The future of sanitation: 10 years of reinventing the toilet
Growing up in modest circumstances in Côte D’Ivoire, we didn’t have a decent toilet at home. I didn’t even know this was a problem. Only years later, at university, after I talked to friends studying medicine and learned how diseases travel through contamination and exposure to feces, did I realize that the deaths of many in my community, including several of my siblings, should have been prevented by better sanitation. Sadly, my family is not alone in this tragedy. Nearly 250 years after the invention of the flush toilet, 3.5 billion people—almost half the world’s population—have no choice but to use unsafe sanitation facilities. As a result, half a million children under age 5 perish every year from diseases like typhoid, diarrhea, and cholera. Many more people become sick, resulting in an estimated US$223 billion a year in health costs and lost productivity. Bringing safe, affordable sanitation to the world would vastly improve the quality of life for the billions without it. It would also act as a “super-vaccine” that would effectively end the spread of many deadly diseases, just as it already has in places where flush toilets are the norm.
Our Story
From early childhood, we each saw how our parents helped out in our local communities, and we were taught that anything is possible. Unfortunately, factors outside of anyone’s control make it hard for some people to reach their potential: things like when they were born, who their parents are, where they grew up, whether they are a boy or a girl. We wake up every day determined to use our resources to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life. Most importantly, we believe this: All lives have equal value. That’s why we made the decision to donate our wealth from Microsoft to help others.
Our Role
We typically hear about two sectors, the public and the private. The private sector – business – is good at developing products and services, while the public sector – government – is good at delivering solutions to all the people who need them. In many cases, the private and public sectors, acting either separately or together, meet people’s needs. But there are gaps, spaces where some people don’t get what they need to live healthy, productive lives.
How we work
Whether the challenge is low-yield crops in Africa or gender-based barriers in India, we listen and learn so we can identify pressing problems that get too little attention. Then we consider whether we can make a meaningful difference with our influence and our investments. Once an investment is established through a grant or contract, our program teams and grantees collaborate for its lifecycle. See the process in detail below.
What is climate adaptation?
A version of this article was originally published on the U.S. Program website of the Gates Foundation on April 25, 2023. Whether we’re talking about extreme weather, increased greenhouse gas emissions, or sea-level rise, climate change is a concept that most of us are familiar with. It’s a huge problem for our planet and all of us who occupy it. But what is climate adaptation? To understand climate adaptation, we must first embrace the fact that climate change is real and it’s happening now. The impacts of climate change are so severe that even if we were to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, the impacts of climate change are still with us. This means that for decades to come, the planet will continue to warm and, as a result, severe weather patterns will continue to disrupt crops, livestock, and livelihoods. But there is hope. There are climate adaptation solutions we can invest in to build a sustainable global food system and support communities that are most affected by climate change.
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Employees
Employee programs
We want to inspire people to take action to change the world—and that includes our employees. Our employee programs enable you to get connected and get involved, both in and out of the office.
Employee resource groups
Employee resource groups (ERGs) are foundation-supported, employee-run internal communities that are crucial to sparking change in our organization’s culture and advancing our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Foundation Cares
We encourage and empower our employees to take action in the communities where they live and work. We offer generous 3:1 charitable donation matching and encourage our employees to participate in or lead volunteer activities and use their voice to support the organizations and causes they care about.
Alumni Network
Our employees become lifetime members of the Gates Foundation. Our alumni go on to do amazing things, often continuing to work on the causes we care about. By staying connected in a meaningful way, they go farther together to make a difference in the world, tapping into each other’s expertise through networking and special events.
Benefits
As part of our overall compensation package, we offer work/life flexibility, comprehensive health benefits, unlimited time off, and generous retirement contributions designed to support you and your family.
Team
More from the team
Shitong Huan
Shitong Huan focuses on health innovations and partnerships to accelerate the global fight against tuberculosis.
Alyson Lara
Alyson Lara supports the work of the foundation’s Global Health, Global Development, and Global Policy & Advocacy divisions.
Washington, D.C. and Seattle offices
Our staff in the United States works with governments, nongovernmental organizations, universities, industry, and the philanthropic sector to advance the foundation’s goals.Contact
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Our Address
Washington, D.C., USA
Email Us
contact@bm-foundation.work
Message Us
+1 920 420 0490