Delivering Alternative Sanitation Solutions - Compost Toilet installation at drought-affected school GVI Fiji Achievement Report June 2015

Somolevu Catholic School is located on Matacawalevu Island in the Nacula Tikina of the Yasawa Island chain. Somolevu Catholic School has 107 pupils who come from four villages on three islands. Among these students there are 16 pupils who board from Monday to Friday at the school.

From May to October, the Yasawa Islands have some of the lowest levels of precipitation in Fiji. Communities and schools rely heavily on rainwater harvesting and groundwater, thus the lack of rain greatly affects the availability of fresh water. Somolevu Catholic School uses a small spring but this dries up quickly during the dry season and as a result the school uses rainwater as its primary source of fresh water. In recent years this has resulted in multiple school closures throughout the dry season for Somolevu Catholic School.

As a result of the lack of adequate fresh water, the school has suffered from on-going sanitation problems. Up until April 2015, the school had only ever used pit toilets. The dormitory had flush toilets for a short period of time but they required water from the spring. As the source is unreliable the toilets went into disrepair and the boarders having since reverted back to using pit toilets.

The pit toilets at the school were unsanitary and not safe for use. Many of the pits were full and they lacked sufficient privacy for the pupils. As a result of the condition of the pit toilets, the students often practiced open-defecation; preferring to use the bushes behind the pit toilets rather than the toilets themselves.

With the dry seasons in the Yasawa Islands getting longer and more severe, Samolevu required assistance in the provision of a safe and reliable sanitation solution for the students.

In response, the Australian Governments Access to Quality Education Program (AQEP) proposed the construction of six waterless compost toilets to provide emergency response assistance for the disaster- affected school. By using compost toilets, the school would be able to provide safe and sanitary facilities for the students regardless of the availability of fresh water. After submitting a proposal to AQEP Global Vision International (GVI) Fiji were contracted to lead the construction and training for the project from April to June 2015.

Open-defecation has numerous health implications. Without sanitation, pathogens found in human faeces can be easily transferred to people; either by contaminating ground water or crops, being picked up by flies, or directly to peoples fingers. These pathogens can cause diarrheal disease, which kills approximately 760 000 children under five each year.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/

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Construction

After consulting with the school management, it was decided that 4 compost toilets would be placed next to school for the day scholars to use and a further 2 near to the student dormitories. GVI hired a small team of local contractors and utilized labor from the village of Vuaki, which is situated adjacent to the school. The construction followed the timeline below.

Task Found-ation

Brick Work

Slab Wood Frame

Pine Lining

Drain Trench

Stairs Doors Toilet Seat

Paint

4-Unit Block

Day 1-6 X X

Day 8-12 X X Day 15-20 X X X X X X

2-Unit Block Day 8-12 X

Day 15-20 X X Day 22-26 X X X X X X X

Completed compost toilet blocks at Somolevu School

41.8%

13.5% 8.9%

18.7%

10.3%

0.3% 1.7%

4.7%

Breakdown of Cost ATotal budget: FJD 31, 019.96 Total Expenditure: FJD30,978.87

Materials

Freight

Transport

Labor

AccommodaBon and Food

CommunicaBon

Training

Management Fee

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Training Training would be integral to the success and sustainability of the project. The training for the compost toilets consisted of two sessions with the teachers, school committee members and parents, as well as a presentation to the parents of the students who board and lessons with each class. In addition to this formal training, the involvement of the school caretaker in the construction of the toilets and many discussions with community members around the tanoa will also help ensure this project is sustainable.

The first training session incorporated participatory learning techniques, in which parents and teachers analyzed their own experience with sanitation by splitting into two groups, brainstorming the answers to four questions and then presenting to the other group.

To conclude the training the participants were asked to form a plan for how to maintain the toilets. They discussed who would be responsible for each of the following tasks; filling each bin with dry grass, putting dry grass into the toilets, cleaning the toilets, supplying toilet paper, monitoring when to switch to the other chamber, emptying the fertilizer, cleaning the inside of the chambers once it is emptied, supplying soap. This maintenance plan was used as a guideline in the next training session.

Classroom lessons were carried out in the same week as the training with the parents and teachers, so that the key information could be reinforced. Assisted by each class teacher, GVI carried out a series of lessons tailored to pupils between the ages of 5-14 years old. A series of engaging and interactive activities were carried out with the students, designed to deliver the key learning outcomes and instill a sense of pride and ownership. A follow up training session was then conducted for teachers and key members of the school committee. The aim of this training was to give an overview of the first training session, ensuring that the participants understood the importance of sanitation, the shortcomings of flush toilet systems and the operation and maintenance requirements of compost toilets. The main objective of the training was to formalize the maintenance plan discussed in the first training.

Key Training Topics for Parents & Teachers

What is sanitation and why is it important?

The issues surrounding current sanitation systems How compost toilets can be a successful

alternative to flush toilets?

How a compost toilet turns human waste into a resource?

The operations and maintenance of compost toilets

The advantages of compost toilets

Key Learning Outcomes for s tudents

Important steps to follow when using a compost toilet

Guidelines for what should and should not enter a compost toilet

An overview of how the compost toilet works

Introduction to the composting process

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Conclusion

As a result of this initiative from Ausaids Access to Quality Education Program, the students of Somolevu Catholic School now have access to six compost toilets. These facilities will alleviate pressure on fresh water sources and reduce the risk of closure due to a lack of safe sanitation. Although compost toilets are not a new concept, their use around the world has been steadily on the rise as fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce. As the first school in Fiji to utilize compost toilets to this extent, Somolevu will set an example for other schools that experience similar water issues. By carrying out a series of training sessions with key stakeholders at the school, the students, parents and teachers are equipped with the tools and knowledge required to use and maintain their new toilet facilities. However, it is important to recognize that the compost toilet concept is providing an alternative to the well establish flush toilet system which the students and communities are familiar with. The integration of the compost toilets into day-to-day life will take time but with the training provided by GVI it is hoped that the communities can make the first steps towards a long-term solution to the sanitation issues at Somolevu School.

GVI presented a plaque to Somolevu Catholic School to signify the

handover of the operations and

maintenance of the Compost toilets. The

plaque is received by the schools head teacher and one of the village

elders.

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