With a dense population and poor hygiene facilities at hand, this practice aids the spread of disease and sickness. As a pivotal element of the SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination, providing community access to sanitation facilities is a high priority for our staff in Ethiopia.īefore the intervention of ORBIS, open defecation was common in this part of Ethiopia. Have you ever thought about just how important our ceramic friends can be? ORBIS has been building and maintaining community latrines since 2007. This helps to address some of the inequalities women face in their homes and communities.īy actively leading the latrine construction movement, women not only help themselves, but serve their communities in the fight against trachoma. The privacy provided by the latrines also allows women the freedom to relieve themselves when they need to during the day and improve their safety as they no longer have to go far from their homes after dark. Using a household latrine reduces the population of flies transmitting the bacteria that causes trachoma. Many families construct a hand washing station, also made of local materials, next to the latrine to encourage proper hygiene. Latrine structures consist of whatever materials a family have on hand: sticks, mud, tree branches, gourds, plastic sheeting, and so on.
They encourage their husbands and family members to work together to clear land near their homes, to dig pits, to gather local resources, and to build structures to enclose the pits. Often, through Women's Group leaders, it is the women who champion latrine construction in homes and communities. Demonstration latrines are built by Orbis in communities to illustrate the ease with which a latrine can be constructed using materials readily available in the community. Women in particular are discouraged from defecating or urinating where they could be seen during the day and usually have to wait until the night to relieve themselves.Īs part of the implementation of the SAFE strategy, Orbis works to encourage communities to construct household pit latrines. Traditionally, in rural Ethiopia, the community members go to the woods or fields to defecate. In this way your generous donation can reach it's maximum potential. Dedicated and experienced staff members like Tadesse encourage the local community to embrace the changes that these latrines bring. Once communities understand the value and benefit of latrine use, they can then construct their own latrine from cheap local materials. The construction of such latrines demonstrates to the local communities that the use of such facilities could reduce the disease transmission and maintain a clean and healthy environment. This improved sanitation has had long-term significant benefits for the community and the active involvement of communities is central for the project to have a lasting impact. The average number of households using the communal latrine is about 80 which is approximately 480 individuals. He works in collaboration with the Konso health office to plan, implement and follow-up the construction of latrines until they are ready for use by the local communities Construction of communal latrines starting from site selection up to the completion of the construction can take 2 to 4 months, during which time Tadesse's commitment is fundamental to the success of the project. Tadesse Data manages the Orbis project in Konso, a village located 90km from Arbaminch with a population of 257,000. Orbis' work would not have the powerful impact on improving environmental hygiene without the team of dedicated staff who work within the project communities daily. By providing accessible and convenient hand/face washing facilities, we contribute to reducing the spread of diseases and improving the overall health of the school community. In addition, the establishment of hand/face washing facilities in these schools has played a vital role in promoting good hygiene practices among students. These technologies enable schools to harness and store rainwater efficiently, ensuring a sustainable supply of clean water. Providing a healthier and more hygienic environment for more than 4000 students, ensuring their well-being and promoting better overall education outcomes. Through the implementation of eight innovative water harvesting technologies and collaborations with local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Experts, several schools and communities have gained access to clean and safe water sources, hand/face washing facilities, and improved latrines. We have made some significant progress in enhancing water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities.
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