CONSTRUCTION OFConstruction of A COMMUNAL PIT LATRINE A PUBLIC COMMUNITY TRIGGERS LATRINE INSPIRES SANITATION ACTIVITY SPILLOVER IN RURAL COMMUNITIES: DEKABUSA, LUWERO
A communal latrine facility that was constructed in the rural community of Dekabusa Luwero district has triggeredinspired a wave of improvements in sanitation. This is contained in preliminary results of a three year research study conducted by Makerere University Kampala and University of Amsterdam. The study is part of a project to identify and develop sustainable health resources in poor community settings in Uganda.
Before the construction of the latrine, Dekabusa has always ben a was a busy trading center with a large migrant population housed under temporary structures owned by mostly non-resident landlords who do id not provide tenants with latrine facilities. The Rresidents were forced to improvised by using unhygienic and frowned upon practices such as easing themselves in open spaces, corridors or and inconveniencing the few neighbors that owned latrines. The he earlier attempts by residents to construct a community latrine stalled after the withdrawal of the key sponsor.
The communal latrine e construction process supported by Makerere University was characterized by involved the community mobilizing themselves to appoint a lead committee comprising of local and influential leaders, village health team members (VHTs) and ordinary community members to address their sanitation and hygiene needs. The community members held severalcontinuous meetings and resource mobilization activities and agreed to mobilize resources among themselves to complete the initial latrine which had been abandoned at pit level. At one of their bi-annual village meetings, the community members agreed to contribute materials that were required. Individual members contributed baked bricks, food materials, water, bags of cement, sand,d and iron sheets as well as labor, construction supervision and as well as free airplay of adverts at the community radio. Makerere university contributed iron sheets and shutters.
The With the completion of the communal latrine hen the latrine was completed, the community members agreed that it would be better maintained with a user fee. Consensus was reached on the charges. These funds were alsoe fee is used to purchase padlocks and pay the cleaners among other important maintenance needs. The user fees collected are aslobalance is saved for construction of a new latrine in future. Bi-laws to govern the use of the latrine were agreed upon and a hand washing facility was installed. Community members, the local leadership and VHTs agreed to demolish the dilapidated and unhygienic latrines. Some of the affected community members replaced them with new ones. Following these developments, open defecaetion which was earlier tolerated became unacceptable.
The community members cleared the thickets outside the latrine and opened up a murram road that connects to neighboring villages. The community has been granted permission to operate a weekly market ‘’akatale k’omubuulo’’ generating even more funds through users fees charged for the additional crowds using the latrine.. Other businesses and events like video hall shows, festivals, retail shops, bars and restaurants have equally benefited from the community latrine as customers have a latrine to go to. Community members who own individual latrines are now less inconvenienced by their neighbors. From a cultural perspective, mothers in-law who initially hesitated to host their sons in-law for fear of sharing latrines with them which is taboo in the Buganda culture, are no longer worried. The latrine has improved the community image as the initial position of Dekabusa as the leading unhygienic village in the district has changed. The spill-over has extended to neighboring villages of Kibanvu, Ssakabusolo and Kiwumpa and raised demand for social accountability by residents from their leaders. These residents who spend most of their time in Dekabusa village have copied the sanitation and hygienic practices and replicated some of them like handwashing facility, pit covers and shatters for their latrines.
This goes to show that communities can indeed mobilize themselves to improve their livelihoods although they sometimes need additional support. This potential needs to be identified and fostered in other similar settings. It is encouraging to note that an initiative as simple as constructing a communal latrine can have far reaching benefits for health and economically.
For more information about this contact Dr Denis Muhangi at or Dr. Mafigiri .D. Kaawa