On World Toilet Day a new poll by the Christian Charity Tearfund has exposed church goer’s toilet habits when in a service.
More than half of older Christians chose to “hold it in” during church services rather than leave for the loo, which has revealed a surprising generational divide in the pews.
Tearfund said the Savanta survey showed that 56 per cent of older Christians preferred to endure discomfort, while younger worshippers were far more likely to slip out mid-sermon, with 29 per cent saying they would happily miss part of the service.
The charity has used the findings to highlight the global sanitation crisis, saying 1.5 billion people still lacked access to a safe, private toilet.
Photo Credit: Amaru Photography/Tearfund
In Malawi, 53-year-old Leah Suliwa said life in her village had been “tough and stressful” before Tearfund’s local partner helped families improve hygiene and build proper latrines.
She said the community had been “plagued by constant illness”, including cholera and dysentery, which had led to the deaths of some of her relatives.
Leah added that before support arrived, “we didn’t have toilets… We would just go by the bush and use it as a toilet.”
After installing a lockable latrine, she said she finally felt safe: “I lock myself inside and freely use the toilet.”
Stuart Lee, Tearfund’s director of global fundraising and communications, said the crisis “demanded urgent action”, adding that “a thousand children died every day” from diseases linked to unsafe water, sanitation or hygiene.
He added that UK Christians could “make a tangible difference” by twinning their toilets.