Total Pageviews

Wednesday 24 September 2014

From toilet to table, overcoming the ‘yuk’ factor

Human excrement spread by poor sanitation was to blame for over 9,000 cholera deaths in Haiti, but now, thanks to a simple measure to transform it into nutrient-rich compost, cleanliness has improved - and some enterprising Haitians are able to grow their own fresh food.

Chili pepper
The use of eco toilets not only is preventing diseases by improving sanitation but it could also help the country's food security in the long term, too

Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, Frantz Francois' garden is probably the greenest area in Cite Soleil, the biggest slum in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas.
In an area where it is hard to find even a tree, Francois grows carrots, peppers and callaloo - a leafy vegetable traditionally used for soups - in his garden.
But it was not easy for him to tempt his neighbours to eat them, as he uses human waste as a fertiliser - something of a taboo in these parts.
Leafy crops using human waste as compost
It took a while before Haitians started to appreciate crops grown in the human waste fertiliser
At the beginning some people said they didn't want to eat food from this garden because it was grown in the soil from the toilets," says Francois.
Things started to change when he got his first harvest. Neighbours saw the vegetables and they spread the word. Little by little, the residents are getting over the taboo.
"Now when they see how the plants grow, they realise there's no contamination and everyone in Cite Soleil would like to have a garden like this for themselves," he says.
Open latrineFrantz Francois runs an urban garden that uses compost from eco-friendly toilets, a system promoted by SOIL, an NGO that aims to improve sanitation in Haiti.
When SOIL was founded back in 2006, only 4% of the rural population had access to proper toilets. Even in the capital Port-au-Prince it was only slightly higher at 6%, according to SOIL's co-founder Baudeler Magloire.
Many toilets which do exist often flush untreated waste straight into rivers or groundwater.
Open defecation in the streets led to the spread of disease.
After the devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people and left 1.5 million living in temporary camps, poor sanitation caused a health crisis.
Cholera, a disease transmitted by drinking water or eating food contaminated by the faeces of an infected person, broke out later that year killing more than 9,000 people.
When cholera struck SOIL had already taken composting toilets to different parts of the country, but the fatal disease proved a setback.
Eco-friendly toilet
                               These toilets are, at the same time, preventing diseases and saving lives in                           vulnerable, displaced communities
At first glance, an eco toilet doesn't look too different from a portable toilet. The difference is inside.
Faeces and urine are collected in separate drums and, after each use, a layer of sawdust-like material made from sugar cane waste and peanut shells is added on top. This reduces the risk of infection and masks unpleasant odours.
From BBC News-Health

10 comments :

  1. I'll right away seize your rss feed as I can't to find your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service.
    Do you've any? Kindly allow me recognize in order
    that I could subscribe. Thanks.

    My webpage ... public adjuster experts pa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great weblog right here! Additionally your site lots up fast!
    What host are you using? Can I am getting your affiliate hyperlink on your host?
    I want my site loaded up as fast as yours lol

    My web site; work from home network marketing business

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really
    realize what you're speaking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also consult with my site =).
    We may have a hyperlink alternate arrangement between us

    Also visit my website Carpet Cleaning Peoria

    ReplyDelete
  4. I every time spent my half an hour to read this blog's content everyday
    along with a cup of coffee.

    Also visit my website: New Jersey Casino Nights Rental

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where
    I could get a captcha plugin for my comment form? I'm using
    the same blog platform as yours and I'm having difficulty finding one?

    Thanks a lot!

    Have a look at my web page Carpet Cleaning Mesa

    ReplyDelete
  6. What's Going down i'm new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads.
    I am hoping to give a contribution & aid other customers like
    its aided me. Great job.

    Also visit my webpage - casino night rental pa

    ReplyDelete
  7. WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for
    comparing gasoline for fuel economy

    Feel free to surf to my web blog: injustice gods among us hack (injusticegodsamongushacktooldownload.blogspot.com)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up!
    I'll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back in the future.
    Cheers

    Feel free to visit my website CarrolGFjeseth

    ReplyDelete
  9. Terrific post but I was wondering if you could write a litte
    more on this topic? I'd be very thankful if you could elaborate a little
    bit further. Thanks!

    Check out my web site ... CarmineXLave

    ReplyDelete
  10. Heya i am for the primary time here. I came across this board and I in finding It really useful & it helped me out a lot.
    I am hoping to present something again and help others such as
    you aided me.

    my web site - DorseyNArmen

    ReplyDelete

comentários