Background
We can’t wait builds toilets and delivers hygiene education programs in schools and marginalised communities with the special aim of improving the educational opportunities for adolescent girls. Our projects are currently located in India, Ethiopia and Nepal. We have completed a successful Global Grant in Ethiopia with INA who are an approved “Cooperating Organisation” as part of The Rotary Foundation Global Grants system. We are currently undertaking another Global Grant project in Rajasthan State, India and are developing a further Global Grant in the Nashik region, also in India, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Nasik Road. The Ethiopia and Nepal projects represent a further collaboration with INA.
We can’t wait was formed following a visit to India by Mark Balla in 2014 where
he noted that girls were not prevalent in the school yard and the issue of inadequate provision of toilets in schools came to light. Mark brought the project to the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central who initiated Operation Toilets Australia Inc. (OTA) as an entity under the control of the Rotary Club. OTA operates under its registered business name, we can’t wait.
Project Benefits
The long-term impact of this work in schools is that:
Girls stay in school longer.
Girls get married later.
When married, girls have fewer children, and those children are less likely to die in the first few years of their lives.
For each additional year spent in school, a girl’s lifetime earning capacity is expected to increase between 5% and 10%.
Health outcomes are improved.
Project Funding
We can’t wait partners with in-country Rotary clubs, Rotary districts and receives financial support from The Rotary Foundation, Rotary clubs and districts, individual Rotarians, schools, businesses, not-for-profit organisations and members of the general public. We can’t wait works through The Rotary Foundation to fund projects via the Global Grant system that can contribute up to 35% of the total project budget. The current projects in Ethiopia and Nepal benefit from INA’s accreditation by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) which provides matching of the Rotary funds of at least 1:1. The total value of we can’t wait projects since 2015 is AUD$2.0 million.
Toilet Technology
In India, flushable squat toilets are constructed in toilet blocks connected to city sewer systems or septic tanks. A small number of western-style toilets are also included for children with special needs. In Ethiopia and Nepal in schools and in local villages the Ventilated Improved Pit Latrine system is used with squat toilets. Schools and villages are required to commit to an ongoing maintenance program to keep the toilets in good condition.
Health Education Program
An important part of a we can’t wait project is the health education program - Wash in Schools (WinS) program in India, and the Community Led Total Sanitation and Health (CLTS&H) program in Ethiopia and Nepal. Local communities are also encouraged to become involved.
How to donate
Rotary clubs and districts or individual Rotarians can support we can’t wait by either:
Making a donation to a project by bank transfer
Making a donation via PayPal using operationtoilets146@gmail.com as the PayPal recipient’s name.
Sharing the cost of a project with we can’t wait either by:
Rotary clubs donating funds to we can’t wait to be applied to an agreed project that has been organised by we can’t wait.
Rotary clubs donating funds to a Global Grant that has been organised by we can’t wait.
Rotary districts making a District Designated Fund donation to a Global Grant that has been organised by we can’t wait.
Becoming an we can’t wait Ambassador
Australian Rotary clubs, individual Rotarians, businesses, and members of the general public can donate to we can’t wait and receive an Australian Tax Office tax deduction by going to www.rawcs.org.au (Rotary Australia World Community Service) and donate to project No: 21 -2014-15 (India), 18-2025-26 (Ethiopia) or 19-2025-26 (Nepal).
For further information contact:
Tony Stokes – Chair, Operations Toilets Australia Inc.
or Mark Balla – Project Manager
Facebook: Operation Toilets – We Can’t Wait
Email: info@wecantwait.org.au