Toilet Gift On 113th National Day

On purpose I escaped the 113th National Day celebration just to spend my day upgrading an old, unused toilet at Zhemgang Central School (ZCS) with a SATO pan, as a gift to our girls on the day.

Perhaps, the Bhutan Toilet Organization (BTO), has their hand in this project providing free SATO pan, training and educating me grossly on sanitation. 

The toilet—a damaged aqua-privy—had been abandoned for years. I had noticed it long ago, but without the right resources, all I could do was hold onto the hope that one day I would be able to change it. Each time I made my rounds to check on toilet cleanliness, a quiet sense of guilt lingered, knowing this one remained unchanged, despite having raised the issue with school management.

Eventually, I took it upon myself. I spent a long, cold and exhausting half-day working alone in the girls’ toilet, an unusual space for a man, but I did it with purpose and pride. I played music as I worked, not just to keep my spirits up, but to avoid awkward surprises.

Though it was chilly, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the effort. I was doing it for our girls and for the greater cause of nation-building. On such a special day, there’s nothing more fulfilling than changing the face of an old toilet pot, and adding up one more safe toilet space for our girls.

I have always felt deeply committed to helping our girls feel secure and valued. Beyond science lessons, I take time to talk to them about the importance of financial independence for women and girls.

Today, toilets are slowly gaining the attention they deserve across the country. The shift is happening. It shows how essential sanitation is for everyone. Yet in schools, the need for safe and sufficient toilets is even more urgent.

From my experience working with various organizations to improve sanitation and access to clean drinking water, I know that change is slow which is held back by limited resources, outdated infrastructure and deep-rooted mindsets. But I also see signs of progress, however small.

One major challenge is what I call the mentality mania. The belief that quality facilities are only necessary once a child reaches adulthood, which I feel needs an immediate change.

We must begin providing quality resources and environments for our children right from home and in school, so they grow into responsible, confident citizens.

How can we expect our children to thrive when they are surrounded by broken classrooms, cracked walls, shattered windows and dysfunctional toilets?

Until we prioritize safe, functional and engaging school environments, we will continue to face challenges stemming from outdated mindsets and neglected infrastructure.

With this small change—a new SATO pan—I hope our girls will now have a cleaner, safer and more dignified toilet experience.

Thank you BTO for sharing my dream project!

https://www.bhutantoilet.org/category/blog/

BTO: The Real Game Changer

I was used to a stone top and a pit latrine to relieve myself, and I'm now used to high quality toilet pots. I've immensely surprised my butts who'd had the bad experiences of smelly open-air toilets.

 

However, being a teacher, I had the privilege to change things on the ground since I already had enough bad toilet memories from my primary school to university. Similarly, I was aware of how bad the toilets are in our communities. Back in my mind, I always want to change the toilet thing especially for young school children who would become the future leaders. I have shared my bad toilet experiences with them. I've also shared the benefits of "clean and safe" toilets in some open forums and during the Morning Assembly. Other than sharing my personal experiences, I couldn't do much to change the toilet thing, as it comes down to a question of money and expertise. However, BTO came as a blessing to me. Nothing was going right until 2015, when I got a chance to become a BTO member and soon after, I was chosen to become a BTO Ambassador of Zhemgang. 

 

The real twist happened only after I joined to work for BTO. Since then, BTO was at its initial phase, however the organization was mainly formed to change the toilet mentality and to improve the sanitation of school children and so far they have done many good jobs in keeping intact with their objectives and mission –Clean Toilet For All.

 

With Save the Children funding and the BTO expertise, my school and schools across Zhemgang got several training on how to upgrade dysfunctional toilets, supply of SATO pan and advise whenever required. I made a significant change in the existing toilets at school and across the public places with the help of the BTO office. 

