Sanitation

Health
In the Western World sanitation is something we very much take for granted.
  • In Gambia it is not unusual to travel more than 15 km on a horse cart to reach a basic health facility.
  • Women give birth with nothing more than a paracetomol.
  • Qualified Doctors are in extremely short supply.

Toilets

Problem

Toilets in rural villages are a hole dug in the ground after the rains have finished. Within a few months when the rains come the filled pits overflow and contaminate the water supplies which are mainly hand dug wells.

Solution

When we implement a Safe Drinking Water System, we work with villages to dig safer toilets. These are lined and dug much deeper so that they will not contaminate the local drinking water.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) USA will be returning to Gambia to complete the first set of composting toilets for the village of Sam Mbollet. Villagers will be shown how to build these toilets themselves. Our plan is to repeat this system in more villages.

Safe composting toilets not only improve the whole sanitation process but also generate much needed compost for the farms.

Global LOngevity through Village Enterprises