Some words of gratitude:

Dear friends,

I am Peixin from the National University of Singapore. I am now in India doing my internship under the NUS Overseas College India program!

I have started a campaign on 11/11/11, a nice date of the year to raise loans for 8 households in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, South India. Each toilet loan costs Rs 10,000 which is equivalent to USD 200. A target amount of USD 1600 needs to be raised.

I will be worked with Milaap Social Venture, GUARDIAN MFI and the World Toilet Organisation. The World Toilet Organisation has kindly agreed to match the loans raised in this campaign and increase the impact of your loans.

Two weeks into the campaign, all 8 toilet loans has been fully funded, 7 days ahead of the expected end date. In the remaining 7 days, another USD 1000 has been raised which total up to USD 2687 in loan.

I am really thankful to my friends whom I know or do not know personally for making this campaign a success. Now, not just 8 households can have a toilet in their house, but 13 households across three villages are going to build a toilet in their house.

Beginning from 12 December 2011, The loans will be disbursed to the villagers. The loan cycle will be from Jan2012 to Jun 2013, over the period of 18 months.

About the campaign

The objectives of this campaign are:
1. To raise toilet loans for 8 rural households, with a target amount of USD 1600.
2. To raise awareness for the importance of clean sanitation, especially in developing countries where 2.6billion of the world population do not have access to basic sanitation facilities.

The campaign arises from my experience in India when I went on a field trip to Trichy and witnessed how a toilet loan has benefited a rural household who used to relieve themselves in the field. I feel that there is a need to do something to not just raise awareness, but to raise loans to give real helps to real people.

I believe that donation is not the solution to sanitation crisis. Instead, I believe in self-help solutions in which the poor are valued as dignified consumers of the market as well. Therefore, I choose to raise loans instead of donation where a loan is going to empower them for a lifetime.

In other words, the amount that you have decided to put into my campaign is going to get back to you at the end of the loan cycle. Read more about loan repayment

As part of my campaign to raise awareness for clean sanitation, I have also produced a documentary- The World's Biggest Toilet made from my field trip to Trichy

The World Toilet Day is a day celebrated by 19 countries with over 51 events being hosted by various water and sanitation advocates to tackle sanitation crisis worldwide. Once again, thank you for joining me in this global movement to make this world a better place!