I Drank Water From Fecal Sludge: Weird Things that Bill Gates Did For A Cause

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Bill Gates has often opened up about some of the weird and peculiar activities he’s engaged in throughout his life. In one such candid posts on LinkedIn some time ago, the Microsoft co-founder revealed that he’s ventured into some unconventional territory, including drinking water from fecal sludge and sharing the stage with a jar of human feces.

While these acts might sound strange and even unpalatable, they were all carried out with a profound purpose in mind.

Back in the day, Gates revealed that the unorthodox exploits were part of his ongoing efforts to raise awareness about a critical global issue that affects a staggering 3.6 billion people — poor sanitation. He explained in his post, “I’ve done some weird crap over the years: I drank water from fecal sludge with Jimmy Fallon, shared the stage with a jar of human feces, and smelled pit latrine odor."

However, the philanthropist emphasised that the intention was not only to elicit responses but also to bring attention to an issue that still affects millions of people globally.

These acts were a part of a larger effort to address the appalling conditions of sanitation in underdeveloped nations, where the absence of adequate infrastructure for sanitation causes serious health hazards.

However, this wasn’t the first time he brought such an issue to notice. In November 2018, Gates famously displayed a jar of human waste at a forum in Beijing, drawing attention to the global sanitation crisis.

In a linked blog post from July 2021, Gates discussed new sanitation solutions in the face of a rapidly increasing global population.