2008 is the International Year of Sanitation. 2.6 billion people do not have clean toilets to use, and 5,000 children die every day from diseases caused by a lack of sanitation. That's equivalent to 20 jumbo jets crashing every day.

For World Water Day, schools in the Western Water region were invited to SPEND A PENNY* and raise funds for WaterAid. WaterAid is an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing developing countries with access to clean water, adequate sanitation, and hygiene education for the world's poorest people. You can learn more here.

Western Water thanks Gisborne Primary School and Wedge Park Primary School for their fundraising efforts.  A little effort can make a big difference in the developing world: $2 can buy equipment to build a clean toilet; and $30 can provide a person with access to safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education.

As well as "spending a penny", students at Gisborne Primary School participated in a bucket relay for World Water Day.  Together, they carried their buckets of water 6 km, the average distance travelled to fetch water by people in the developing world.

Gisborne Primary School students are pictured here with Freya Paterson from WaterAid Australia, who spoke to the students about the difficulties faced daily by children in East Timor. 

*150 years ago, public toilets in London only opened when a coin (a penny or about 1 cent) was placed in a slot. People would say, "I'm off to spend a penny" when they went to the toilet.

For further information, contact Western Water's Education Advisor on (03) 9218 5421.