Noi’s Toilet: All She Wants is a Small Change in Her Family
Protecting her loved ones through health and hygiene
- English
- ລາວ
Short Film Award
Noi’s Toilet was the winning entry for the “Love and Care for Every Child” competition, which encouraged young filmmakers to create meaningful and educational videos. The film demonstrates a creative way to improve health and hygiene behaviour and was produced through a collaboration between UNICEF and the Lao Women’s Union, with support from the Australian Government via the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
About the Film
The short film follows Noi, a young girl living in a remote village. When she learns that her mother is pregnant, she begins receiving hygiene lessons at school, learning how open defecation can harm health and how diarrhea could endanger her mother and unborn brother. Determined to create a healthier environment, Noi decides to build a homemade toilet for her family.
Her grandfather, however, is skeptical — no one in the village has a toilet, and local beliefs suggest that spirits may not approve.
Despite these generational and cultural differences, Noi continues to emphasize the importance of proper sanitation. The film highlights a pressing issue in Lao PDR, where the absence of toilets and inadequate sanitation remains a challenge, especially in rural communities.
Impact and Inspiration
Noi’s Toilet reflects current realities while inspiring positive change within families and communities. Safe toilets and good hygiene practices are crucial for protecting the health of Noi’s unborn sibling and the wider community.
Noi’s unrelenting drive to challenge cultural norms and taboos is both inspiring and heartwarming. Her story can motivate Lao villages to eradicate open defecation — one toilet at a time.
Background
In Lao PDR, about 1 in 11 people still practice open defecation, using bushes, fields, or forests. Practicing safe sanitation and hygiene is essential for keeping our families healthy and protecting the well-being of the whole community.
Lao PDR has made strides to end open defecation with support from the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, SNV (Netherlands Development Organization), Government of Australia and other development partners reducing open defecation from 61% in 2000 to only 9% in 2024.
