this morning I got up I took a shower I drank a cup of coffee using water that
drank a cup of coffee using water that
drank a cup of coffee using water that came out of tap I went to the toilet I
came out of tap I went to the toilet I
came out of tap I went to the toilet I did a probably a lot of you guys
did a probably a lot of you guys
did a probably a lot of you guys did the same thing don’t worry I’m not
did the same thing don’t worry I’m not
did the same thing don’t worry I’m not going to ask but you were probably
going to ask but you were probably
going to ask but you were probably hardly aware of doing it and neither was
hardly aware of doing it and neither was
hardly aware of doing it and neither was I to be honest but that’s me
I to be honest but that’s me
I to be honest but that’s me 20 years ago when I was lucky enough to
20 years ago when I was lucky enough to
20 years ago when I was lucky enough to spend 3 years living in a village in
spend 3 years living in a village in
spend 3 years living in a village in remote area of rural Zimbabwe doing
remote area of rural Zimbabwe doing
remote area of rural Zimbabwe doing research and then my morning cuppa
research and then my morning cuppa
research and then my morning cuppa coffee was made from water that came
coffee was made from water that came
coffee was made from water that came from a well more than 500 meters away
from a well more than 500 meters away
from a well more than 500 meters away that had to be carried to the house and
that had to be carried to the house and
that had to be carried to the house and when I took a shower it was in a bucket
when I took a shower it was in a bucket
when I took a shower it was in a bucket using the same water for three years and
using the same water for three years and
using the same water for three years and I believe me I was a lot more aware of
I believe me I was a lot more aware of
I believe me I was a lot more aware of the time and effort involved in getting
the time and effort involved in getting
the time and effort involved in getting that water to me then and when I did the
that water to me then and when I did the
that water to me then and when I did the other one it was in that little house in
other one it was in that little house in
other one it was in that little house in a piss in the ground I never since then
a piss in the ground I never since then
a piss in the ground I never since then for the last 20 years I’ve spent most of
for the last 20 years I’ve spent most of
for the last 20 years I’ve spent most of my professional life helping to bring
my professional life helping to bring
my professional life helping to bring water clean drinking water and toilets
water clean drinking water and toilets
water clean drinking water and toilets to people in parts of the world where
to people in parts of the world where
to people in parts of the world where they don’t have them or to be more
they don’t have them or to be more
they don’t have them or to be more accurate working to build the systems
accurate working to build the systems
accurate working to build the systems that are needed to bring those essential
that are needed to bring those essential
that are needed to bring those essential services to people and the reason I do
services to people and the reason I do
services to people and the reason I do that is because what for me was an
that is because what for me was an
that is because what for me was an exciting way to spend three years is for
exciting way to spend three years is for
exciting way to spend three years is for far too many people their daily reality
far too many people their daily reality
far too many people their daily reality that were worse at least 600 million
that were worse at least 600 million
that were worse at least 600 million people in the world don’t have any
people in the world don’t have any
people in the world don’t have any source of clean and reliable drinking
source of clean and reliable drinking
source of clean and reliable drinking water at least 2.4 billion
water at least 2.4 billion
water at least 2.4 billion don’t have any toilet not even a pit
don’t have any toilet not even a pit
don’t have any toilet not even a pit and because of that directly due to that
and because of that directly due to that
and because of that directly due to that people get sick and die and a child dies
people get sick and die and a child dies
people get sick and die and a child dies roughly every two minutes from diarrhea
roughly every two minutes from diarrhea
roughly every two minutes from diarrhea so statistically speaking a child’s died
so statistically speaking a child’s died
so statistically speaking a child’s died since I started talking and I don’t
since I started talking and I don’t
since I started talking and I don’t think that’s acceptable in this day and
think that’s acceptable in this day and
think that’s acceptable in this day and age and the reason that I use the word
age and the reason that I use the word
age and the reason that I use the word provocative is as it is is to help
provocative is as it is is to help
provocative is as it is is to help to break through the taboo that
to break through the taboo that
