Community Latrine Project

So I've been talking about projects for a while now, and finally one of our grants is online. And you can help! Check out the links on the right. We are trying to do a latrine project in each of our communities. I'm just going to clarify briefly what a latrine project is. A latrine is an outdoor bathroom, often called an outhouse. Basically you dig a hole, if the soil is crumbly you may have to line the hole with rocks, and then you build a concrete pad over the excavated hole. You then construct a small box-shaped seat over a hole in the concrete floor and that's your toilet seat. Then you erect a small house over this concrete pad so that you can use the bathroom in privacy. It's quite simple really.

The people in our communities live in a very rural area. They are mostly coffee farmers and generally have an abundance of clean drinking water from underground springs and food that they produce themselves. What they are desperately short of is cash. Without cash they can't buy the concrete and tin needed to construct a safe and sanitary bathroom. I've posted a few photos of what types of bathrooms many of our neighbors use right now. Some latrines are full and need replaced. Others are a safety hazard because they are about to cave in. Others are in the beginning of the construction process and just need a funding boost to be finished. What I didn't show are the houses that have no latrines at all. It's hard to photograph what doesn't exist.


Why are latrines important?

If you don't have a bathroom to use you will go in the bushes. If you go in the bushes it's likely that some curious dog or child will stumble across this makeshift bathroom which increases the likelihood that certain diseases will be contracted and spread from person to person. This is so much more important now that cholera has spread to the Dominican Republic. Since mid-October 2010 cholera has killed over 4,000 people in Haiti and sickened more than 200,000. Cholera has now spread to the DR where more than 200 people have contracted the disease and one has died. We all fear a cholera epidemic in the DR. Cholera is a bacteria that is spread principally through fecal matter and vomit from infected persons. Once these infected body fluids contact a water source like a river, the entire river becomes infected passing on the disease to anyone who bathes (and accidentally ingests a bit of water) in the river or drinks the water. Sanitary latrines help ensure that all fecal matter ends up in an enclosed area where it does not jeopardize the health of other community members.

To learn more about these projects or to donate please see the corresponding links on the right side of this web page. Also we welcome any questions you may have about what we're doing. By following one of the links you can donate by check, credit card, or electronic debit (ACH bank check). All donations are tax deductible. Check it out! Tell your your friends and acquaintances. Every peso counts. Ya ustedes saben. Now you know.