TOILETTES ECOLO Research Seminar
Joanna Brindise Barbara Kane Joanne Ng Nneoma Nwankwo Virginia Tech, 2015-2016
Faculty Advisor: Dr. C.L. Bohannon
TOILETTES ECOLO “Toilettes Ecolo� is a social venture, which aims to build earth-friendly toilets in public schools in rural Senegal to lower the instances of menstrual-related absenteeism. Holistically, we seek to ensure that school children in Senegal have proper access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Deconstructing the Issue
Menstruation
“The interconnectedness of human rights through sanitation” ●
Gendered nature of the issue
●
Most underrepresented arm of WASH
Education
“A Neglected Condition of Several Millennium Development Goals” ● ●
Factors of location and status of school Necessity of infrastructure
“Body-school collision”
“The onset of their menstruation can be a nail in the coffin of their education” ●
Menstrual-related absenteeism and underperformance
●
40% of girls skip 2 or more days of school per month due to their menses (Toilettes Ecolo, 2016)
1 in 10 African school girls
skip school every month during menstruation (UNICEF)
Presence of relevant sanitation facilities
Freedom from secrecy & shame
Access to healthcare
Access to lowcost sanitary material
LAWS & POLICIES Proper information in schools & society
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all girls and women Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all
Senegal, West Africa
The Case of Ndiatene CEM
Ratio of Toilets to Students World Health Organization Recommendation - 1:30 Median in Senegal - 1:85 Ndiatene Middle School - 1:138
Primary School
12-minute walk
5-minute walk
6-minute walk
Ndiatene Middle-School
Girl’s Narrative
Common Current Situation
The Effect of Toilettes Ecolo
Photo-Voice Session (March 2016)
“[School toilets are terrible] and the toilet sometimes floods with water because it was built badly, so the kids have to pee outside.�
2 in 5 girls
skip 2 or more days of school every month during menstruation
Ndiatene: Neighbor’s Toilet
GIRLS “The toilets are clean.”
[agree] [disagree]
BOYS “The toilets are clean.”
[agree] [disagree]
“I skip classes when I’m sick because the toilets are dirty.”
[boys] [girls]
“I am afraid to fall in the pit hole.�
[boys] [girls]
57.6% of girls
vs.
have no access to water to wash their hands
65.7% of boys stated they sometimes do.
69% of girls
“I am embarrassed to use the school’s toilet during menstruation.”
1 in 3 girls
stated that their performance decreased during their menstruation
Toilettes Ecolo’s Response
Dry Toilets -Operates without flush water -Aerobic processing system to treat human excreta -Raised pedestal on which the user can sit or a squat pan
Bucket Latrine vs.
Composting Toilets
Bucket Latrine
Maintenance intensive Off-site decomposition
Bucket Latrine: Design Proposal
- congregation of the bucket latrines at the center of the building - requires an off-site compost - more controlled process of decomposition may be required.
Composting Toilet
Design intensive Waste decomposes inside pit
Composting Toilet: Design Proposal
- Centralizes the sinks around the rainwater catchment tank -Easy access for manual removal of the waste from the pits -Decomposition of the waste, hence less maintenance.
Timeline
Phase One:
Idea
Phase Two:
Draft Presentation
Site Visit
Proposal Discussion
Design Iteration
Design Development
Construction Implementation Maintenance Documents
Design Animation
Toilette Ecolo Proposal
Girls’ Restroom Section
Boys’ Restroom Section
Perspective from the School of the Bathroom
Tentative Budget
Thanks to: College of Architecture and Urban Studies School of Architecture + Design Undergraduate Research Insitute University Honors toilettes.ecolo@gmail.com www.issuu.com/toilettes.ecolo
Mboundoum Est: Primary School
toilets
water tap
Mboundoum Est: Primary School
Tap located at the opposite corner of the school.