WASH Advocates

It has been a wonderful 10 years fighting for more WASH for more people with all of our amazing partners. Thank you to all those who have been a part of this journey. We couldn’t have done it without you. On our last day of business, we know that WASH advocacy is in good hands!

Sincerely,
The WASH Advocates Team

It has been a wonderful 10 years fighting for more WASH for more people with all of our amazing partners. Thank you to all those who have been a part of this journey. We couldn’t have done it without you. We know that WASH advocacy is in good hands after we sunset on December 31st!

Sincerely,
The WASH Advocates Team

Will you be joining us tomorrow for our celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Water for the Poor Act of 2005, the law that made safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) a foreign policy priority of the United States?!? If so, you might leave with one of our amazing WASH-themed Christmas cookies!!

The program will feature a photo exhibition of successful U.S. funded WASH projects, brief remarks from key lawmakers, and time for networking. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails will be served.

Want to attend? More information and a link to RSVP can be found at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-water-for-the-poor-act-10th-anniversary-celebration-registration-18867236412

This event has been organized to comply with the ethics rules and guidance of the U.S. House and Senate.

Join us for a celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Water for the Poor Act of 2005, the law that made safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) a foreign policy priority of the United States.

The program will feature a photo exhibition of successful U.S. funded WASH projects, brief remarks from key lawmakers, and time for networking. Hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and desserts will be served.

This event has been organized to comply with the ethics rules and guidance of the U.S. House and Senate.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-water-for-the-poor-act-10th-anniversary-celebration-registration-18867236412

A WASH Champion, Bhagwati Agrawal, is a finalist for the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year. Please vote for him to support his work and raise awareness about the global WASH crisis!

Vote here: http://heroes.cnn.com/ #.gd6lTpigjbcgf

If this doesn't get you excited tomorrow, then we are not sure what will!!

BIDMC's Flu Fighters Shake It Off Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Shakes It Off to keep the flu away! I’ve got body aches I got a fever and the shakes So what was my mistake? Did I forge...

Our very own Elynn Walter sat down with Circle of Blue to discuss Sustainable Development Goal #6 and how the world can achieve universal coverage by 2030!

http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2015/world/qa-elynn-walter-on-the-sustainable-development-goal-for-drinking-water/

Q&A: Elynn Walter on the Sustainable Development Goal for Drinking Water - Circle of Blue WaterNews Elynn Walter is the sustainability director at WASH Advocates, a Washington, D.C.-based initiative that aims to increase awareness of the global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenge and solutions, and to increase the amount and effectiveness of resources devoted to those solutions through…

There was a line in the Pope's address to the White House this morning that was gotten lost in the coverage. He wrapped up his remarks by asking Americans to support development efforts:

"I would like all men and women of good will in this great nation to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models of development, so that our brothers and sisters everywhere may know the blessings of peace and prosperity which God wills for all his children"

With a focused effort on behalf of all WASH stakeholders, there is no need to wait until 2019, much less 2030, to achieve universal access to sanitation in India.

Indian Leaders Set Ambitious Targets for Universal Sanitation Across the globe people are already asking if the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are too ambitious. In India, many doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will succeed in achieving universal sanitation and ending open defecation by Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday in 2019 – his stated goal.

Did you miss our CEO's testimony before a Joint Subcommittee Hearing about The Role of Water in Avoiding Conflict? Fear not, it is available on You Tube:

Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The Role of Water in Avoiding Conflict... (EventID=103927) Follow Joint Subcommittee Hearing: The Role of Water in Avoiding Conflict and Building Prosperity Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging...

Water, sanitation, and hygiene are key to achieving the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP Global Goals for Sustainable Development!

Our very own Jordan Teague explains why:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jordan-teague/all-global-goals-must-flow-through-water_b_8095184.html

All Global Goals Must Flow Through Water Lack of adequate sanitation costs the world 260 billion dollars a year, which is more than the entire GDP of 140 countries.

Once people know the actual amount the U.S. spends on Foreign Aid (1%) then people are more likely to support these programs, especially clean drinking water and sanitation!

http://www.upworthy.com/americans-believe-we-spend-around-26-of-our-national-budget-on-foreign-aid-heres-the-truth

Americans believe we spend around 26% of our national budget on foreign aid. Here's the truth. When they find out the amount we spend, their reactions range from surprised to disgusted.

