We take our blessings for granted — water, electricity, transport and toilet.”Debanjan and Ankur are not resting yet. They came face to face with a sight, which is a reality for about 250 million people in rural India — a railway track for a defecating area. And who better to partner with than an international bathroomware brand. Needless to say, this system of open defecation leads to several issues, which are obviously hygiene and health-related, and not to mention the countless cases of rapes and abuses on the road to open defecation. They want more people to come into its fore. It made them uncomfortable but also sensitised them to the plight of a vast section of our population used to defecating in the open. In their words: “The World Toilet Day presented us with an opportunity to exploit our own creativity in a way that could actually bring about a change. We are extremely proud, excited and happy about the idea and execution.
With each sign up/pledge, the foundation is contributing to the construction of more toilets. 2 spot plastic foot tubs ManufacturersCloseOpenDefecation, a campaign designed by the advertising agency Dentsu Impact and We Are Water Foundation, aimed at addressing a human crisis, which is our shameful reality. It is the start of a huge mission to end open defecation in India. Yes, toilet — we have them in our homes, in public spaces # — clean, hygienic and private. They are excited about doing something beyond traditional client briefs and marketing endeavours. Immediately, people pledged to #CloseOpenDefecation by signing up on the We Are Water Foundation portal.On November 30, right below the top trending topic on Twitter #FarmersMarch, there was another handle trending at the No.On November 19, the World Toilet Day, the bathroomware brand ran a social experiment at Gurgaon, Haryana.However, about 250 million people in rural India have no access to a toilet — their idea of it is an open field or a railway track. Hope it does even better.
This jolted everyone out of their reverie. But when people went inside, they were in for a surprise. And it is just the beginning. For this, not just government initiatives, but individual participation is important. People with means and ideas must come together to contribute to put a stop to this human disaster.Ankur Garg and Debanjan Basak, creative directors of Dentsu Impact were approached and they helmed this project.Children and women holding placards delivered the hard facts and adverse effects of open defecation. Thus was born, #CloseOpenDefaecation. A makeshift public toilet was constructed..To bring this scenario to the fore, We Are Water Foundation, the CSR wing of Roca Group, and Dentsu Impact, the creative agency for Roca and Parryware, have come together to launch a movement to address open defecation. They wish to invite and generate more unique ideas to spread consciousness.While we go about our daily business in our urban bubble, we seldom pay attention to the condition of the vast majority of our countrymen living on the fringes of our urban spaces and villages.”They further added that: “The campaign has garnered 428,000 views so far. They are hopeful about the power of the digital medium, which has enabled them to reach out to a vast audience within a short while and gather their support
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