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St Clare's Links a Loo with Burundi!

The toilets at St Clare’s School in Porthcawl Bridgend now feature the latest must-have bathroom accessory – a framed photo of a latrine in Burundi and its GPS coordinates. This is not just any photograph, this is a certificate showing that the toilet in question has been ‘twinned’ with a loo in one of the world’s poorest nations.

Gweirydd Williams, a Senior Environmental Health Officer with Bridgend County Borough Council, has had first-hand experience of such matters when he carried out public health work in 2003 whilst visiting the Philippines with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF).

‘I was appalled that in the 21^st Century people had to endure such indignity and danger, so when I saw a photo of a twinned toilet whilst reading a Tearfund Magazine, I was taken with such an eye-catching way to publicise such a crucial problem and vital need that I contacted Mr Aguilar – the Head Teacher at St Clare’s - about the ‘Flush Away Poverty’ scheme.  Mr Aguilar was very enthusiastic about the scheme and a latrine was purchased for the school.

Mr Williams also taught pupils from Years 2 and 3 about germs, hand washing and toilet twinning. The children had great fun touching various objects which had ‘glitter bug’ cream on (which glows under UV light) and putting their hands under the UV light cabinet to learn how bugs can be passed on by objects . Mr Williams showed the children how to wash their hands in the right manner.

Mr Williams continued, “I realised just how much we take good sanitation for granted. It was a project which captured my imagination’.

Toilet Twinning is not just about giving away certificates. It’s a unique way to raise awareness of the sanitation crisis and a fun way to do something about it. Donations are used by charities Cord and Tearfund to support community hygiene promotion, and improve access to clean water and safe sanitation.

Some facts include:-

1. Every day 2.6 billion people don’t have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet
2. 40% of the world’s population use fields, streams, rivers, plastic bags, or squalid disease-breeding buckets to go to the toilet.
3. Every day 5000 children under 5 die needlessly from diarrhoeal diseases caused by dirty water.

"Since Toilet Twinning’s launch over 1,600 latrines have been built in Burundi, helping almost 10,000 people to go to the loo in a safe, private and hygienic way.

A simple latrine can make a huge difference, impacting a person’s health, dignity and livelihood. For every £1 invested in water and sanitation at least £8 is returned through increased productivity and reduced health costs.