3.3.7 Impact of ecological sanitation on households and schools in Northern Malawi

This is a sanitation programme being implemented by the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia Development Department in Northern Malawi since year 2002. The programme offers sanitation and hygiene options using a marketing approach to households. So far Ecological sanitation has proven to be an option that has increasingly become popular among households and schools in the impact areas. Furthermore, EcoSan has triggered a massive change in behaviours of households and school pupils.

The programme promotes three types of eco-toilets.

• The Arborloo is the simplest and cheapest form where a pit is dug, used as a toilet and a tree is planted after the pit is full. In the programme fruit trees have been grown by beneficiaries. These include bananas, granadillas, paws paws, citrus fruit, mangoes etc.
• The Fossa Alterna consists of two permanently sited shallow pits used alternatively. Once pit one is full, usually after 8 months, the contents are excavated and used as manure. The decomposed pit contents after maturity are popularly known as Humanure in the project areas and may be sold for as much as US$2 per 50kg. This increases the uptake and sustainability of the technology.
• The Skyloo does not require digging as vaults are built above ground level. Skyloos have particularly served schools built in high water table areas and in areas with sandy soils causing pits to collapse. The table below shows the distribution of the different EcoSan technologies in the project area.

The introduction of children’s latrines in the programme is an innovation that has achieved good results for women as women have been relieved from carrying their kids’ waste for safe disposal into the latrine and kids are now able to learn how to use a latrine at a tender age.

Several promotion methods have been used including small-scale entrepreneurs, sanitation promoters and sanitation clubs.

The achievements of the programme have been that:

1. The EcoSan approach has been a major promotion tool, many are motivated by the economic benefits and promotion is not linked to death and doctors as many professionals do in promoting sanitation.
2. Both in villages and schools in the project areas, EcoSan has had a massive impact in turning around behaviours including hand washing after visiting a toilet among household members and school pupils in targeted areas.
3. EcoSan has had an interesting effect on the gender roles associated with latrine construction: In the past it was unheard of to see women digging and constructing a latrine.
4. Women are now a winning group in EcoSan activities as they are active masons and sanitation and hygiene promoters.