A Toilet’s job is simply to dispose of waste. The irony is that most toilets are actually quite wasteful at doing it. The amount of water and energy most toilets require to do their job make them almost unusable in 3rd world countries. Even though you may think everyone has one, around 2.6 billion people don’t have a place to do... well you know. People in very poor countries that cannot afford toilets can suffer from dangerous living conditions which are created by poor hygiene. In an effort to clean up the mess The Bill Gates Foundation sponsored the “Toilet of the Future Contest”. The contest awarded 100,000 dollars to the group who could create a cheap, efficient, and green toilet. And who says Bill Gates never gets his hands dirty! Some toilets were solar powered. Many of them could even produce fresh water! You have to wonder who volunteered to take the first sip! This truly tells us that there is more than just a few ways to lend a helping hand to people in need.