Physical Health Kenya Project #12090

Help Fund a School to Access Clean Water in Kenya

by Action Change (Formerly GVI Trust)

Project Report | Oct 24, 2018
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Moturiki

By David Cooper | Assistant Base Manager

Dear Supporters,

The main focus this the last quarter has been on the building of composting toilets and workshops on water usage, hygiene and sanitation in Moturiki. We have also carried out and completed WaSH surveys in Daku village.

After the recent outbreak of typhoid on the island of Moturiki, the Ministry of Health identified compost toilets as a way to improve sanitation on an island with such limited water supply. Socioeconomic surveys completed by GVI during 2018 highlighted Daku village as being a good starting point and in June we started the construction of two composting toilets with the plan to finish one toilet in 10 working days, with a total of 20 working days for both toilets. The schedule for construction was to work on the toilets for 2 days per week and we are very close to the completion of one toilet for the village. In mid-August after some delays in the community due to funerals and other village commitments, we started the construction of two concrete toilet bases. We try very hard to work closely with the village headmen to fit our schedules around their time. As a result, this sometimes leads to delays and changes of plans. At the end of September, a total of 7 working days has been achieved with 3 days remaining to complete one composting toilet in Daku village. We hope to complete the second toilet in the next quarter.

We hired a local carpenter to help lead the project and invited GVI volunteers and the youth from the village to help with construction. During the days we were working on the toilets, we invited the villagers to approach us with any questions or concerns they might have on the composting toilets. At first, the community members shared doubts about the project, voicing concerns about smells and the practical side of maintenance and use of the toilets. Lunchtimes spent in the different households in the villages enabled us to discuss the toilets in more detail. Once the construction of the toilets began and the villagers were able to visualise the concept of the project, the general opinion changed to a positive and enthusiastic one. They have a genuine understanding of what we want to achieve and how they can benefit from having two composting toilets in their village. The fact the villagers are really excited to have us over for lunch and engage in conversations with the different volunteers about their background, the goals and aims of GVI and the composting toilets, is a great sign of their commitment to the project.

The carpenter has been excellent at educating the youth and volunteers on the construction of basic structures, teaching building skills such as block work, concrete mixing and carpentry. Most of the work was done by hand without the use of power tools, allowing everyone to get involved and feel they are truly contributing to the construction of the toilets.

It is vital that we keep up this amazing work and complete our goal of constructing compost toilets in water stressed local communities to improve hygiene and sanitation. Our goals fit in with the guidelines of the United Nations development program Sustainable Development Goal SDG6 Clean water and Sanitation target “Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management”. Our work is helping to provide sanitation facilities and a cleaner environment that doesn’t contaminate their water supply. To achieve this, donations are always needed and we are very grateful, vinaka vaka levu, to all those who have donated towards our cause. We would not be able to have the same positive impact without your continued and generous support.

With Love,

GVI Fiji

Caqalai Island

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Jul 18, 2018
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Moturiki

By David Cooper | Assistant Base Manager

Dear Supporters,

After the completion of the composting toilets on Caqalai, workshops about Composting toilet maintenance and usage were carried out.

Over the last quarter two fundraising events were carried out raising a total of £1167.20 to add to the WaSH funds. The two events were; The Big Moturiki Beach Clean and World Ocean Day Bilibili race. During the last quarter our main focus was the building of composting toilets in Moturiki and our aim was the building of two composting toilets in Daku village. In July we completed WaSH surveys in every house hold for Daku Village. We ask questions about their access to clean and adequate water, clean and sanitary toilets, what kinds of illnesses are occurring in the village and their current understanding of how to treat water sources and illnesses. This was also a time for the villagers to ask any questions or concerns they have on compost toilets before we install them. The common question was “are they going to smell bad” and we have been happy to discuss that compost toilets do not smell bad if they are looked after and smell less than water seal or flush toilets because they cannot be clogged. Compost toilets do not need any water which significantly increases the amount of water available in the village for cooking, cleaning, and bathing.

According to the Ministry of Health in Fiji, Daku is one of the priority villages in Moturiki for water, sanitation, and hygiene improvements due to its proximity to the sea, and limited resources of clean water and toilets. We have spent some of the funds on building materials for the composting toilets in Daku village and we received the materials in June. There has been a delay in building due to a funeral being held in the village but we are hoping to start construction in August. This highlights some of the challenges we face in the construction of the toilets, as village life and obligation take priority over the building of the toilets. We try very hard to work closely with the village headmen to fit our schedules around their time. As a result, this sometimes leads to delays and changes of plans.

It is vital that we keep up this amazing work and complete our goal of having multiple composting toilets in all the villages so in the future the communities can carry on this work through educational workshops. Our goals follow the guidelines of the United Nations development program and sustainable development goal 6. We are working towards universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. Our work is helping to provide sanitation facilities and a cleaner environment that doesn’t contaminate their water supply. To achieve this, donations are always needed and we are very grateful, vinaka vaka levu, to all those who have donated towards our cause. We would not be able to have the same positive impact without your continued and generous support.

With Gratitude,

GVI Fiji

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Apr 16, 2018
Compost Toilet Construction Commences on Caqalai

By Melissa Martin | Community Project Coordinator

Dear Supporters,

Thank you once again to all who donated to this fund last year during our Swim Around the Island, Swim Against Typhoid fundraising campaign. This fundraiser was very successful in raising over $3800 USD and we have been hard at work making water, sanitation, and hygiene improvements (WaSH) on Caqalai and Moturiki this quarter.

We have been rebuilding the structure of the Caqalai compost toilet and are looking forward to having this complete in the next two weeks. Another 8x8 concrete base for a 10,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank was installed by GVI volunteers, staff, and community members in March for Uluibau Village and funded by The GVI Trust and our donors. These concrete bases drastically improve the lifespan of the water tanks and make it easier for the tanks to remain clean and sanitary. In March, our Community Outreach Coordinator, Tai, has met with the local Moturiki carpenter who will be assisting us in building the compost toilets in Daku Village and he has supplied us with an updated quote for the materials. We will place the order for the materials by the beginning of April and work on the Daku Village compost toilets will commence!

Alongside the construction of the toilets, we will be doing household surveys on current WaSH practices, facilities available and level of knowledge regarding WaSH topics. This will allow us to tailor our education and training to meet the current needs of the village as well as assess any future WaSH improvements that need to be made.

In celebration of World Water Day 2018 we have just finished our first fundraising challenge for this year completing a district wide beach clean across all 10 villages of Moturiki. We collected 1029.7kg of rubbish spread across 21 hours of beach clean fun. In this fundraising challenge we raised $884 USD!

Thank you again for all the support, this wouldnt be possible without you!

Fiji Water and Sanitation

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