Written by: Hendra Gupta
The Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC) and the Asian Institute of Technology International School (AITIS) are proud to announce the winners of the World Toilet Day Art Challenge, which took place from November 20 to December 1, 2023.
The art challenge was a free competition for students in Grade 3, 4, 5, and 6, who created their artwork in class or at home, using any materials they liked. The only requirement was that their artwork had to be related to one of the following topics:
- Tell people about toilets: Encourage talk about how toilets, water, and clean spaces for going potty are all important to stay healthy.
- Stop excessive flushing: Don’t waste water by flushing too much. Make sure pipes are fixed and things like poo and pee are emptied properly.
- Stop polluting: Don’t put food, oil, medicine or chemicals down the toilet or in the sinks, it hurts our water and makes it dirty.
These topics were based on the theme of World Toilet Day 2023, which was “Accelerating Change”. World Toilet Day is a global event that celebrates the importance of toilets and sanitation for everyone. The hummingbird was the symbol of World Toilet Day 2023. The hummingbird is a small but mighty bird that can fly fast and change direction quickly. It can also carry water in its beak to help put out fires. The hummingbird represents the idea that everyone can do something to help accelerate change, no matter how small.
The art challenge asked the students to be like hummingbirds and use their creativity and imagination to express their ideas and solutions for a sustainable global water and sanitation future. The students showed their amazing artistic skills and their understanding of the water and sanitation issues through their drawings.
Vist Gallery
The artwork was judged by a panel of experts from the GWSC and the AITIS, who evaluated the artwork based on the relevance, creativity, and expression. The judges selected three winners for each grade. The winners received art challenge champion medals and all participants received a certificate of participation. The winners also had their artwork featured on the GWSC and AITIS websites and social media platforms.
The awarding day was on December 13, 2023, during the school assembly. Prof. Sangam Shretha, Co-Director GWSC awarded the medals and certificates to the winners.
The winners of the art challenge were:
Grade 3: Jerome Arnold Finch, Wawarisa Incharoen, Taam Kanitnate.
Grade 4: Wariya Koonsawasdikool, Peerawich Chiamchanya, Junjaochay Marod.
Grade 5: Proundparefha Suksumek, Wathunyu Cheryklin, Siraphop Vichasinwat.
Grade 6: Pin Prathankiat, Nata Leeprechanon, Sofia Anceno
The GWSC and the AITIS congratulate all the winners and participants of the art challenge and thank them for their enthusiasm and effort. The GWSC and the AITIS also thank the teachers, parents, and supporters who helped make this event possible.
The art challenge was a great success and a wonderful way to celebrate World Toilet Day and raise awareness of the water and sanitation issues. The GWSC and the AITIS hope that this event will inspire more people to be like hummingbirds and do what they can to help accelerate change and create a sustainable global water and sanitation future.