to break through the taboo that surrounds the subject and that leads
surrounds the subject and that leads
surrounds the subject and that leads directly to this a taboo that means that
directly to this a taboo that means that
directly to this a taboo that means that today now in 2017 more people have
today now in 2017 more people have
today now in 2017 more people have access to a mobile phone the do to a
access to a mobile phone the do to a
access to a mobile phone the do to a toilet but let me step away from the
toilet but let me step away from the
toilet but let me step away from the world of water and sanitation for a
world of water and sanitation for a
world of water and sanitation for a minute and talk about systems we’re
minute and talk about systems we’re
minute and talk about systems we’re surrounded by systems we by Transport
surrounded by systems we by Transport
surrounded by systems we by Transport Systems by education systems by Health
Systems by education systems by Health
Systems by education systems by Health and Social Welfare and housing systems
and Social Welfare and housing systems
and Social Welfare and housing systems and yet despite being surrounded by them
and yet despite being surrounded by them
and yet despite being surrounded by them we’re almost entirely blind to them we
we’re almost entirely blind to them we
we’re almost entirely blind to them we see what they deliver but not what it
see what they deliver but not what it
see what they deliver but not what it takes to deliver it and I think that’s
takes to deliver it and I think that’s
takes to deliver it and I think that’s because when you got the bus to come
because when you got the bus to come
because when you got the bus to come here or the Train you don’t think of it
here or the Train you don’t think of it
here or the Train you don’t think of it as a system but that bus has a driver it
as a system but that bus has a driver it
as a system but that bus has a driver it has to be repaired sometimes it drives
has to be repaired sometimes it drives
has to be repaired sometimes it drives on a road that somebody’s built but
on a road that somebody’s built but
on a road that somebody’s built but somebody else repairs to a schedule
somebody else repairs to a schedule
somebody else repairs to a schedule that’s been set by somebody and take all
that’s been set by somebody and take all
that’s been set by somebody and take all of that together that’s part of your
of that together that’s part of your
of that together that’s part of your transport system or if you or your child
transport system or if you or your child
transport system or if you or your child is sick you go to see a doctor and the
is sick you go to see a doctor and the
is sick you go to see a doctor and the doctor refers you to a hospital the
doctor refers you to a hospital the
doctor refers you to a hospital the doctor and the hospital are part of a
doctor and the hospital are part of a
doctor and the hospital are part of a health system and the hospital is itself
health system and the hospital is itself
health system and the hospital is itself a system full of thousands of moving
a system full of thousands of moving
a system full of thousands of moving parts and when you go to the toilet in
parts and when you go to the toilet in
parts and when you go to the toilet in the morning you probably don’t think of
the morning you probably don’t think of
the morning you probably don’t think of that as a system either but it is you
that as a system either but it is you
that as a system either but it is you know you turn on the tap water comes out
know you turn on the tap water comes out
know you turn on the tap water comes out you flush your toilet everything goes
you flush your toilet everything goes
you flush your toilet everything goes away and is made safe and that’s because
away and is made safe and that’s because
away and is made safe and that’s because there’s a system a system that’s made up
there’s a system a system that’s made up
there’s a system a system that’s made up of water companies who you pay your
of water companies who you pay your
of water companies who you pay your bills do of water regulators who
bills do of water regulators who
bills do of water regulators who sure that the water company is is
sure that the water company is is
sure that the water company is is meeting all the necessary standards a
meeting all the necessary standards a
meeting all the necessary standards a banks who lend money to those companies
banks who lend money to those companies
banks who lend money to those companies and the water companies manage
and the water companies manage
and the water companies manage subsystems pipes and sewers water
subsystems pipes and sewers water
subsystems pipes and sewers water treatment plants wastewater treatment
treatment plants wastewater treatment
treatment plants wastewater treatment facilities fecal sludge management units
facilities fecal sludge management units
facilities fecal sludge management units and fecal sludge is the technical word
and fecal sludge is the technical word
and fecal sludge is the technical word for if you ever hear it again
