Affordable latrine options for rural households

SNV Uganda has partnered with Sanitation Solutions Group to promote the use of the SaTo latrine pan: a simple, plastic, pour-flush pan that provides an air-tight seal, maintaining odour free latrines and preventing flies and insects from getting out of the pit.

According to the SNV Uganda baseline report of July 2014 by the SSH4A project, only 4% of the households in the 15 targeted districts have an improved latrine that prevents flies in the environment. 79% of households use unimproved traditional pit latrines that allow flies in and out of the latrine, hence propagating the risk of contamination of food and transfer of faecal related diseases. The SaTo pan is an affordable solution that reduces latrine odour, the risk of children falling into the latrine, and enhances washable squat holes, which is challenging with the earthen or wooden-finished floors typical of most traditional pit latrines.

SNV, in partnership with Sanitation Solutions Group (Water for people), kickstarted the promotion of the new technology with the training of village health teams, local partners and masons on the use, benefits and techniques of installing the SaTo pan. 15 people per district were trained, with 225 people directly benefiting from these training sessions.

Each of the SaTo pans was sold and installed at a minimum price of 12,500 UGX (approximately 4 USD). Surprisingly, the cost was not a deterrent to the consumers, many were sold out to the idea of no smell or flies since the SaTo pan automatically snaps shut once the faeces have been dropped into the hole. The fact that it has a sealable drop hole and alleviates the fear of children falling through due to the large size of the drop holes, was an added advantage to the communities. Within a span of two weeks over 400 SaTo pans had been sold, a clear sign that cost may not always be an impediment to rural communities once they have understood the benefits of the technology being promoted, in this instance the SaTo pans ability to eliminate smell and encourage washable squat holes.

SNV Uganda is part of nine countries implementing the DFID-funded Sustainable Sanitation & Hygiene for All Results programme (SSH4A Results). Sustainable Sanitation & Hygiene for All is SNV's comprehensive approach to ensuring equitable access to improved sanitation and hygiene for those who need it most. It is essentially a capacity building approach; supporting local governments to lead and accelerate progress towards district-wide sanitation coverage with a focus on institutional sustainability and learning. The UKAID through the Department for International Development (DFID) funded project is being implemented in nine countries. In Uganda, the project aims at reaching 330,000 people in over 1,000 villages in Uganda with improved sanitation and hygiene by December 2015. The project will however run until March, 2018, with an additional focus on sustainability, system strengthening and capacity building. The project uses an approach which combines work on demand creation; mainly through Community Led Total Sanitation − sanitation supply chains and financing, hygiene behavioural change communication and governance.