Jack Sim, creator and president of the World Toilet Organization, selected the group’s name specifically for the notoriety and confusion that would come from the abbreviation “WTO.” An organization does not need a public relations firm; a few great photos and frequent headlines will speak for themselves, Sim said.
This token of advice was one of many during a Clinton School lecture titled, “How I get Almost Everything for Free,” given by the former for-profit business owner turned non-profit leader. Sim founded WTO in 2001 to help reach nearly 40 percent of the world’s population who lack adequate, clean sanitation.
Pro-bono work, bargaining, working together and living simply are important aspects of Sim’s plan for a successful organization, he said. Using these tactics, Sim overcame the lack of a college degree, and at 40 had enough money to retire.
Knowing that he wanted to implement sustainable change, and not just donate money to impoverished people, he started the WTO to address what he saw as a neglected public health issue.
His plan is basic and effective: teach people in a town or village how to make toilets, and sell them for a set price to the local population. The $35 it costs a person to purchase a toilet is more sustainable than handing over a free one, he said.
When Sim’s heard that over one million children die every year due to sanitation-related diseases, he knew something had to be done. Toilets needed to become part of the conversation in order to make positive change, he said.
Sim accomplished this, and more, employing his “everything for free” strategy and having a true passion for helping others.
Click here to watch the video of Sim’s lecture.
This post was written by Clinton School student Maggie Carroll (’13).