EcoSan Toilets

Ecological Sanitary (ECOSAN) Toilets

Our goal is to tackle the issue of disease and sickness at the root of the problem through preventative measures. We believe that the way to show practical love and concern for the communities we work with is to help them meet their physical needs. One major identified need is proper sanitation, providing SEDS (Sanitary Excrete Disposal Solutions) to the community will drastically reduce sickness.

Community based teams will first identify areas with limited latrines/toilets. Education and awareness about proper hygiene and sanitation will be conducted, as well as how it ties into spiritual cleanliness. Families will be evaluated to see their social-economic condition in order to determine their counterpart of the SEDS (Sanitary Excrete Disposal Solutions). Families will be responsible for doing part of the labor so ownership will take place. While the unit is being built the evangelism team will share physical and spiritual topics, perform eye screening, medical check ups and donate health posters and brochures to be placed in the community. A community development committee will be formed and other projects will be started and overseen by the committees.

Rationale for the Project:

The inadequate and insanitary disposal of Infected human faeces leads to the contamination of the ground and of water supply sources. It often attracts certain species of flies to lay their eggs, to breed, to feed on the exposed material, and to carry infection. It also attracts domestic animals and rodents and other vermin which spread the faeces; and it sometimes creates intolerable nuisances.

Poor excrete disposal is often associated with the lack of adequate water supplies and of other sanitation facilities and with a low economic status or the rural population. These conditions, all affect the health and well-being of the people in a community.

When proper disposal systems exist, it is known that the incidence of a large group of diseases is reduced. This group of diseases includes cholera, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers, the dysentery, infant diarrhea, hookworm disease, ascariasis, bilharziasis, and other similar intestinal infections and parasitic infestations. These diseases lay a heavy hand on infants, whose immunity is low and whose vigor is often not great enough to cope with an infection after it becomes established.

Proper practices of excreta disposal can result in increased life expectancy, healthier and strong people more effectively able to cope with their environment, and opportunities for improved local living conditions.

Man is the reservoir of most of the diseases that destroy or incapacitate him. The faecal-borne infectious and infestations already mentioned are the cause of tremendous losses in death and debility. It is interesting to note that all these diseases are controllable through good sanitation, especially through sanitary excrete disposal.

After spending time in many communities, relocation sites, urban and rural areas, we continue to notice the lack of proper toilet facilities. It is our mission to address these areas of vulnerability through providing SEDS (Sanitary Excrete Disposal Solutions) to as many families as we can in Mindanao.

Well of Life has been given a grant in 2010 to build 75 Ecosan toilets in our areas of focus. To date almost 95 Ecosan toilets have been constructed and installed by Well of Life Community Development, Inc.

To find out more on Ecosan please visit: http://www.ecosan.ph