Building life-saving latrines

Sani Meijakai is aware firsthand of the importance of good sanitation. The forty year old father of eleven tragically lost five of his children to diseases that could have been prevented had his community used sanitary latrines.

Sani lives in the remote rural village of Ladin Kani in the Jigawa state of Nigeria in a community of 4,300 people which lacked latrines.

Everyone in the community had to go to the toilet in the open and this severely impacted the villagers’ health. Despite having a safe water supply, the community suffered from diarrheal diseases as a result human waste left lying around from open defecation.

I am looking forward to getting a latrine. It is bad now, especially for women. We go at night for privacy, otherwise we have to walk very far. At night there is a danger from animals or snakes.

Sani’s family was typical of other families in the community that had lost children to sanitation-related diseases. Babies and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to diarrheal diseases, so the infant mortality rate in the village was high.

Sani is now taking action to prevent deaths caused by poor sanitation. With funding from WaterAid in Nigeria he was trained by the local government waste unit as a sanitation engineer. He is now helping his neighbors build pit latrines so they can safely dispose of human waste.

“I volunteered to help stop the open defecation happening within the community as this is a cause of disease and sickness in the village. Five of my children died from high fever and diarrhea and my six children are still getting sick. This is why I have volunteered and I am happy to improve my community’s health”, Sani states.

Sani’s job is to cast the concrete slabs that are fitted to the top of the pit latrines. Each family digs their own pit, and the pit is then lined and fitted with the slabs at the top. The materials are partly paid for by WaterAid, with each household contributing the balance.

To date, 45 latrines are under construction. But other members of the voluntary water and sanitation committee formed by WaterAid are actively encouraging the remaining 160 households to follow suit by running hygiene promotion sessions explaining the link between poor hygiene and disease.

Thirty five year old mother of four Bilki Ibrahim, one of the volunteer hygiene promoters, explains that benefits from building latrines will include greater dignity and personal security, as well as a reduction in disease.

Biki notes, “I am looking forward to getting a latrine. It is bad now, especially for women. We go at night for privacy, otherwise we have to walk very far. At night there is a danger from animals or snakes. Also, the women do not like to go alone because sometimes men follow them to rob them.”