Editors Note: The following essay was provided by Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization, in advance of World Toilet Day, observed 19 November. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) is one of Rotary’s areas of focus.
By Jack Sim
Rotary is a global force for good, a network of passionate individuals united by a common purpose. From eradicating polio to promoting peace, our clubs consistently demonstrate what can be achieved when people of action come together. Yet, in our noble pursuit of making the world a better place, we sometimes miss opportunities to amplify our impact. In the critical focus area of sanitation and hygiene, a lack of cohesive strategy can prevent us from achieving the massive, transformative change we are capable of.
Sanitation is, in essence, the world’s most affordable medicine. By providing access to safe, managed sanitation, we can prevent a cascade of deadly diseases, saving countless lives and improving public health on a global scale.
Diarrhea alone kills more children each year than malaria, measles, and HIV combined. This is a truth Rotarians know well, as evidenced by the countless impactful projects undertaken by individual clubs around the world. However, when each of our 45,000+ clubs operates in a silo, we forfeit a tremendous opportunity for economy of scale and collective intelligence.
The hidden cost of working from this fragmented approach is common and significant:
Reinventing the wheel: A club in Kenya might spend months researching and developing a sanitation solution that a club in Brazil already perfected years ago. Valuable time and resources are wasted on duplicative efforts.
Lack of best practice sharing: Without a centralized repository of knowledge, clubs must rely on their own trial and error. Projects may fail not due to a lack of effort, but because they are not built upon proven methodologies.
Inefficient procurement: When each club buys materials and equipment individually, they miss out on the significant discounts that come with bulk purchasing. A club in India and a club in Mexico might pay different prices for the exact same latrine components, leading to higher project costs and fewer beneficiaries.
Missed collaboration opportunities: Clubs often struggle to find partners for funding or implementation. A project that is too large for one club’s budget might be perfectly achievable with a co-funding partner, but there is no easy way to connect with a like-minded club or organization across the globe.
Inconsistent standards: Without a shared set of standards, the quality and sustainability of sanitation projects can vary wildly. While every project has good intentions, not all are built to last or to truly meet the long-term needs of the community.
A new strategy for exponential impact
Imagine a future where every Rotarian sanitation project is not just a standalone success, but a building block in a global movement. To unlock this potential, we must embrace a new, collective strategy, powered by innovation and collaboration. The following is a proposed framework to transform our individual efforts into a unified force for good:
An AI-powered digital hub: We can create a central, AI-assisted platform to serve as a digital repository for all sanitation knowledge. Clubs could easily search for best practices, find information on new technologies, access cost references, and identify skilled talent and potential partners. This would allow new projects to build upon the successes of old ones, ensuring every dollar and every hour is spent as effectively as possible.
Collective purchasing power: The platform could facilitate co-buying, allowing clubs to combine their purchasing power to secure bulk discounts on common materials like pipes, water tanks, and latrine components. This would dramatically lower project costs, allowing us to reach more people with the same budget.
On-Demand training and expertise: Creating a library of online, step-by-step video tutorials would democratize knowledge. A club leader could learn how to conduct a needs assessment, a volunteer could see exactly how to install a new toilet system, and everyone could understand how to monitor the long-term impact of their work.
Strategic partnership matching: The platform could use data to match clubs with complementary resources for co-fundraising. A club with a great project idea but limited funds could be paired with a club that has strong fundraising capabilities, an ideal partnership for shared success.
Setting a global standard: By sharing and celebrating the most effective projects, we can collectively establish a set of global standards for quality, sustainability, and community engagement. This would ensure that every Rotary sanitation project is not only a temporary fix, but a lasting solution.
The “C-F-B-E” advantage: This collaborative approach would lead to projects that are Cheaper, Faster, Better, and Easier.
- Cheaper through bulk buying.
- Faster by avoiding trial and error and leveraging existing expertise.
- Better by adhering to shared quality standards.
- Easier by providing a one-stop-shop for resources and partners.
A powerful partnership: Rotary and the WTO
We do not have to build this platform alone. The World Toilet Organization (WTO), a leading voice for global sanitation, has championed this cause for more than two decades. Their founding day, 19 November, is now officially recognized as UN World Toilet Day by all 193 member countries of the UN General Assembly. This is a testament to their global authority and influence.
The WTO’s expertise and Rotary’s grassroots network create a perfect synergy. By partnering with Rotary International’s WASH Team, we can combine the WTO’s deep knowledge and global advocacy with Rotary’s on-the-ground project implementation capabilities. This collaboration would not only create an exponential impact, but also solidify Rotary’s position as a global leader in addressing one of humanity’s most urgent needs. Together, we can finally unclog the silos and transform our collective passion for sanitation into a truly unstoppable force for global change.
Jack Sim, also known as Mr. Toilet, is founder of the World Toilet Organization, and a member of the Rotary E-Club of WASH. A storyteller for social change, he is the author of the book The Gumption of Mr. Toilet.
https://blog.rotary.org/2025/11/04/unclogging-the-silos-how-rotary-can-pioneer-a-new-era-of-global-sanitation/