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A child dies from a sanitation-related illness every 17 seconds. We're working hard to change that.

We take for granted the fact that we can use a toilet whenever we want, but for some 2.3 billion people that option is not available and the impact this has on their lives is catastrophic.

1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation – according to the World Health Organisation it kills more children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Working in close collaboration with communities and organisations on the ground, we develop and implement innovative, sustainable sanitation solutions. We champion the use of GroSan (composting) toilets, which are clean and hygienic and last for decades. These toilets protect water sources and the local environment from pollution and produce rich, valuable compost. The improvement in the quality of their day to day lives is real and positive – reducing ill health and disease and enabling them to work, develop livelihoods or attend school, giving them the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Sanitation First receives no government funding and we are wholly dependent upon voluntary donations from individual donors, trust & foundations and corporates, to fund our vital work. We keep our administration costs to a minimum with 80% of income going directly to projects.

11/10/2026

What happens when a girl gets the chance to lead? In Tamil Nadu, we see it every day.
We see it in the girls who talk about periods openly in their classrooms and teach their friends what they’ve learned. In the women who test their village’s water and know exactly what’s in it. In the water warriors who sit on village committees, write water plans with local government and make sure they’re delivered. In the women turning an invasive w**d into biochar, healthier soil and their own income.

They’re not waiting for change. They’re making it.

Across more than 100 villages, women now run their own water committees. Over 3,000 have trained to test their water. And more than 175,000 people have been part of our menstrual health programmes, from first period to menopause.

This International Day of the Girl, we’re celebrating them. The girls staying in school, the women leading their villages, and the Sanitation First team who have worked alongside them for years.

When she leads, everyone moves forward.

Images shot by on our last India trip. ❤️

09/10/2026

HAVE YOU SEEN THESE FLYERS? 👀

Maybe you’ve spotted one. Maybe you’ve told yourself, “One day I’ll run a half marathon.”

Well, this is your sign.

Hackney Half 2027. Sunday 16th May. 13.1 miles through East London, raising funds and spreading The Cycle’s mission.

Sign up now. Link in bio. ❤️
Flyer DILAN DAVÉ edit kezianavey ❤️

09/10/2026

HAVE YOU SEEN THESE FLYERS? 👀

Maybe you’ve spotted one. Maybe you’ve told yourself, “One day I’ll run a half marathon.”

Well, this is your sign.

Hackney Half 2027. Sunday 16th May. 13.1 miles through East London, raising funds and spreading The Cycle’s mission.

General entry’s sold out. Run with The Cycle for just £40. First half or fifteenth, there’s a place for you on Team Cycle. Don’t stand on the sidelines.

Sign up now. Link in bio. ❤️ flyer edit ❤️

09/10/2026

30/09/2026

The results are in : Happy Periods works. 🩸

AIR independently evaluated Sanitation First’s Happy Periods programme across 105 schools in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, comparing schools that run the programme with schools that don’t.

Students in Happy Periods schools know more about menstruation, and more of them understand the biology behind why periods happen. Knowledge is where confidence starts.

5x more girls in Happy Periods schools use reusable period products. That’s better for their health, their budgets and the planet ♻️

72.9% of students in Happy Periods schools say boys should learn about periods too, compared with 64.6% in comparison schools. Change happens when everyone is part of the conversation.

School leaders are behind it. 98% say it improved students’ understanding, 95% say it’s age-appropriate and relevant, and 86% say none of the parents disapproved.

“There is no shyness in asking for what we need.” Girls speaking up for themselves is what this work is about 💛

“I think every school should do this kind of awareness.”

We agree. Huge congratulations to the Sanitation First team. ❤️

16/09/2026

For years, in the communities where we work water scarcity has been the daily reality, water tanks for drinking water run dry before they even arrive, with women forced to collect water meaning they carry the heaviest part of that burden, every single day.

Now that’s changing. Alongside our amazing partners Sanitation First India , we’re bringing dried up waterbodies back to life. Restoring the old systems. Building the safe infrastructure to go with them. Turning scarcity into security. This is what change looks like on the ground: not a quick fix, but communities reclaiming what was theirs, and rewriting what’s possible.

Two villages, nearly there. A third, just beginning. And a monsoon on the way that we intend to be ready for.

This is change in action.

09/09/2026

THE BIG HALF 🏅

Massive congrats to Izzy, Mimi and Charlie for smashing The Big Half on Sunday, all three finishing sub 2 hours! 🙌 So proud of you all for raising vital funds for The Cycle and spreading our mission every step of the way. ❤️

Huge thanks to RUN THE BOROUGHS doin stuff for making this possible! The best training, motivation and support on the day. And ofc the best supporters 💕

Inspired? Sign up for the Hackney half through the link in bio!

28/05/2026

Menstrual Health Day 2026 ❤️

This Menstrual Health Day, we’re reflecting on an important conversation we held last year, when and The Cycle brought together MPs, researchers, disability and trans rights advocates, and community practitioners in Chennai for the symposium:

“Beyond the Basics: Menstrual Health as Dignity, Inclusion & Policy Priority.”

The discussions reminded us that menstrual health is not just about access to products, it is about dignity, equity, inclusion, and the right to participate fully in society.

Today, we are sharing some of the most powerful insights, reflections, and calls to action that emerged from that room.

21/05/2026

HACKNEY HALF ’26 🏅🏅🏅

On Sunday, 37 runners took on Hackney Half and together raised £13,000 for The Cycle.

What a day! Huge love to everyone who ran, donated, supported and showed up for us on Sunday, the energy, commitment and community spirit was unreal from start to finish.

Massive thank you as well to Savills IM for making it possible through their support with charity places.

More on our partnerships coming up…

22/04/2026

This Earth Day, double your impact 💚

From 22nd to 29th April, every donation is matched through The Big Give’s Earth Raise Match Fund.

In drought-hit Mullikudi, families are spending up to a third of their daily wages on water, women are walking up to 5 hours a day to fetch water or relying on unsafe sources. We are raising £30,000 to restore a traditional drinking water pond and bring safe water back to 136 households.

Alongside we will restore the pond, improve groundwater, and support long-term community resilience.

We have just one week to unlock £30,000 for this vital project. Every donation made will be matched £ for £!

Link in bio to donate 💚

Address

Westbury
BA139BR,

Website

http://sanitationfirst.org/

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