We had better use the money from customers.

I have been running a successful ecosan business by growing apples and cherries with the urine collected from the 31 UDDT toilet blocks in the schools donated by SOHO China Foudation (forum.susana.org/forum/categories/91-pro...essful-business#7464).

China is a place where you can turn the waste into the money easily since there is no taboo to use the human waste as the fertilisers

My response to the comment from Shiriin Barakzai, Loughborough University (above):

The word sustainability seems to be simplistically taken by some as that it must be a totally profitable business.

If this is to be achieved today, we'd probably have to pitch at the middle class and the higher income poor.

Also there are other externalities in getting endorsement from Superstars. The legitimacy gained can be permanent if we build up the next steps of the ladder.

To these people who abhor the notion of fund raising, let's understand how markets are often built because someone built the market infrastructure first.
If the US military had not built the Internet as a written off cost, there would be no Bill Gates, no Steve Jobs and no Larry Page and others.

So please remember we need all the ecosystem because the single entrepreneur can't succeed alone.
It takes all animals and plants and bacterias to make food chain.

If the taboo was not broken, nothing can even begin since it was too embarrassing even to talk about toilets let alone address the problem.

That was the case in 2001: No journalists would find it palatable to write it. No politicians would agree to take a photo next to the toilet at that time. Most money goes to Water.

Effective advocacy begins the process of Attention, Interest, Desire and Action.
We need all models and everyone to work across sectors to make sanitation a norm.

A systemic collaborative approach can deliver sanitation cheaper better faster easier is needed. This is better than silos of patchwork projects.

We have 2 choices:

• Saying the Right thing and waiting for something to happen.
• Or Understanding the constraints and the politics and despite of these constraints and politics, take adaptive action to make something happen.

Cheers
Jack Sim


Founder of World Toilet Organization
Singapore
worldtoilet.org/
Twitter: @WorldToilet, @JackWTO

Some exciting news:
Bollywood Megastar raised funds for WTO (World Toilet Organisation).
thealternative.in/social-business/salman...making-toilets-sexy/

My role in this?
My role since 2001 was always to Make Toilet Sexy. Over the last 14 years, WTO broke the taboo on Sanitation through its unique blend of humor and serious facts.

Imagine when I get to meet Salman Khan 2 weeks ago, I could not resist asking this most Sexy Bollywood Megastar to help.

The magic happens and he was inspired enough to unbutton his shirt and offer hugs to audience to raise funds for WTO to build toilets in India.



On the spot on National TV "Live" he raised USD 140,000 enough to build 700 latrines with shelters.

The build up of events started earlier in the afternoon when I was speaking on a panel with Union Minster for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, a Chief Minister from the opposition party and another expert.

They were debating Temple vs Toilets but we managed to come to a consensus that we should get Temples to promote Toilets. Also to position Toilet as a Happiness Room of Bliss and Tranquility.

My toilet journey the last 14 years has been a lucky streak of events which is hard to explain. I think this goes beyond being opportunistic.
It is a very necessary mission easily identifiable if we Make Toilet Sexy.

Cheers
Jack Sim

+++++++
P.S. Interesting comment by one reader of the article:

Shiriin Barakzai · Loughborough University

raising money to build people toilets? hmm, how is that sustainable? what about using your hugs to addres weak governance, prioritisation of national budgets, supporting local markets, addressing barriers due to land ownership so that people can build their own toilets and keep them running?