CONTEXT
Sawla is located in the economically disadvantaged region of northern Ghana.
The village lacks access to basic utilities such as water and electricity.
There are also significant gender issues in the area, including high rates of child marriage.
The local school system also struggles with a high dropout rate, particularly among girls.
The pit hole of the existing latrine in the school
The opening to remove feces
USER RESEARCH
The school has approximately 400 students, evenly split between boys and girls. Two-thirds of the students are Christian, while the remaining one-third are Muslim. The school's only water source is a well in front of the school building, which all students use for drinking water and toiletries.
Muslim girls carry a small kettle of water to the toilet to wash themselves after using it, while Christian girls use paper to wipe.
Boys often prefer to urinate behind bushes and only use the available toilets when necessary for bowel movements.
Disqualified options
Another regular dry latrine?
Drilling a well next to the toilet to provide flush water?
Drilling a well next to the toilet to provide flush water?
Unable to address the current problem of feces recycling
Drilling a well next to the toilet to provide flush water?
Drilling a well next to the toilet to provide flush water?
Drilling a well next to the toilet to provide flush water?
The cost of drilling a local well (5000USD) exceeds the budget for the toilet project (5000USD)
Incineration dry latrine?
Drilling a well next to the toilet to provide flush water?
Incineration dry latrine?
Requiring a large amount of energy to reach the necessary heat for burning and drying the feces
DESIGN CONCEPT
Construction Drawings
Construction Process
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Customized clay bricks
The six-inch hood does not fit the six-inch vent pipe
The whole screen wall or half screen wall
Initially, we planned to use wood strips for the entire screen wall. However, the price of wood was significantly higher than that of local earth bricks, so we decided to use bricks for the screen wall instead. These local earth bricks are quite large, making it difficult to create sufficient ventilation holes. In order to ensure proper
Initially, we planned to use wood strips for the entire screen wall. However, the price of wood was significantly higher than that of local earth bricks, so we decided to use bricks for the screen wall instead. These local earth bricks are quite large, making it difficult to create sufficient ventilation holes. In order to ensure proper ventilation, we made new molds on site and produced smaller earth bricks. This required some adjustment to the original plans, but ultimately allowed us to achieve the desired ventilation effect while also being cost-effective.
The whole screen wall or half screen wall
The six-inch hood does not fit the six-inch vent pipe
The whole screen wall or half screen wall
The original design included a full screen wall for improved ventilation and a curtain for privacy. However, we realized that the boys in the area, who have a tendency to be mischievous, might peek at the girls through the lower ventilation holes. As the overall level of respect for women in the community is not high, we decided to keep
The original design included a full screen wall for improved ventilation and a curtain for privacy. However, we realized that the boys in the area, who have a tendency to be mischievous, might peek at the girls through the lower ventilation holes. As the overall level of respect for women in the community is not high, we decided to keep only the upper half of the screen wall in order to protect the privacy of female students.
The six-inch hood does not fit the six-inch vent pipe
The six-inch hood does not fit the six-inch vent pipe
The six-inch hood does not fit the six-inch vent pipe
Ghana has a low level of industrial standardization, which can lead to mismatches between products. In this case, the 6-inch diameter vent cap we purchased did not fit properly onto the 6-inch diameter vent pipe. To solve this issue, we heated the top end of the vent pipe to soften it, joined the two components together, and sealed the c
Ghana has a low level of industrial standardization, which can lead to mismatches between products. In this case, the 6-inch diameter vent cap we purchased did not fit properly onto the 6-inch diameter vent pipe. To solve this issue, we heated the top end of the vent pipe to soften it, joined the two components together, and sealed the connection with glue. This allowed us to use the hood as intended despite the initial size discrepancy
Completed Toilet
Maintenance & Feedback
After the latrine was built, we taught local students and teachers how to use and maintain the latrine, especially the process of drying and recycling the excrement. Teachers and staff learned the whole mechanism of the system, including spreading wood ash, shoveling out feces, making composts, when to turn on small fans, etc.
Half a year later, the school president informed me that the toilet was functioning well. The girls’ school attendance had improved because they preferred the clean and bright facility to the unsanitary options at home. That news was excited as I was reminded of the high rate of child marriage and the challenges of keeping girls in school. I was happy that this user-centered design could make a contribution to local children, especially girls!