 

The 2-day conference came as a blessing for all the BTO ambassadors working across the dzongkhags to know each other personally, upscale the toilet knowledge and to share and showcase the experiences and way forward in combating toilet challenges. It was also a platform to clear our doubts and know about the roles and responsibilities of BTO ambassadors. Discussing on the ToR, plan of action, fundraising programs and keeping records of funds have greatly motivated and enriched our knowledge on toilets.   

 

Now with training, I was fully equipped, motivated and inspired to work even more for the cause of toilets, which ultimately would benefit the organization I am working with and the community around. Now I am equipped to build toilets for big public gatherings and gained enough knowledge on how to effectively manage toilets.

 

I have been working with BTO as a Zhemgang Ambassador from the birth of BTO. However, without formal training and clear-cut roles, I was unaware, but kept working on various public gatherings like –annual Tshechu, Monlam Chenmo, Bazaguru Drungdrub. Now with ToR in hand, I became fully aware of my roles. I can take this mission forward in all my capacities and dedicate my service to the people of Bhutan at all times.

  

As we reach wide in the communities everyone feels the need of "cool looking toilets". With the help of BTO, toilets have become an easy-talk thing for every household. BTO is an incredible organization, I'm really proud to be part of it. 

 

GNH philosophy has earned us a "green spot" in the world and with MoH new mission of 100 percent pours flush toilets by 2022 in the country –would double our strength. 

 

My Toilet Dream to Innocent Kids of Trong ECCD

Carrying a SATO pan on my back, it took me around four minutes by walk to reach Trong ECCD Centre which is located a few footsteps below the Majestic Zhemgang Dzong. 

I quickly exchanged a few words of greetings with teachers there. Like lovely kids, perhaps, they all seemed so happy, and promising.

Before heading straight into my "toilet talk", I took a moment, showed them the Blue SATO Pan that was in my hand. Interestingly, I got all sorts of answers. Uncle! "I got white Toilet, I got a big Toilet, and I got a small Toilet". Which means, they at least have some sense of toilets. It seems some of them are really using their toilets in good manners. However, it seems some of them are yet to be in the line. Above all, most of them were absolutely energetic, talkative and lively. I wish older versions of our school children would be like them. lovely. cute. I have silently wished them to remain all the same and lovely. 

The next question was; Which toilet do you all like –Clean or Dirty? "Uncleeee,…I like a clean toilet, '' the boy from the corner shouted on top of his voice without any hesitation. Impressive! "I thanked him with my hand clap."  

In the next ten minutes, I have shared some basics of toilets –usages, benefits and downsides.

I made a very simple narration to make my talk simple, effective, and understandable. "I wish so…,,,because it takes both sides to build a bridge."

"Dirty toilets can bring lots of diseases like diarrhea, and dysentery. If you fall sick, you can't meet your friends, and you can’t go to school. No friends, Unhappy, No school, No education, No good education, No money, and no wife. No money, and no wife, unhappy and sad". 

Do you still prefer dirty toilets at home, and at school? No sir,…!!! uncle!,,uncleeee,,,!!!,,,No madammmm,,,,no sir,,,,!

I also reminded them about the importance of hand washing before and after visiting toilets, and before and after eating anything. And they widely accepted my request. I hope for the best from these lovely kids. They are our Jewels, and the Jewels of the nation too. 

However, surprisingly, toilet education is not part of our formal curriculum in our schools. No one so far had any records of learning toilet lessons as part of the curriculum. 

One thing we lack in our education system is the very basic, and fundamental parts of everyday living; I strongly feel our curriculum should have contents like survival, cooking and social skills. It must come as part of formal curriculum, otherwise, our children won't trust teachers and few value classes. Value education class is not enough to learn all these fundamentals of life and living.

Had it been that way, toilet problems shouldn't be that mess and hiccup in schools and social gatherings. 

Although, it was a very brief meeting this group of absolutely innocent minds. But it was thoroughly engaging, and worth spending my time with them. I promised them some sweets next time to tell more about My Toilet Dream. 

Thank You!

Also,,, I sincerely thank all the teachers for making them laugh each day, for promoting good values, and Bhutanese culture, and accepting me to give such unusual talk on TOILETs. 

