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 About |
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Title: One Toilet at A Time
Location:
Global
Categories: Environment
Human Rights
Education
Status:
In Progress
Timeline:
April 28 07 to January 28 09
Description:
The One Toilet at a Time Project is a fundraising, consciousness-raising campaign to bring sanitary bathrooms to rural school children - especially girls - to Cambodia. You can read more about this project at: http://www.roch.edu/course/doors2cambodia/ourprojects_1toilet.html and see a video of it on this page: http://www.roch.edu/course/doors2cambodia/ourprojects_wells.html .
Toilets are something that people take for granted. Do you realize how many times a day you use the restroom? Some people use the restroom as a place to get away, to take a couple of seconds to catch their breath. Well, imagine not having a place to relieve yourself during the day. Many people don’t have sanitary bathrooms, especially in third world countries. Cambodia is one of those countries where, in some cases, the field is the bathroom for many people. School children, especially girls are affected by this. Not only is this a sanitation issue - it is an environmental concern and a human rights issue. Further, girls who are menstruating are embarrassed to go to school - they need that extra privacy in their day. They stay home instead of going to school in rural areas because they are embarrassed. When I discovered this, I knew that I wanted to help out in some way, so I created the project, “One Toilet at a Time.” I know that this project will not change the world, but it could help one girl take one excuse for not going to school for even one day -- that is enough of a change for me! So far, we have built 3 toilets and 2 wells. With your help, we can do even more even more!
Background:
I raised, along with my friends and mentors, $4000.00 last year and personally took the money to Cambodia while on a trip associated with Rochester Community and Technical College (see www.cambodiarctc.project.mnscu.edu). On the trip, other students and participants helped build toilets and wells with the funds. We saw my vision come true! We already have contributions coming in for this next year! My brother, Jordan, is now helping me along with several adult friends and my parents. The project we will do during the National and Global Service Day will be to give presentations to school children, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Rochester, MN community in general at the World Festival Day on April 21, 2007.
Objectives:
The goals of the “One Toilet at a Time” project are varied. The primary goal is to promote sanitation and raise funds to build toilets and wells in rural schools in Cambodia. This goal also promotes providing clean water sources and conservation of water. Because the toilets we have funded and built are decomposing toilets, another goal is to promote natural, organic methods of fertilization and waste management. Finally, this project promotes education. By providing sanitary bathrooms for school children, especially young menstruating girls, it is hoped that more girls will stay in school. Many girls in Cambodia avoid school during their period due to embarrassment – who would want to use an open field for a bathroom?
We have built a partnership with Youth Service Cambodia and during the visits to the schools we not only build bathrooms and wells, we also planted flowers, trees and taught children how to use basic water purifiers. We spoke to the children about environmental concerns as well. Here in the United States, we also teach these lessons of sanitation, water conservation and purification to the American children and college students we work with in our service projects.
As I began this project, my goal was to raise enough money and gain enough support in my community to build one bathroom for a group of school children I met in Cambodia. I had hoped that other students in my American rural community would open their eyes and see what was going on outside of their school. I had hoped to promote environmental issues as well as human rights issues and that others would join me in my efforts. I am pleased to report that I was successful in achieving my goals. Further, my project idea has been adopted by Rochester Community and Technical College and Youth Service Cambodia as an ongoing, sustainable, project that promotes service, partnership, education and environmental awareness.
Milestones:
Jan 2006 - I visited Cambodia and created this Idea.
Oct 2006 I was chosen by www.youthnoise.com to be a "One Click" project and raised 1000.00 for the project!
Dec. 2006 My project was featured in our local paper and then picked up by the Assoicated Press - we then raised over 2000.00 in the next 3 weeks!
Jan 2007 I returned to Cambodia with 13 other RCTC students (see www.cambodiarctc.project.mnscu.edu) and we built our toilets!
Budget:
4000.00 has been invested thus far into toilets and wells. We hope to double this for next year.
Needs:
In addtion to money, we would like others to join us w/finding donations like uniforms for the children, school supplies, etc. Also - come to Cambodia with us and even gain college credit! It is a trip of a life time and you will make friends that feel like familly.
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