Photo Credit: Forest Woodward
Only 37% of rural Nicaraguans have sanitary facilities. Villagers usually go to the bathroom in the bush, and the resulting fecal contamination spreads diseases. A village water source is vulnerable to contamination without complete latrine coverage in the water project village.
El Porvenir offers a VIP double pit latrine (see design here) as a sustainable sanitation solution. This latrine has two 9 foot ventilated pits which are lined with brick or cinderblock. There is a conrete slab for the floor, a concrete box seat, and a steel framed latrine house that can easily be transfered to either pit. The double pit latrine system is sustainable as a family can cycle through the 2 pits. By the time one is full, the second one is safe to empty out. Although they cost a little more, they are more sustainable. El Porvenir supplies materials for the latrine and beneficiary families build their own latrine. The families also contribute a portion of the costs of the materials, either by providing locally available materials like sand or purchasing cement in town. This increases their ownership in the project as well.
El Porvenir continues to explore other sanitation technologies and is currently piloting pour flush latrines and composting latrines.
Impact
- Improve living standards in Nicaragua through lower incidences of sanitation related diseases and mortalities.
- Provide basic human dignity.
- Reduce environmental contamination caused by poor sanitation (human excrement).
- Long term solution to sanitation issue.
El Porvenir receives more requests each year for latrine projects than for water projects, and they are much more expensive than wells. These vital health projects are supported by the community health education staff who teach communities how to keep their latrines clean and well-maintained.
