Celebrating sanitation

Ilda at the Murarange sanitation celebrations.

Credit: WaterAid

The Murarange community, in the Niassa Province of northern Mozambique, celebrated its status as a 100% sanitation zone in September 2008 with a day of food and music. 

The government backed project, known as community lead total sanitation, was funded by WaterAid and community development association ADECO. All of the 95 families in Murarange now have latrines in their homes, up from only nine when the project started in 2006.

Full sanitation was achieved as a result of people's desire to preserve their dignity during defecation and not to miss out on what other families had, as expressed by resident llda Saia, who commented: "I need to have a latrine. If no one goes to the bush, why should I go?''

Focussing on full community participation the project utilised traditional leaders as it's key drivers. Aside from involving people in the planning and building work they played an integral part in ensuring the inclusion of those who are often marginalised, such as single mothers and the disabled. This approach has resulted in wide coverage and a 60% reduction in diarrhoeal infections.

"Before ADECO initiated its activities in 2006, we had never felt the importance of a latrine in our lives. For us, the bush was our latrine and we could not see that the diseases such as diarrhoea were due to the lack of hygiene," said Fabião Nihange, a Murarange community leader.

Watch our fantastic animation about community led total sanitation