Belgium and the European Commission will fund a program for water supply and sanitation in the southern province of Rwanda. The program recovers old water networks and submit new ones there, and it also builds more than 1,000 ecological latrines in 80 schools for more than 70,000 students.

Sanitation, systems and information.

Runyinya is a typical rural village in southern Rwanda. The local primary school is teeming with life: daily flows are more than 1,000 students from the village and the surrounding area together. In the classrooms follow good girls and boys in dark blue or khaki uniforms and shoes carefully the lessons of their dedicated teachers. Other students jump and run around on the playground.

Facelift

The school, built in the late 50s, had suffered the ravages of time and has recently been refurbished with new paint and the necessary repairs. It winds around no waste.

The clean school environment was spurred by installing ecological latrines. In 2009 BTC supported the Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure to install latrines in schools and to promote a better health and a cleaner environment. Adapted as sanitation

Both the teachers and the students had to radically change their habits to use it. Latrines “For some of us were such new latrines. We had to first become familiar with the concept of ecological latrines before we could explain “it to the children themselves say Félicitée Mukagahima, head teacher at Runyinya.

Environmentalhealth

Unlike pit latrines, ecological toilets are separated from urine and feces and guided to different compartments. To prevent decomposition, odor and flies are regularly sprinkled ashes over the faeces, so they are faster hard. “Previously, the school plagued by stench and flies, especially when the latrines were full. In such circumstances it was difficult to teach, “the children hygiene recalls the head teacher himself. Each latrine block is equipped with a system to use to wash their hands.

Ecological latrines: over sanitation

Mukagahima is optimistic about the benefits of waterless latrines: they improve hygiene and sanitation significantly, and also offer a new opportunity to increase revenue for the school. Each latrine has two separate compartments: one for feces and one for urine. Where containers with feces become full, they shall be dried in special-purpose spaces its contents. In the compartments for urine is a container placed. Both urine and feces are used as fertilizer in the school.

Sensitization (Ecological organisations and excreta)

“Last season we used urine on a potato field and we gained twice as much as on the field with the usual fertilizer” confirms Mukagahima. The program made the teachers and other employees to point out how they can use. These new fertilizers safe

“Some people from the area of ​​the school come to us asking how to use it. Fertilizers Waste is no longer regarded merely as dirt but as agricultural inputs to increase yields. Our behavior is changing, “the head teacher concludes confident.

Facts and figures

The program for water and sanitation (PEPAPS: 2007-2013) is co-financed by Belgium, the European Commission and Rwanda. The total budget is 23.5 million.
The program recovers old water networks and build new, accounting for more than 500 km. About 300,000 rural residents in the southern province will have access to drinking water within a 500 m radius around their home.
There are more than 1,000 ecological latrines in 80 schools for more than 70,000 students.
The program will seek partnerships with other actors in a pilot project for ecological latrines for households in rural areas. It is targeting 250 families from vulnerable groups (elderly, single parents, etc.). Within the framework of this project is only collected urine as fertilizer.
The program provides information and education campaigns on the proper use of water and sanitation through radio broadcasts and plays in local communities and schools.