The Community of Saint Paul continues with its program of establishing latrines in Independencia, Bolivia
Ten months ago, we took on a new challenge in the rural area of Independencia (Cochabamba, Bolivia): the construction of simple but decent bathrooms for the families of the farming communities.
The farmers in this rural area live in houses built in a traditional way with adobe, wood and stone with thatched roofs. The residents of these communities do not have toilets or latrines, they go to the countryside to relieve themselves and have health problems, among others, due to the contamination of drinking water sources.
The bathrooms that we are starting to build are 2m x 1.5m, consist of a toilet, a shower and a tap outside the bathroom to catch the water and throw in the cup and to wash one’s hands. They are basic, but they allow families not to go outdoors to relieve themselves. We also saw the importance of the shower, since after doing interviews to the families going house by house we realized that they do not have a private space to wash and most of them bathe only once a month! We must bear in mind that we are at 3,500 meters above sea level, in a region of intense cold.
Currently 24 homes of the rural community of Totorani and 15 of Chulpani already have a decent bathroom to shower with hot water and to do their physiological needs with privacy and without polluting the environment.
Throughout the process of the implementation of the restrooms, the beneficiary families are actively participating, both in the choice of the technological option and materials, as well as in the conditions and commitments on their part. In addition, a hygiene and basic sanitation workshop has been developed with families to address issues such as health, individual and domestic hygiene, environmentally friendly practices, rational use of water and care and use of the bathroom. In this way, emphasis is placed on improving hygienic habits and ensuring the sustainability and proper use of bathrooms in homes.
The 39 families that already have their bathroom in their home are very happy and enthusiastically see the possibility that their children get sick less of diarrhea and are cleaner. They are aware that by using the bathrooms their environment improves, they have also gained in dignity and have shown that by organizing and working together everyone wins.
And we will continue with more bathrooms, because in total there are 105 families who want to have a bathroom in their home in this area.
