Sim Jack
Organization: World Toilet Organization Ltd
Year Founded: 2001
Country: Singapore
Website: www.worldtoilet.org
Through a global network and service platform, the World Toilet Organization is committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide. Focus: Health, Sanitation Geographic Area of Impact: Global Model: Leveraged Non-Profit Annual Budget: US$ 300,000 (2009) Percentage Earned Revenue: 0% Recognition: Schwab Fellow of the World Economic Forum, SEOY 2005 Singapore Background The average person uses the toilet 2,200 times a year, approximately six times a day. In fact, across a lifespan, three years of one’s life are spent in the toilet. No one has calculated the size of the global toilet industry, but since restrooms and related infrastructure account for about 7% of total construction costs, the industry is probably worth tens of billions of dollars. Innovation and Activities Jack Sim created the World Toilet Organization (WTO) to promote sound sanitation and public health policies. The organization envisages itself as a de facto global body that champions more and better toilet environments. It is one of the few organizations to focus on toilets instead of water, which receives more attention and resources from international development agencies. WTO was created as a global network and service platform where all toilet and sanitation organizations can learn from one another and leverage on media and global support. This, in turn, can influence governments to promote sound sanitation and public health policies. WTO currently has 215 member organizations in 57 countries working towards eliminating the toilet taboo and delivering sustainable sanitation. WTO is the organizer of the very successful series of World Toilet Summits and World Toilet Expo and Forums. Each summit addresses the critical issues of toilet and sanitation, from technologies, development and funding to design, maintenance, social entrepreneurship, capacity building, research and various other related topics. WTO also declared 19 November World Toilet Day. This day is now being celebrated by members all over the world, thus increasing awareness and generating local action for better sanitation. The Entrepreneur Jack Sim grew up in a slum in the 1950s in Singapore. Not having a university degree did not stop him from starting his own business at age 24. After seeing the futility of focusing only on financial gain, he left business and ventured into non-profit work, dedicating his time to humanitarian causes. Jack developed a keen interest and concern for toilets because he felt that this subject was neglected and there was much to be done. This led him to establish the Restroom Association of Singapore (RAS) in 1998. With a dream to unite various toilet associations, Jack founded the World Toilet Organization in 2001 and the World Toilet College in 2005. In 2004, he was awarded the Singapore Green Plan Award 2012 by Singapore's National Environment Agency. He is also an Ashoka Global Fellow and was named by Time Magazine as a Hero of the Environment 2008.
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