‘We need to turn shit into a media darling’
“We need to make the toilet a status symbol, like a Louis Vuitton handbag”
The man behind clean-water charity the World Toilet Organisation explained to an audience at the Cannes Lions how he is attempting to “make shit sexy” and crush the “toilet taboo” to tackle poor hygiene in the developing world.
“As creative people, we need to make excrement palatable,” said Jack Sim, who was behind a movement to help the 40 per cent of the world’s population without access to clean sanitation.
“When we are children, our parents tell us not to talk about shit. This is a serious problem,” he said. “Shit is like fire. If you don’t manage it, it will kill you.”
This is a topic covered comprehensively and interestingly in a book called The Big Necessity. It’s a worthwhile read.
“Behind a movement” – please tell me this was intentional.
If only you’d finished with: “In the face of adversity Jack Sim has moved forward, undeterred.”
Thanks for the support.
We go to the toilet 6-8 times a day and spent 3 entire years of our life inside the toilet.
What we do everyday is Culture and we need good toilet culture to sustain our quality of life.
Toilet is the great leveller. It make us all equal and no matter what station of life we are at, we go to the toilet.
Let’s speak about this problem everyday. The day it becomes a normal converstaion subject is the day we will all enjoy this part of our life, in the public toilets or in the slums.
jacksim@worldtoilet.org