I have quickly reminded them of the quote of Helen Keller, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." 

Toilet in Korea, but not in Bhutan

If there is one thing to talk about Korea, I can talk or share my admirable experience of toilet facilities and the system of Korea for days. Perhaps, it was just breathtaking. It was classic. It was world class, and it was excellent everywhere.

Let's solve this puzzle and our biggest challenges. The question of –Who is responsible for the toilets in Korea? How did they manage all this stuff?

Amusingly I found toilets in Korea are the same everywhere –public toilet, hotel, private, highway, subway, airplane, etc. No water problem. No management problem. No paying system. Zero smell. No stain, it was perfect everywhere, and anytime. However, you may think Korean do not use toilets or do not poop, pee, etc. The answer is absolutely no. They are like anyone of us. But, they have better civic sense, well educated, good mindset, good habits, and above all they have this so called sense of belonging. Every toilet facilities given to them in the open, street, subway, train etc…are their own properties, everyone's properties. They never take home, they never destroy them, they never temper with them, they never personalize them, etc...But, rather they care and use it mindfully. 

I have also learnt that every Korean from very young to very old is well educated and given all the good values at school, home and community. They have invested million times more of our total GDP of 100 years into education. Their teachers are highly paid. Today their schools are one of the best in the world. Education in Korea is everyone's business –parents, students, teachers, public, community, local government and central government. They leave no one behind for education because they firmly believe that education is the wealth of an individual, family, and country. They strongly believe that education can bring home money, peace, wealth, good mindset, in fact everything. They did this not very long ago –they have done it just over 50 years ago and here they are today. Looking at their education system –it seems they have sacrificed a lot in the education system and into their curriculum, into their infrastructure and teacher education. They strongly believe in the "One world, One future" concept for all Koreans. Undeniably, everyone commits themselves for any kind of work. I can easily see and feel that they have done it and now they are heavily enjoying their hardship.

However, ours is very different and a unique case. We talk so much of quality education, importance of teachers, importance of school and sending every child to school, etc, etc… But, how badly we criticize our own system, our own education system. Therefore, bad toilets are our poor mindset due to poor education.

Ours is very easy if we come into common consensus. Unlike Korea, we have hardly seven hundred thousand people, which is even less than the people in their smallest village. Therefore, it's easy in our case. Less people means less burden, we need a very less budget to fix our toilet problem. However, we all need to work together, we all need to think as one nation, we all need to have civic sense, we all need to take individual responsibilities, we all need to think public properties are our own property. It's a country's wealth and it's for everyone.

Don't we have the right to enjoy clean toilets, smell less toilets and other good facilities in our toilets?

First we have to build our strong mindset, we have to commit ourselves, we have to work hard together spirit, we have to have a sense of belongingness, and the toilet is everyone's responsibility.

However, we have sad news as well – "the water pump drawing water to Tamchog Highway Restroom was stolen a few nights before". What breaking news in the Land of Happiness? I cannot imagine how this has happened. Who did this mischievous act? If such an act keeps on happening, we cannot fulfil our wish and we still need to rely on pit latrines, and disgusting toilets without any water and other facilities. God! Only knows the truth.

If we can firmly commit ourselves to the above points, we just need a few years to have our own good smelling toilet everywhere. Perhaps, BTO is doing a great job. They need everyone's cooperation, helping hands, good mindset, and commitment. Their motto is everyone's motto. Their spirit is everyone's spirit. Let's work together to make our toilet mission a grand and a successful one for now and to our future generation. 

The following are some of the restroom facilities for everyone. However, urinals and most of the toilet pots and works with sensors and even other hand dryers and water basins work with sensors. 

Urinals in one of the Primary School, Seoul

Urinals in one of the Korean restaurants, Seoul

Urinals in one of the subways, Seoul

Toilet pot in one of the hotel, Seoul

Hand Washing basins --everywhere in the restroom