Together – Clean – Healthy
Compost latrines and hygiene training for rural households
With the pilot project "Together - Clean - Healthy", ÖJAB is supporting the construction of sustainable compost latrines and hand washing facilities as well as hygiene and health training for families with many children and families affected by poverty in Samba, a commune in Burkina Faso. In addition, local craftsmen are being trained to build additional latrines. The project is being carried out in cooperation with the local Burkinabe NGO GRAD-A.
BACKGROUND AND NEEDS
Sanitation facilities are scarce in the rural commune of Samba, making it common practice for many families to defecate in the open. According to reports, 92 out of 100 households in Samba practice "open defecation", which causes considerable hygienic and health problems, such as the contamination of soil, groundwater and the associated spread of water-borne diseases (including diarrhoea and deficiency diseases). Improving the hygiene situation through awareness raising and the provision of sustainable compost latrines and safe hand washing facilities is therefore of particular importance.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
In order to bring about these improvements, ÖJAB is supporting the construction of sustainable compost latrines and the installation of hand washing facilities for large families and families affected by poverty in Samba. In addition, trainings are offered to local craftsmen in the construction of further compost latrines in a sustainable way. As of December 2024, ÖJAB has constructed 36 latrines and hand washing facilities for 36 families in Samba. The beneficiary families will receive hygiene and health training on how to properly wash their hands, use their latrines and clean them independently.
Impact
The project is expected to improve the health situation by improving water and sanitation and raising awareness of hygiene in Samba. A particular added value of the project is the local construction of the compost latrines throughout. All materials such as concrete slabs for latrines, bricks, iron, sheet metal, metal doors and individual components of the hand washing facilities are procured from local small enterprises in Samba. This ensures a high level of identification with the project from different sections of the population in Samba.
*The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.