WaterAid's partners in Papua New Guinea

ATprojects

WaterAid partner ATprojects is a Goroka-based NGO that works with communities, NGOs, and the provincial government in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea.

Its mission is to enable rural people to develop and use skills and appropriate technologies (AT) that give them more control over their lives and contribute to the sustainable development of their communities.

ATprojects builds on locally available skills and materials and encourages the full participation of local people in its projects. This should mean that local needs will be met more effectively and that technological and social changes that follow are more likely to complement evolving local traditions and culture.

ATprojects has developed its low cost 'ATloo' to provide safe excreta disposal in rural areas away from any mains sanitation provision. With funds from WaterAid these have now been installed in 14 schools in the Eastern Highlands.

The ATloos are easy to build and maintain, easy to clean, free of smell and nice to look at. Far from making sanitation a taboo subject, the idea is that users develop a sense of pride and ownership of the facility.

The schools involved with the ATloo projects are all primary schools, teaching up to year eight. In addition to hygiene education, local people are taught to operate and maintain the latrines.

Training in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention education is also being included as part of the project as HIV/AIDS is a growing issue in PNG.

One of the target schools was Korofeigu Primary School, located about 30km outside of Goroka.

At the end of the project ATprojects received a thank you letter from the school's Board of Management:

"The school is 30 years old now and during these years the toilets have given us so many problems, especially finding the funds to pay labour and the problem of the pits becoming water logged.

"The assistance you have given us will last for some years to come. The teachers, students and board of management would like to especially thank you all your tireless efforts, especially the carpenter and his work mates.

"The projects you have given will be remembered as a great gift to our school" Mr B James, Chairman, BOM.