Great to see young advocates donate their time and money so that others can have access to clean drinking water! An amazing story and an inspiration to us all!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sisters-paper-water-origami-wells_55cca7cae4b064d5910a980c

Sisters Sell Origami To Bring Clean Water To Poor Countries, Practice The Art Of Giving These two sisters have transformed the craft of origami into the art of giving. Isabelle and Katherine Adams are the co-presidents of Paper for Water, a nonprofit that sells paper-folded ornaments to raise

Great piece that explains how public health officials are using sanitation to prevent and track the disease!

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/08/no_new_polio_in_africa_for_one_year_gates_epidemiologist_on_vaccines_and.single.html

Africa Has Had Zero New Cases of Polio for One Year. Here’s What Worked. This week, for the first time, Africa marks one year without a new case of polio. Polio is a horrible disease that paralyzes and kills children. It was wiped out years ago in most countries and is tantalizingly close to being wiped off the face of the planet. As of...

Since it is , we thought we would share this article again! Great organizations like AfriPads, SHE, and BeGirl are providing sustainable products to ensure dignity and educational opportunities for women and girls!

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/06/16/414724767/people-are-finally-talking-about-the-thing-nobody-wants-to-talk-about

People Are Finally Talking About The Thing Nobody Wants To Talk About It's menstrual hygiene. The topic makes many folks uncomfortable. Yet in the developing world, it's a problem that keeps girls from going to school and playing sports. Now things are changing.

“Access to safe water is the most crucial aspect of running an institution, and every school needs safe drinking water nearby.”

http://water.org/post/education-and-brighter-futures/

Why did WaterAid UK recreate a scene from a 1865 London street (smells and all) right outside of Parliament?!? Read below to find out:

https://www.politicshome.com/health-and-care-foreign-and-defence/articles/opinion/water-aid/parliament-stinks-call-improve

Parliament stinks: a call to improve sanitation worldwide | PoliticsHome.com Written byBarbara Frost, Chief Executive, WaterAid Last updated22.07.15Posted on:22.07.15 Parliament stinks: a call to improve sanitation worldwide WaterAid recreates Victorian London in front of Parliament, urging MPs to increase investment in water and sanitation - 'the foundation to climbing out…

When Peace Corps Volunteer Jennifer Jiggetts began teaching at a primary school in Lesotho, her fellow educators noted how the students, many of whom were orphans, had to trek half a mile up the mountain to get water from the springs.

Instead of studying, they spent hours to get water. Because getting water is considered women's work in Lesotho, the girls' trek directly impacted their learning. If they had a water pump by the school where they could fill their water bottles, they'd be able to dedicate more time to their studies.

With this incentive and Jennifer's background in craftmaking, she and her students created a jewelry-making business to raise money to purchase a pump. Their contributions helped buy the pump, which was funded with additional support from the Peace Corps Partnership Program, a program where anyone can support grassroots projects designed and implemented by Volunteers and members of their communities.

Her students made beads from clay, then made bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and bookmarks, as well as jewelry from other locally available resources, including safety pins and seshoeshoe—Lesotho's national fabric. Together, Jennifer, fellow teachers, and her students used social media and the Internet to promote and sell the jewelry, as well as selling it at local markets.

For more information on please visit www.letgirlslearn.peacecorps.gov

Story from: https://instagram.com/p/447lFUkEgo/

91 per cent of the world's population now uses an improved drinking water source compared to just 76 per cent in 1990!

This article examines how far we have come in the past 25 years and how far we still have to go to achieve universal access by 2030: http://blogs.unicef.org/2015/06/30/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-sanitation-drinking-water/

5 things you need to know about water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) 2015 is the deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and it is also a time to reflect on progress made during the MDG era. The MDGs challenged the global community to...

