Lajana says “I am very much looking forward to visiting Edinburgh, and meeting with WaterAid supporters and campaigners. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to talk to people in the UK about the importance of water and sanitation and what a big difference their support can make to the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. “
Lajana, from Nepalese organisation Lumanti, has worked in the water and sanitation sector for more than 12 years. In March 2006 Lajana represented Nepal at the World Water Forum in Mexico, she also contributed to the book Water Voices from Around the World. Lumanti is a member of The End Water Poverty coalition campaigning for sanitation and water for all. Lajana is encouraging individuals to send post-cards to the Japanese Prime Minister to demand that world leaders, especially at the next G8 summit which will be held in Japan this July, urgently address the crisis in sanitation and water.
Edinburgh based WaterAid supporter Marina Vincent said: “We’re really looking forward to meeting Lajana Manandhar, and we hope lots of people from Edinburgh can come to hear her speak. It really does make a difference when you get to hear from someone like Lajana, it’s the next best thing to visiting a developing country in person.”
Lajana hopes that by visiting the UK and delivering these free talks she can make a difference to the billions of people for whom living without access to clean water and a safe place to go to the toilet is still a daily reality. Living without these basic human rights causes the deaths of 5,000 children every day.
To find out more please visit: www.wateraid.org/lajana [3]