Secret for success? After every use, 2 handfuls of compost are added to the pit. Each stall will have wiping material and organic compost material.
Smell? The pit has a tight lid (removed and replaced by one's foot) so smells are minimized. Flies can't get out and are attracted by the light and air flow to the vent which is screened.
Agricultural use? With the encouragement of Project Ethiopia member, Awoke, the urine and compost will be used by the local farmers to boost crop growth.
Ask anyone what it will take to make women’s equality a reality and “toilets” will probably not be the response. Yet it is difficult to exaggerate the impact that
access to private, safe and sanitary toilets would have on the daily
lives and long-term prospects of the 1.3 billion women and girls
worldwide that are currently doing without. The burdens of
water-hauling are widely understood: this tedious, time-consuming and
physically debilitating chore reduces the time available for productive
activities and, for girls, to attend school. Less discussed are the
blows to health, productivity and dignity that result from poor
sanitation. In some settings where basic sanitation is lacking,
women and girls have to rise before dawn, making their way in the
darkness to fields to defecate in the open, knowing they may risk rape
or other violence in the process. In such circumstances, women and girls often go the
whole day without relieving themselves until night affords them the
privacy of darkness. Sometimes, they limit their daytime intake of
food and water so that they can make it until evening. For many girls, the onset of adolescence means the end of school.
All who lack adequate sanitation facilities are exposed to unpleasant
and unhealthy daily routines. However, the impact on women and girls is greatest. In their household roles, they may more
readily transmit disease-causing pathogens from exposed faeces to other
family members. And restricted toilet opportunities cause discomfort
and increase the likelihood of health problems such as urinary tract
infections and chronic constipation as well as causing unnecessary
mental stress. How can the future be better if today's girls must drop out of school for want of something as basic as a toilet?
Shallow trenches were dug and lined with concrete blocks. On half of the trench are 4 toilet floors with toilet stalls over them.
After one year, the toilet stalls and floors are moved to the other half of the trench. The filled pits are covered and left to compost for one year. When the toilets need to be moved back the next year, the compost is germ-free and ready for agricultural use. Urinals drain to a tank for use in agriculture and is germ-free in 3 months.
How can the future be better if today's girls must drop out of school for want of something as basic as a toilet?
ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY WITH TOILETS AND TAPS
Safe water = ability to wash face and hands = significant reduction in trachoma (eye)
Reasonable access to safe water means girls can go to school instead of using time and energy to get water for the family.
Substantial economic gains occur with increased access to water according to a cost-benefit analysis by WHO.
CLEAN WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTH
Judy & Dennis pay for all administrative and travel costs.
We buy local & hire local to benefit local economy
Project Ethiopia c/o Interfaith Community Church 1763 NW 62nd Street, Seattle, WA 98107
Project Ethiopia has 501(c)3 status so US donations are tax deductible.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" -
Nelson Mandela
(1918- )
When spiders unite they can tie up a lion
- Ethiopian proverb