systems within systems within systems
systems within systems within systems systems that rely on people and money
systems that rely on people and money
systems that rely on people and money and infrastructure and information to
and infrastructure and information to
and infrastructure and information to make them work but here’s the crazy
make them work but here’s the crazy
make them work but here’s the crazy thing what the difficult thing for the
thing what the difficult thing for the
thing what the difficult thing for the whole thing to work for water to come
whole thing to work for water to come
whole thing to work for water to come out of your tap or for something to
out of your tap or for something to
out of your tap or for something to happen when you flush the toilet the
happen when you flush the toilet the
happen when you flush the toilet the whole system has to work all the time
whole system has to work all the time
whole system has to work all the time and when a piece fails which it always
and when a piece fails which it always
and when a piece fails which it always will there has to be an ability to
will there has to be an ability to
will there has to be an ability to repair it a healthy system is a system
repair it a healthy system is a system
repair it a healthy system is a system that can repair itself and let’s face it
it’s when that doesn’t happen when the
it’s when that doesn’t happen when the water doesn’t come out of the tap that
water doesn’t come out of the tap that
water doesn’t come out of the tap that we stop being systems blind we begin to
we stop being systems blind we begin to
we stop being systems blind we begin to notice systems when you can’t get your
notice systems when you can’t get your
notice systems when you can’t get your kid into a local school because they’re
kid into a local school because they’re
kid into a local school because they’re all oversubscribed when you spend hours
all oversubscribed when you spend hours
all oversubscribed when you spend hours worth waiting in an emergency room in a
worth waiting in an emergency room in a
worth waiting in an emergency room in a hospital because there’s no beds or no
hospital because there’s no beds or no
hospital because there’s no beds or no doctors or when you turn on a tap and
doctors or when you turn on a tap and
doctors or when you turn on a tap and nothing comes out and that systems
nothing comes out and that systems
nothing comes out and that systems blindness that lack of appreciation of
blindness that lack of appreciation of
blindness that lack of appreciation of what it is that systems deliver to us
what it is that systems deliver to us
what it is that systems deliver to us leads to a huge problem in my world it
leads to a huge problem in my world it
leads to a huge problem in my world it means that now today up to 30% of the
means that now today up to 30% of the
means that now today up to 30% of the installed water supply infrastructure in
installed water supply infrastructure in
installed water supply infrastructure in rural Africa isn’t working
rural Africa isn’t working
rural Africa isn’t working billions of dollars of aid and
billions of dollars of aid and
billions of dollars of aid and investment flush down the drain and you
investment flush down the drain and you
investment flush down the drain and you know when I talk to people I tell them I
know when I talk to people I tell them I
know when I talk to people I tell them I work in development I travel all around
work in development I travel all around
work in development I travel all around the world I bring do water and
the world I bring do water and
the world I bring do water and sanitation people aren’t sort of excited
sanitation people aren’t sort of excited
sanitation people aren’t sort of excited and they think what a fulfilling job
and they think what a fulfilling job
and they think what a fulfilling job that must be amazing and of course
that must be amazing and of course
that must be amazing and of course is but when I tell them that no I don’t
is but when I tell them that no I don’t
is but when I tell them that no I don’t actually spend my life digging wells and
actually spend my life digging wells and
actually spend my life digging wells and villages or making latrines did I work
villages or making latrines did I work
villages or making latrines did I work on building systems that I’ve worked
on building systems that I’ve worked
on building systems that I’ve worked with governments and help them to get
with governments and help them to get
with governments and help them to get systems working they often lose interest
systems working they often lose interest
systems working they often lose interest I stopped being the action here over I
I stopped being the action here over I
I stopped being the action here over I think they’d hoped to meet and I’ve
think they’d hoped to meet and I’ve
think they’d hoped to meet and I’ve become some sort of boring nerd and
become some sort of boring nerd and
become some sort of boring nerd and nerds are great by the way I think I
nerds are great by the way I think I
nerds are great by the way I think I like nerds but their systems blind and
