Western Region UDDTs - successful and replicated
Report by Moses Wakala (June-September2010). During this Monitoring period, a number of UDDTs in households and schools have been visited. The results indicate positive uptake of this ecological sanitation technology amongst the households than in schools. Most homes are using the facility very well and there is great impact on environment as seen in the agricultural output and improved sanitation. From interviews contacted to a number of people in visited homes, UDDT is a better option of sanitation than the pit latrines. Many more people look at its durability and odorless condition as the main advantage over the conventional pits. Many homes have replicated by constructing a similar toilets in their homes copying from the neighbors. The greatest challenge was accessing the plastic squatting pan whose main supplier is Kentainer in Nairobi. I had to help some to get this pan from Supplier. However the cost is still an issue as many who are willing and ready with other basic material can’t afford them.
UDDTs in schools is still a challenge in most schools visited. Schools with better management are still doing well. In case of change of school administration, most projects stall and this has been realized in the school UDDTs. The greatest challenge in primary schools is constant blockage of the urine pipe. From findings, it was caused by lack of proper training of users or sometimes negligence. Some users misuse the toilet while others still drop the ash in the urine section instead of the feaces chamber. After this, some people are not willing to un-block the urine pipe it being a public toilet. This has led to abandonment of the entire facility.
However, there are also well managed schools that have been visited. With good training, most schools are opting to continue with similar construction of UDDTs. Some schools together with the Public Health officers and Water service Boards are requesting for technical support and training from the experts. These I have offered and results are very promising in many schools. This has made most of the Constituent Development Committee to develop interest in ecosan technology especially for CDF funded toilet projects in schools.
Many trainings have been conducted in different CBOs and schools on ecosan technology in the region. Some other funding agents like Japan International have also started funding ecosan toilets around Ugunja area in Ulanda Primary schools
Lydia Majimbo’s Toilet from Kulisinamu CBO in Bungoma County. This lady is happy with her toilet and she uses urine as fertilizer in her farm. Last season was the first time she tried this and the results were so encouraging.
Her main problem was digging a pit latrine on a rocky soil structure in Muanda are on top of hills adjacent to Sirisia town. She now has solved her problems with ecosan technology.
There are a total of 30 toilets in this region under the CBO which are working well. School toilets is still a challenge due to management issues.
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School Toilet in Eldoret done by the community as they embrace ecosan technology in the region. This is the best ecosan toilet constructed by the school on their own after a training conducted by Ecosan expert. It was constructed in April-May and has been in use for three months now.
On the left is the boys urinals with urine collection. All the urine is stored in the urine shelves as it waits for reuse time on the school farm
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Eldoret Education Complex (EEC) has adopted ecosan technology and is using the products on this farm and on trees. They also intent to start construction of a decentralized treatment system to treat the other wastes and produce biogas for cooking in the kitchen..png)
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Training of the communities in Bungoma county on a farmers’ field day. The theme of the field day was working towards food security in Kenya. The expert is trying to show how use of ecosan technology can improve food security..png)
Dr Elijah Korich officially commissions an ecosan toilet in Eldoret. This replication isIncreasing daily with people accepting the technology.
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Kakichuma Primary School in Bungoma County is one of the success stories of ecosan promotion technology in the region. The school with the best management concept of the toilet. Two such toilets were constructed by the project in March 2009 and it has been in use for one year now. A few blockage problems have been reported and handled by management. One toilet is used by the staff and the other by boys. The girls are still waiting for the school to remember them in terms of sanitation.
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Martha Alaka’s toilet in Bungoma county near Chwele. This is the urine collection and storage chamber. The toilet was constructed in May 2009 and has been in use for now one and half year. This is the best managed household toilet in the region. Urine is being used in the farm as fertilizer. Crops tested are trees, Onions, Nappier grass and vegetables which have all responded well with urine application. A population size of 12 people use the toilet.