Many influential women, including Raya from Sesame Street, signed the Global Poverty Project's "Women for Water and Sanitation Declaration". The document calls on world leaders to include water, sanitation and hygiene for every school, home and health facility in the Sustainable Development Goals and to end Open Defecation by 2030. Some of the signers included:

- Freida Pinto
- The Honourable Helle Thorning-Schmidt
- Barbara Bush, Former First Lady of the U.S.
- Isha Sesay
- Julie Gichuru
- Justine Lucas, Director of Programs for the GPP
- The Honorable Erna Solberg
- Soledad O'Brien
- Tamzin Merchant
- Rachel Brosnahan, and
- Bonnie Wright (who played Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter!)

Learn more about the declaration at GPP's website: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/women-for-water-and-sanitation-declaration/

An 8-year old put his hand in a Petri dish and created this work of art! Since his mom is a scientist, we'll assume that he is one of the 19% of people in the world who wash their hands with soap after using the toilet. Can you imagine what it would look like if he wasn't?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/08/bacteria-handprint-photo_n_7538912.html

What is next for clean drinking water, safe toilets and handwashing when the Millennium Development Goals expire at the end of the year? The answer (and a preview of the Sustainable Development Goals) are in this The Huffington Post blog

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hanna-woodburn/where-do-we-go-from-here-_2_b_7490146.html

Where Do We Go From Here? WASH In The SDGs The ripple effect of WASH cannot be overstated and it cannot be overlooked. As September approaches, the clock is ticking down not only to the MDG deadline, but also to the opportunity to ensure that the SDGs set us up to make as big of an impact on poverty reduction as possible.

Happy Menstrual Hygiene Day!

Ever wonder what the world would look like if Men had their periods?!? This is just a sample: "Men would brag about them on Facebook, probably trend regularly on Twitter, and tampon adverts would be fronted by celebrities."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/27/what-world-would-look-like-if-men-got-periods-wateraid_n_7453810.html

This Is What The World Would Look Like If Men Got Periods The world would be a lot different if dudes had menstrual cycles. In honor of Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, WaterAid, a British organization that brings clean water, sanitation and hygiene to i

Don't miss our latest The Huffington Post blog post on and Environmental Sustainability. This is part of our series on the importance of WASH to the Millennium Development Goals!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/loan-diep/wash-and-environmental-su_b_7288438.html

WASH And Environmental Sustainability: The Need For Integrated Objectives Universal WASH coverage cannot be achieved without considering services in a context of environmental sustainability. The consequences of poor water and sanitation management will only lead to social, economic and political issues further down the line.

Just played Tampon Run for the first time! Congrats Andy and Sophie (and Girls Who Code) for breaking taboos around menstruation!

http://www.tamponrun.com/

Tampon Run Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser are high school students in NYC. We met this summer at Girls Who Code (@ IAC), an organization trying to close the gender gap in tech, where we cultivated our love of coding. This is our final project for the program.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/athletes-life/article/12867082/why-did-woman-walk-paris-marathon-water-jug-head

Why Did A Woman Walk The Paris Marathon With A Water Jug On Her Head? Siabatou Sanneh of Gambia carried 45 pounds of water through the Paris Marathon to bring attention to the need for sustainable, clean water in Africa. Here is the story behind her quest.

Check out our latest blog from The Huffington Post about the importance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to eliminating diseases like Malaria!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/neeraj-mistry-md/eliminating-diseases-by-i_b_7238012.html

Eliminating Diseases By Investing In WASH It is evident that WASH interventions have a multiplier effect and positively impact other health issues and development goals. As the window to achieve the MDGs comes to a close this year and we grow closer to confirming the goals and targets that will shape the next 15 years, we must emphasize the…

"Instead of looking at water, sanitation and hygiene ( ) as a separate problem from maternal health, we must take a systems approach to recognize, and then treat, the complex factors that affect a woman's health."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-millar-mph-rn/no-maternal-health-withou_b_7206772.html?1430773398

No Maternal Health Without Clean Water What does the water in your glass have to do with the health of mothers and babies around the globe? Quite a lot actually. Without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation -- like safe toilet facilities -- women face dangerous health risks ...

http://www.ibtimes.com/nepal-earthquake-tent-cities-water-shortages-open-toilets-add-fears-looming-health-1903756

Nepal Earthquake: In Tent Cities, Water Shortages, Open Toilets Add To Fears Of Looming Health... In Nepal, alarm over an impending epidemic is pervading the country's tent cities, and relief workers are scrambling to avoid a health and sanitation crisis.