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THE TOILET PROJECT

 The toilet project is one of my initiatives to try to reduce the rate of pollution into the river, improve sanitation and as a platform to get the chance to help my community and educate them on the need to conserve our environment. I initiated it in April 2007 and have been able to build three toilets.

 The project is about building pit latrines about 10 meters from the river. The toilets are free to the public use. So far I have been able to build three toilets with my savings but due to lack of finances the third toilet project is on a halt. This toilet (third project) is different from the rest because of its structure. I am building it on a permanent basis (using rock which I collect from the river), the pit is plastered inside so as not to allow underground leakage of the waste into the river (this has being implemented using the latest building technology). The other two toilets are sort of informal structures but the underground part(pit) is plastered, this are toilet 1 and 2 as shown in the slide.

 The residents of my neighborhood (which is Gitari Marigu slum in Dandora slum, Nairobi city) face many problems and one of them is poor sanitation. In that there are no toilets or bathrooms in the houses people live in, mainly people use polythene bags then throw them into the river the lucky one have build toilets on the edge of the river so the waste is directed directly into the river. In this area, people bath at night because of luck of bathrooms and the darkness acts as sheets to hide the nakedness.
 The toilet project has come as great solution to this problem but still there is more to be done, “Our environment our life, Take action” that’s my slogan and I have taken action and still working on other projects

  

Benefits of the project include:

  • Creation of employment during the construction and maintainnace.
  • Conservation of the environment
  • Improved sanitation to the slum dwellers.
  • Prevent poor sanitation related diseases.
  • Pathway to the achievement of the MDG of environmental sustainability.

Challenges I face include:

  • Lack of resources e.g. finances
  • Unaware of the community on the danger of poor sanitation.
  • Misuse of the toilets by the community
  • Evacuating the pit latrines when they are full.
  • The government of Kenya project to destroy all structures 30 meters from the river.
Strategies:
  • Build more toilets in centralized locations across the slum
  • Look for donors to support the projects
  • Apply the Bio-mass technology to produce electricity from the pits and supply to the slum dwellers
  • Plant trees on the 30 meters of land after it has been cleared by the government
  • Put posters on the toilet area as a way of educating the public on issues like environment, HIV/AIDS
  • Involve more youth in the project
  • Create a tour package for tourists and environmentalist to come and see the tourist attractions, the slum and the rest of the Nairobi River and this will raise funds for the project.

 Developments:
  • Build the toilets in more centralized locations and Apply the Bio-mass technology to produce electricity
  • Employ stuff for the maintain ace of the toilets
  • Create bathroom areas along the toilets (this service will be paid for depending on amount of water used)
  • In the different locations there are parts we can access the Nairobi sewer line and that’s where we wont build pit latrines

The NRBP project

Nairobi River Basin Programme (NRBP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together the Government of Kenya, UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNDP, the private sector and civil society. The vision of Nairobi River Basin Programme (NRBP) is a restored riverine eco-system with clean water for the capital city and a healthier environment for the people of Nairobi. The objective of the NRBP is to rehabilitate, restore and manage the Nairobi River ecosystem in order to provide improved livelihoods, especially for the poor, enhanced biodiversity, and a sustainable supply of water for domestic and industrial, recreational and emergency uses. NRBP as an initiative was launched by UNEP in 1999 as a three-phased programme. The first two phases established benchmarks, identified interventions and mobilized the participation of Nairobi residents.


   
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