TGB – Adventures for a Cause – Sanitation

Children the world over should be afforded the fundamental human rights of clean water, healthy sanitation, good hygiene and quality education. After all, they are the future generation of farmers, investors, inventors, teachers, nurses, doctors, nurturers, thinkers and activists of our world. Poor sanitation and hygiene lead to chronic diseases and dangerous gut-related illnesses in the children and teachers of these regions and are also a major contributor to human-animal transmitted diseases such as ebola, cholera and respiratory infections. These zoonotic diseases can potentially wipe out great numbers of the already dwindling population of the majestic & peaceful mountain gorilla. Schools lacking these fundamental needs are failing the humans of these communities as well as the neighbouring mountain gorillas.

Water has been a consistent theme in That Gorilla Brand’s recent community- led conservation efforts. In partnership with The Gorilla Organization, we have initiated, built and grown the Bwindi Community Water Project in the BINP. Providing clean, accessible water to over 15,000 people in these local communities, which is a lifeline for these people - and with more time available for work and school, families can lift themselves out of poverty, increase literacy and improve the health of future generations. Our first Bwindi Community Project initiative launched our holistic aspirations for clean water provision; we installed rainwater harvesting systems for collection, built structures to store, purify and pump clean water for the local communities to use for drinking, cooking, irrigating crops and feeding livestock, and we delivered training on essential hygiene to maintain health and well-being in these villages. Improving sanitation is the next natural step in the progression of our water cycle mission.

There are 16 schools situated around the edges of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BNIP) in Uganda, in very close proximity to mountain gorilla habitats. Of these only three have new, hygienic toilets for children and teachers; the other 13 schools all require significant economic and humanitarian investment to meet basic standards of healthy sanitation and provide clean and safe bathroom facilities. Currently, these schools utilise hazardous and filthy pit-holes, dug straight into the ground, unlined and sometimes overspilling, with no way of cleaning them out. Rife with potential diseases, dirt and danger of falling in, school children and teachers have to navigate these substandard toilets every day, along with unstable hut constructions, broken or absent doors and windows, no washbasins or cleaning amenities, no access for the disabled, and often an inadequate number of toilets to cater for the number of students and teachers at the school.

All funds raised from this fundraising campaign will go towards bringing improved hygiene and sanitation to these schools.