How Do You Wash Your Hands? A Look at Simple Hand Washing Stations

HydrateLife October 9, 2014March 3, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH, Water Technology No Comments

As we all know, washing our hands is very important. This is especially true when you’re working with food, have just used the toilet, or are caring for children. Washing our hands removes bacteria and pathogens and is a key part of keeping ourselves and our loved ones healthy, especially our children. People all over the world wash their hands, but depending on where you are in the world the experience may be very different. I’m fortunate to live somewherecontinue reading

Nothing in the Toilet – Sanitation Coverage in Colombia

HydrateLife August 21, 2014March 3, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH 3 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Colombia, and the issues the country faces with water coverage. If you missed the post you can read it here. This week I’ll shift from water, and instead take a look at the state of sanitation in Colombia. First, let me talk about what I saw on a recent trip to the country. Like I said in my post about water in Colombia, as a tourist not there to specifically look intocontinue reading

The Water Situation in Colombia: Both Good and Bad?

HydrateLife August 8, 2014March 7, 2017 WASH, Water Pollution, Water Treatment 3 Comments

Colombia is a beautiful country. I went there a few weeks ago for vacation and was amazed at the natural beauty throughout the country. I experienced everything from lush mountains to beautiful beaches and tropical (but very humid) forests along the way, and was never disappointed. However, Colombia has, and does, have its share of problems. The most known is its issues with drugs, but I’m not really interested in that. I’d like to talk about their issues with water.continue reading

The SWA process: is it worth all the effort?

HydrateLife April 9, 2014March 6, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH No Comments

I thought this article by Erma Uytewaal from Water Services that Last was pretty interesting and a good introduction to the SWA process. We are now in the final sprint of preparations for the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High Level Meeting (HLM) that will be held in Washington on 11 April. “We” represent the almost 100 members of the SWA partnership. At country level, High Level Country Dialogues (HLCD) are being wrapped up; governments are revisiting and updatingcontinue reading

Battling Waterborne Diseases: Where They Come From, What They Do, and How to Beat Them

HydrateLife March 29, 2014March 6, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH, Water Treatment 1 Comment

Waterborne diseases affect millions of people around the world every year. However, it doesn’t need to be this way. Clean water, proper sanitation facilities and good hygiene can eliminate the risk of these diseases. Below you’ll find several brief overviews of the most common diseases, how they are treated, and how they can be prevented. The links at the bottom of the article can be used to help your community stay safe and healthy. Let’s start with what is maybecontinue reading

Got Toilets? Benefits of the Rural Sanitation Mart

HydrateLife February 6, 2014March 6, 2017 Health, Sanitation, Sustainable Practices, WASH No Comments

Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope it’s been a good one so far! I’m going to start out this year by talking about sanitation and a type of business that is helping people to gain access to improved sanitation and hygiene, the Rural Sanitation Mart (RSM). But first, let’s talk about why RSMs are even needed. Maybe some of you are sitting on your porcelain throne right now as you’re reading this, but unfortunately 2.5 billion people worldwidecontinue reading

Nudge, Don’t Shove: A Case for Reflexive WASH Behavioral Change, Part II

HydrateLife January 9, 2014March 7, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH 1 Comment

About the author: Stephanie Tam specializes in behavioral approaches to sanitation and hygiene in international development, with a focus on how cultural practices mediate the impact of technology in operations and maintenance. A graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, she has been working on human behavior through the lenses of performance studies and behavioral economics, and thanks Dilip Soman at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto for support on this current project. She is deeplycontinue reading

Nudge, Don’t Shove: A Case for Reflexive WASH Behavioral Change, Part I

HydrateLife December 11, 2013March 7, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH No Comments

A Different Approach: School-Led Total Sanitation – Part 1

HydrateLife June 18, 2013March 29, 2017 Health, Sanitation, WASH 4 Comments

As of 2011, sanitation coverage worldwide was at 64%. With a worldwide population of just over seven billion this means that two and a half billion people still do not have access to improved sanitation facilities. Of these people, just over one billion still practice open defecation. Lack of proper sanitation and hygiene often leads to poor health and polluted water, which in turn leads to less production, less time in school, and many deaths worldwide. One methodology that iscontinue reading

Water Heroes: Ma Tsepo Khumbane – Harvesting Rainwater to Grow Crops

HydrateLife August 2, 2012 Agriculture, Sustainable Practices, Water Heroes 2 Comments

This week’s water hero, Ma Tsepo Khumbane, is a retired social worker and development activist who has spent the last 40 years fighting poverty and malnutrition by teaching South Africa’s poor how to harvest rainwater to be used to grow their own crops, as well as speaking out for better sanitation and hygiene practices. Due to her extraordinary efforts she has received the Katlego Award of Spirit of Hope and South Africa’s Women in Water Award, but maybe even morecontinue reading

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