like nerds but their systems blind and
like nerds but their systems blind and that’s a real problem because actually
that’s a real problem because actually
that’s a real problem because actually the most important development work
the most important development work
the most important development work there is is building systems the only
there is is building systems the only
there is is building systems the only way that we’re going to end poverty is
way that we’re going to end poverty is
way that we’re going to end poverty is through building systems the only way
through building systems the only way
through building systems the only way we’re going to end the need for
we’re going to end the need for
we’re going to end the need for development aid is by building systems a
few years ago between 2008 and 2012 I
few years ago between 2008 and 2012 I lived in Ghana which is another
lived in Ghana which is another
lived in Ghana which is another fantastic country and I was there
fantastic country and I was there
fantastic country and I was there supporting a major initiative on systems
supporting a major initiative on systems
supporting a major initiative on systems building for rural water and in the time
building for rural water and in the time
building for rural water and in the time I was there those few years we spent
I was there those few years we spent
I was there those few years we spent quite a lot of money I guess six million
quite a lot of money I guess six million
quite a lot of money I guess six million euros maybe a bit more and we didn’t
euros maybe a bit more and we didn’t
euros maybe a bit more and we didn’t build a single pump we didn’t lay a
build a single pump we didn’t lay a
build a single pump we didn’t lay a single meter of pipe but what we did do
single meter of pipe but what we did do
single meter of pipe but what we did do was to build systems and we did that by
was to build systems and we did that by
was to build systems and we did that by working with the people in those systems
working with the people in those systems
working with the people in those systems with the users with the hand pump
with the users with the hand pump
with the users with the hand pump mechanics the guys who come and fix
mechanics the guys who come and fix
mechanics the guys who come and fix pumps when they broken-down with
pumps when they broken-down with
pumps when they broken-down with district engineers the people who are
district engineers the people who are
district engineers the people who are supposed to plan and think about how to
supposed to plan and think about how to
supposed to plan and think about how to make does all the multiple systems in a
make does all the multiple systems in a
make does all the multiple systems in a district work and we worked with other
district work and we worked with other
district work and we worked with other aid agencies with local entrepreneurs we
aid agencies with local entrepreneurs we
aid agencies with local entrepreneurs we even worked with the minister who became
even worked with the minister who became
even worked with the minister who became a big champion and what we did with them
a big champion and what we did with them
a big champion and what we did with them was to seek to take away their systems
was to seek to take away their systems
was to seek to take away their systems blindness to make them understand why so
blindness to make them understand why so
blindness to make them understand why so many of the water supplies they were
many of the water supplies they were
many of the water supplies they were building were failing and then decided
building were failing and then decided
building were failing and then decided to do something about that by
to do something about that by
to do something about that by understanding their role in the system
understanding their role in the system
understanding their role in the system and their relations to each other to
and their relations to each other to
and their relations to each other to develop a vision
develop a vision
develop a vision of how things could be done better and
of how things could be done better and
of how things could be done better and to begin to implement that vision how we
to begin to implement that vision how we
to begin to implement that vision how we did we planned we budgeted not just for
did we planned we budgeted not just for
did we planned we budgeted not just for new hardware but to repair and fix the
new hardware but to repair and fix the
new hardware but to repair and fix the stuff that was there already and we
stuff that was there already and we
stuff that was there already and we brought water services back to thousands
brought water services back to thousands
brought water services back to thousands of people I know we’re not there yet
of people I know we’re not there yet
of people I know we’re not there yet systems building is hardware it’s often
systems building is hardware it’s often
systems building is hardware it’s often very frustrating work it’s two steps
very frustrating work it’s two steps
very frustrating work it’s two steps forward one step back kind of work on a
forward one step back kind of work on a
