Ahatan
A proud toilet owner
“Being from an older generation, we were not aware of using latrines and instead would defecate in the open. But that thanks to your project’s education, we are now using one…and understand the importance of good hygiene practices – its impact on our health and how it reduces the spread of diseases.”
70-year old Ahatan Nessa lives in the Hothat Nogor low income community in Rangpur city, Bangladesh. The sanitation facilities here are poor with many of them using open latrines for defecation and the few pit a latrines that are there are not very hygienic. The distance between the water sources and the latrines is also not much which in turn contaminates the waterways.
To tackle this challenge, WSUP constructed 6 community latrines and conducts regular sessions focusing on good hygiene practices as well as awareness around menstrual hygiene management.
Like others, Ahatan Nessa participates in these sessions and has learnt a lot. It has also motivated her to save money and install a low-cost hygienic toilet in her house with washing and cleaning facilities including soap, sandals, a water-pot, a cleaning brush and detergent.