Okayama University is currently promoting actions contributing to the achievement of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) set by the United Nations. The 3rd SDGs café was held December 18th at L-café with approximately 30 university personnel and students participating. Sustainable Development Goal 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation” was the topic of the day, in which participants were given the opportunity to deepen their understanding regarding current issues about clean water and sanitation throughout the world.　

Mr. MURAKAMI Fumio, from LIXIL Corporation, presented various projects in education and sanitation that are currently taking place in Japan and overseas. He informed the group that 2.3 billion (one in three people) throughout the world do not have access to safe and hygienic toilets. In effort to combat this global issue, he introduced one of LIXIL’s products called SATO, which has already saved many children’s lives and has impacted social environments in developing countries.

In further discussion, international student of Okayama University, Nicoles Ocota, and research student, Daniel Acheampong, conducted a presentation about sanitation and toilets in their home country, Ghana. They explained “in Ghana there are not enough toilets in schools, which causes many students to miss class”. They further explained that their social society, in general, lacks toilets. From this sanitary issue, there is much difficulty in maintaining a hygienic environment in Ghana.

To close the conversation in the 3rd SDGs Café “Clean Water and Sanitation”, a participant commented that they are “astonished with the number of people who don’t have access to clean toilets, and never imagined that sanitary problems are this serious”. Much was learned in SDGs Café, and many of the participants are excited to engage in the next SDG conversation to discuss innovation for other global issues still needing to be solved.

* LiXIL has been valued for its problem-solving activities, such as production and promotion of revolutionary, affordable toilet systems in developing countries; in which they have received global innovation recognition as runner up in the 2018 Japan SDGs Award.