forward one step back kind of work on a good day but we have taken away the
good day but we have taken away the
good day but we have taken away the systems blindness we have laid the
systems blindness we have laid the
systems blindness we have laid the foundations for the system that is one
foundations for the system that is one
foundations for the system that is one day going to bring water and sanitation
day going to bring water and sanitation
day going to bring water and sanitation to everybody in Ghana when systems don’t
to everybody in Ghana when systems don’t
to everybody in Ghana when systems don’t work the results aren’t nice pipes break
work the results aren’t nice pipes break
work the results aren’t nice pipes break down tap stop working gets into the
down tap stop working gets into the
down tap stop working gets into the environment kids get sick and they die
environment kids get sick and they die
environment kids get sick and they die but when we’re systems blind we make
but when we’re systems blind we make
but when we’re systems blind we make stupid decisions we vote for people who
stupid decisions we vote for people who
stupid decisions we vote for people who say they’re going to reduce tax and
say they’re going to reduce tax and
say they’re going to reduce tax and improve the quality of services or we
improve the quality of services or we
improve the quality of services or we give money to charities who say who want
give money to charities who say who want
give money to charities who say who want to use it to build new infrastructure
to use it to build new infrastructure
to use it to build new infrastructure but when that infrastructure fails
but when that infrastructure fails
but when that infrastructure fails they’re nowhere to be seen yet what I’ve
they’re nowhere to be seen yet what I’ve
they’re nowhere to be seen yet what I’ve learned in the last 20 years is that if
learned in the last 20 years is that if
learned in the last 20 years is that if we take away our systems blindness and
we take away our systems blindness and
we take away our systems blindness and we work on building the systems at the
we work on building the systems at the
we work on building the systems at the same time as the infrastructure we can
same time as the infrastructure we can
same time as the infrastructure we can achieve amazing things so that’s what I
achieve amazing things so that’s what I
achieve amazing things so that’s what I do I build systems and part of that is
do I build systems and part of that is
do I build systems and part of that is by asking people including all of you to
by asking people including all of you to
by asking people including all of you to open your eyes to the systems that
open your eyes to the systems that
open your eyes to the systems that surround you next time you turn on a tap
surround you next time you turn on a tap
surround you next time you turn on a tap or next time you use the toilet and you
or next time you use the toilet and you
or next time you use the toilet and you flush it think about how amazing it is
flush it think about how amazing it is
flush it think about how amazing it is that that works look at your water bill
that that works look at your water bill
that that works look at your water bill see how much you use see how much it
see how much you use see how much it
see how much you use see how much it costs and the next time that you see a
costs and the next time that you see a
costs and the next time that you see a politician on the TV
politician on the TV
politician on the TV asking for your vote promising that
asking for your vote promising that
asking for your vote promising that they’re going to reduce taxes and at the
they’re going to reduce taxes and at the
they’re going to reduce taxes and at the same time improve the quality your
same time improve the quality your
same time improve the quality your services in health or in education or
services in health or in education or
services in health or in education or whatever it is or somebody comes to your
whatever it is or somebody comes to your
whatever it is or somebody comes to your door and asks you for a donation to
door and asks you for a donation to
door and asks you for a donation to build a well somewhere in the developing
build a well somewhere in the developing
build a well somewhere in the developing world it’s going to bring a village
world it’s going to bring a village
world it’s going to bring a village water forever stop from in it ask
water forever stop from in it ask
water forever stop from in it ask yourself ask them if you can if that’s
yourself ask them if you can if that’s
yourself ask them if you can if that’s really practical or are they just
really practical or are they just
really practical or are they just systems blind and if the answer that is
systems blind and if the answer that is
systems blind and if the answer that is yes then maybe think about voting
yes then maybe think about voting
yes then maybe think about voting somewhere else or put in your money
somewhere else or put in your money
somewhere else or put in your money somewhere else thank you
”
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