Pictured above: (l-r) Roger Kyme (CEO-Ripples Ltd)
Andy Barrs (WTN) Lisa & Martin Hammond (Ripples
Solihull)
Ripples have joined forces with UK charity Wherever the need
(WTN) who provide ecosan (composting) toilets that are clean and
disease free as well as clean drinking water to those less
fortunate than us. Over the next year Ripples showrooms will
raise £22,000.
The Solihull showroom was delighted to present a cheque for
£1,000 to the charity from their recent local fundraising
efforts.
This collaboration between Ripples and Wherever the Need (WTN)
could be a perfect match - both are experts in their respective
area of work, which is the supply of bathrooms. Of course, there
are differences in the way they work and what they provide: Ripples
supplies top quality bathrooms to homes in the UK where there is an
existing infrastructure, and WTN supplies bathrooms as basic
necessities to villages in India where there is little or no
infrastructure.
The Project: This is a very well balanced project and will
enable people to step out of the poor health and poverty trap, and
make a new life for themselves and their children.
This project falls into two distinct areas.
The first is to provide water and sanitation on to a village
community.
The second is to provide a livelihood opportunity for women in
the same village.
How to Get Involved. Ripples would welcome your involvement. For
further information on this project or to make a donation, please
visit:
www.wherevertheneed.org.uk/ripples
What is WTN's work?
Wherever the Need (WTN) provides ecosan (composting) toilets
that are clean and disease free, and produce valuable fertiliser
and compost. We also provide clean water through wells and
rainwater harvesting. To ensure that drinking water is not polluted
because of lack of sanitation facilities, sanitation must come
first.
Why so much focus on eco-sanitation?
• 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to
sanitation facilities;
• Polluted water is the major cause of illnesses such as
cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea;
• The British Medical Journal, as a result of a survey of
its members, announced that sanitation was the most important
medical milestone EVER. In the developing world, as a result
of intestinal illness:
• Four out of ten children die before they reach the age of
five (that is 5,000 per day);
• 25% of poor people's income is spent on medication;
• Half the hospital beds are filled with people ill
unnecessarily.