link between good hygiene, clean water and physical health.
In discussions about clean water, improved sanitation is a major player. The World Health organizationdiscusses the two together and says that while safe drinking water is becoming more accessible worldwide, we still have a long way to go when it comes to improved sanitation.
Worldwide, about 2 out of 5 people do not have access to improved sanitation.
What is improved sanitation?
If you have improved sanitation, your bathroom might connect to a sewer system or septic tank. Your toilet might flush, or you might have a simple pit latrine like the one pictured below. If you do not have improved sanitation, your toilet is not flushable (it’s cleaned manually), you only have access to a public toilet, or your toilet doesn’t have walls around it.
Improved sanitation makes a way for physical health by preventing the spread of bacteria and disease.
Also, improved sanitation can open a door to the Gospel.
In El Limonal, Nicaragua, many residents shared with Food for the Hungry staff their need for latrines for people in the community and the local school.
The Amercian church members and El Limonal residents worked side-by-side and got to know one another. After sharing their faith in Christ and their love for families in El Limonal, the church members gave Bibles to these six families, and the mother and daughter of one family since have embraced faith in Jesus and have begun attending a local Christian church.
Related posts:
- One in three people lives without a toilet
- VIDEO: A story of love, service and our hope in Christ
- How do you calculate the value of one teacher?
- What’s better than building a classroom for kids who desperately need it?
- VIDEO: How to cut diarrhea-related deaths in half (hint: it’s something you do every day)
