Innovative Sanitation Solutions
Building Urine Diverting Dry Toilets to Enhance Composting and Reduce Food Insecurity
We work closely with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture for this project, so that we can ensure that our compost is safe, pathogen free, and healthy.
Benefits of Urine Diverting Dry Toilets
By collecting human waste through the toilets to use as fertilizer, crop production can be increased through the fertilizing effects of phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium that exist in human waste. It also serves to improve soil fertility through organic carbon.
Steps to Begin Construction:
1. Consultation with Health and Agriculture Ministries
2. Conduct training for Urine Diverting Toilet host families/farms
3. Train technicians for toilet construction
4. Source materials to construct toilets
5. Begin Construction
We have constructed 4 toilets in different locations so far, and have plans to expand in the future.
De-stigmatizing Human Waste Recycling
We work not only to decrease food insecurity, but to improve local perceptions on our programs.
In Kenya, the use of human waste as fertilizer is extremely taboo, and not widely discussed. We use our training program to educate community members on what dry toilets are and how they can be used improve soil and food quality. Though many are skeptical at first, through our training most begin to see the benefits of using this system, and are much more open to using the toilets and for some, constructing one on their own farms!
