Site follow-up and awareness creation on ecosan toilets/biogas in Bondo,Siaya,Kisumu and Rachuonyo districts by Wycliffe Osumba.Submited on 30-08-2010

· Follow-ups were carried out as planned for the few sites where the UDDTs and DTSs (Decentralised Waste Water Systems) were constructed.
· In most areas visited, some of the UDDTs were in use and some were still under construction.

Current status
· Ramba Secondary School - the pour flush toilets were completed and all the toilet doors were in use, biogas piping was already in place but they have not yet installed the biogas stove.
· Bwaja Community Self Help Group - the UDDTs were poorly completed but they are in use. The maintenance and usage was poor.
· At Omiya village near Kokise Primary School, awareness was created and they are demanding the UDDTs. The population reached was 84 people.
· At Raliew Secondary School, the biogas and toilet construction was not completed. The floor tilling was not completed, fixing of the flushing tanks was not done, finishing on the doors was poor.
· Kaminogedo Primary School, construction was complete, but outer finishing was not done. They are not yet in use.

Problems identifiesd or realized during the follow-ups· Some groups were not followed up due to financial problems to help facilitate the transport.
· Most of the places visited still need some more training on behavior change.
· Usage of the end product, maintenance and why Ecosan
· More community demand for the groups that have learnt about Ecosan toilet

Solutions to the above problems· Terms and conditions for payment need to be looked into to avoid delay and to ease the work before us.
· For future implementation of Ecosan, the following areas need to be done to avoid many problems:
a. Proper community mobilization and community need to demand the project and show commitment to own the project.
b. Proper training on the maintenance and usage of the end products.
c. Construction should be the last approach, after the groups have already shown the commitment by mobilizing the locally available resources and the officer on the ground has verified them.
d. Time frame for the implementation need to be looked upon because it is difficult to evaluate and monitor this kind of project due to short time frame.
e. The contractors need to be trained on the Ecosan concept before being given the work. Many Ecosan have been constructed and where the above problems were not addressed, there are still problems.

Date - 09/08/2010
Group - Bwaja Community Self Help Group
Activity - Ecosan toilet follow-up
District - Rarieda

Comment / Achievement
· The UDDTS constructed were in use but maintenance and usage of end product was poor.
· The need more training to avoid future problems and protect environmental pollution.

Date - 09/08/2010
Group - Kokise Primary School Omiya village
Activity - Awareness creation on Ecosan toilet
District - Rarieda

Comment / Achievement
· This group or village was reached when they demanded the project. They are near Lake Victoria but all their pit latrines sank during the heavy rains. They are using the flying toilets or open defecation.
· The population reached was 84 people.

Date -10/08/2010
Group - Raliew Secondary School
Activity - Biogas / Toilet follow-up
District - Rarieda

Comment / Achievement
· The toilets were constructed up to the roof butt the fitting of the floor tiles, water tanks for lushing was started but not yet completed. Piping was not installed to the kitchen.

Date -10/08/2010
Group - Kaminogedo Primary Schools
Activity - Ecosan toilet follow-up
District - Rarieda

Comment / Achievement· Four door units were constructed up to the roof, plastering and screeding was done but finishing outside was not done. Skirting, key pointing, fixing of the water tank and fixing of the urine door was not in place.
· They are not in use
· The schools were still on holiday up to September 2010.

Date -10/08/2010
Group - Ramba Secondary School
Activity -Biogas / Toilet follow-up
District -Rarieda

Comment / Achievement
· The construction of the toilet was completed and three doors were in use.
· Piping of the biogas was installed and wiring but they have not yet started using the biogas.

Date -11/08/2010
Group -Nyamasaria Community
Activity -Ecosan toilet follow-up
District - Kisumu East

Comment / Achievement
· The follow-up was conducted and the constructed units were in use apart from three whose owners were using when they were at home, they live and work in Nairobi
· The groups had already started planting grafted mangos.

Date -12/08/2010
Group - Office
Activity - Report writing
· Meeting
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement· The field report was compiled and written.
· Meeting the group representatives demanding the training and services on Ecosan:
- Dirom Group – 3 people
- Upendo Group – 3 people
- Kase Group – 3 people
· They wanted update training on Ecosan and demanding more units because of the community needs after they had learnt the goodness of the Ecosan double chamber toilet.

Date -13/08/2010
Group -Nyaburi Camp Meeting for SDA Church.
Activity -Awareness creation on Ecosan toilet / HIV and AIDS
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement· This is one of the big gatherings for church members and lasts one week.
· They were demanding for the Ecosan services and HIV / AIDS on antiretroviral therapy and adherence counseling, why Ecosan and the benefits.
· This was done and the population reached was over 400 people.

Date -16/08/2010
Group -Kase Young Married Group
Activity -Update training
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement
· Training was conducted to this group on the usage of the end product and to the invited guests that were demanding the Ecosan project. The group was ready with locally available resources. The following were reached:
1. Kamwania Youth Group – 12 people
2. Koredo Women Group – 20 people
3. Norway Support Group for people living with HIV / AIDS

Date -17/08/2010
Group -Dirom Self Help Group
Activity - Demonstration on how to use decomposed feaces and other organic fertilizers
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement· The demonstration was conducted as per needs of the group.
· The compost pit was dug 2 feet round, underneath we had put dried maize stalk followed by dried feaces from the chamber that had taken 8 months, we the applied 20 liters of urine and covered the compost materials with dried leaves and grass.

Date -18/08/2010
Group -Upendo Women Group
Activity -Ecosan toilet follow-up
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement
· All the 13 units constructed were in use and they did not realize any problems with the usage and many people are going to their group demanding for the project to be extended to them because the pit latrines there sank during the rainy season.

Date -18/08/2010
Group -Nyochoo / Kanyonje / Tang’lweti / Student from Japan
Activity -Meeting
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement
· This meeting was conducted purposely for survey on Ecosan toilets for users and non-users.
· It was an introductory meting and site visitation.
· The three groups were the ones we started working with in 2004, implementing water and sanitation specifically Ecosan one chamber and Ferro-cement water tank.
Date -19/08/2010
Group -Office
Activity -Report writing
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement
· Reports were compiled

Date -20/08/2010
Group -Office / email
Activity -Sending of reports
District -Rachuonyo North

Comment / Achievement
· No funds for sending reports hindering most activities planned for two weeks activities.