Toilets bring happiness
Twelve year old Efijenia and her mother Evalina have clean water and a decent toilet in their village in Timor-Leste which allows them to live dignified, healthy lives.
“I feel happy because we have a toilet. Before we used the forest, but now the toilet is close and we can use it to shower and go to the toilet so we are really happy. Now I can take a shower three times a day, before I only showered once every two days. I am happy,” said Evalina.
Her daughter is now able to go to the toilet near home, without fear of harassment or even attack and exposure to disease.
“I feel happy because our toilet is close to us and it is good to have because at night time I don’t have to go far from here. Now it is easier for us to go to the toilet,” said Efijenia.
In their community of 133 households and over 700 people, previously community members had to walk a couple of hours return to collect water from a water source. Once at the source people had to wait to collect water because the water volume was very small and many people had to wait for each other to finish.
A gravity flow water system was built with community input into the design process and contribution to local materials.
Community members built their own toilets following training about the benefits of toilets, and awareness of hygiene was raised through hygiene promotion about hand washing practices and support provided for the community to build their own local hand washing facilities in the form of tippy taps.
With your support, together we can unlock people’s potential with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
