Retired and Building Thrones

The following article from the Huffington Post online (huffingtonpost.com) tells the tale of a retired Indian man who is using his masonry skills to build toilets for those in need. In his home country many people don't have access to clean water or sanitation. He is doing what he can to help. The short article that follows highlights some of his achievements in conjunction with World Water Day which was on March 22.

Kathirvel is a 65-year-old man from India who is determined to make a difference in his golden years.

Instead of spending retirement with his feet up, he uses his expertise in masonry to build toilets, according to Water.org. Over the last year, he's built more than 200 toilets for the needy in his country.

In India, roughly 21 percent of communicable diseases are water-related, according to the World Bank. Kathirvel's work provides a sanitary solution to waste disposal, aiming to lower that rate.

Kathirvel is part of Water.org's WaterCredit program -- an initiative that allows financial institutions to provide small loans to households in developing nations. Funds are used to develop modernized systems for residents to access clean water, enhancing sanitation and personal hygiene.

Access to clean water is the culprit of health crises in underdeveloped regions around the globe. As Chelsea Clinton pointed out at the South by Southwest festival earlier this month, more than 750,000 children die every year from severe dehydration due to diarrhea -- a direct result of a lack of clean water. Worldwide, 768 million people -- that's nearly 2.5 times the population of the U.S. -- lack access to safe drinking water, and 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation according to the U.N.'s World Water Development report.

Article found here.