Team seeks grant to 'Poop out of Poverty' in India

HONOLULU, Sept. 17 (UPI) —

A Hawaii woman seeking a $50,000 National Geographic Channel prize said the money would be used to "collect poop" in India.

Emily MacNintch of Honolulu said she and her "Poop out of Poverty" team, finalists for the National Geographic Channel’s "Expedition Granted" contest, would use the $50,000 prize to create bathroom facilities in India and other underserved areas.

"My team wants the National Geographic grant to collect poop," MacNintch said in her team’s video.

"We want to bring bio-toilets to areas in need to improve health, provide energy and compost, and foster local businesses," she said.

MacNintch said "over 2.4 billion people lack access to proper sanitation," leading to health problems including diarrhea, which kills 5,000 children each day.

"The 10 selected finalists really embrace our vision of pushing boundaries and forging new paths with their thoughtful submissions," said Courteney Monroe, National Geographic Channel chief executive officer. "We welcome the public votes to help narrow down our ultimate winner and 2014 Expedition Granted Explorer."

The videos for all 10 finalists can be seen at National Geographic’s website.