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Anonymous

RedR TSS

Toilet ideas

Basically, NRC is just starting up in Dadaab, and one of the main identified needs, is for the building of 1500 latrines for a camp extension (as well as replacing/upgrading about a squillion other latrines in the older parts of the camp). (The general background: Dadaab was originally planned for 20 000 people, back in 1992, but now has about 160 000 people, with some extensions built since. It is in a semi-arid area, 100km from the Somalia border. Most of the population is Somali, but with minorities from Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia).

The soil in one section of the camp complex is very sandy, whilst the soil in the other two sections is more clay-ey. From reports, it appears that the sandy soil is more of a problem, because the sides of the latrines there have a tendency to collapse.

I haven't been able to find any info about the water table. However, the camp sections would appear to have only 4 bore holes per 30 000-50 000 refugees, and can still supply the necessary 20l. p/d.

There is seasonal flooding caused by the rains, and at those times, there is a tendency for the latrines to overflow, spilling waste into the surface areas.

The latrines are in any case prone to overflowing, because there are no shower stalls in the camps, and the families use the latrines as shower stalls, so all of the grey water goes into the latrine pits.

In the older parts of the camps, apart from the most recent influxes, there is generally one latrine per family. But the latrines are very simple -- single pits protected by plastic sheeting and sticks. There don't even seem to be any adequate plinth slabs, or any reinforcements for the sides of the pit walls. When a pit is full, the families are encouraged to cover it with soil, and dig a new pit nearby.

None of the latrines have roofs, so the rains very easily fill the pits, and cause collapses of the pit walls. There are logistics difficulties involved -- the nearest point of supply is 100km away, by a road which becomes impassable during the rainy season.

Nevertheless, I am proposing to start with latrine building rather than the parallel shelter building programme, because (a) without latrines, it is less likely that the families will move into the camp extension, (b) latrines can be done with less materials/staff, (c) there are serious public health and waste management issues in the camp.

I'm assuming that I will have to propose at least two different types of latrine, or at least different pit dimensions, because of the different types of soil. Actually, it may be four different types, because I will also be required to oversee the building of group latrines for some new schoolrooms as well.

I'd like to look at latrine types which have perhaps double pits, or some other feature which would speed up the process of diminishing the volume of the raw seepage. I'd also be interested in easy-to-maintain models where filtered liquids could be used for irrigation/reed beds, etc.

Does anyone have any ideas about alternative materials for pit-wall reinforcement? Concrete rings are going to be too costly and unwieldy to get into the camp in the numbers required, but it has occurred to me that there are large numbers of empty USAID metal food tins lying around the camp.

The Somalis have a reputation for not being terribly co-operative with each other, nor very 'community-oriented' so I'm not sure how far any ideas for community-based seepage would fly, although personally I'm attracted, and I'd be willing to give it a go if someone had any bright ideas for how to get everyone to agree to it.

Obviously, I am going to push in the meantime, for separate shower stalls, materials for latrine roofs, and a campaign of surface drains.

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RedR CCDRR

Toilet ideas

Basically, NRC is just starting up in Dadaab, and one of the main identified needs, is for the building of 1500 latrines for a camp extension (as well as replacing/upgrading about a squillion other latrines in the older parts of the camp). (The general background: Dadaab was originally planned for 20 000 people, back in 1992, but now has about 160 000 people, with some extensions built since. It is in a semi-arid area, 100km from the Somalia border. Most of the population is Somali, but with minorities from Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia).

The soil in one section of the camp complex is very sandy, whilst the soil in the other two sections is more clay-ey. From reports, it appears that the sandy soil is more of a problem, because the sides of the latrines there have a tendency to collapse.

I haven't been able to find any info about the water table. However, the camp sections would appear to have only 4 bore holes per 30 000-50 000 refugees, and can still supply the necessary 20l. p/d.

There is seasonal flooding caused by the rains, and at those times, there is a tendency for the latrines to overflow, spilling waste into the surface areas.

The latrines are in any case prone to overflowing, because there are no shower stalls in the camps, and the families use the latrines as shower stalls, so all of the grey water goes into the latrine pits.

In the older parts of the camps, apart from the most recent influxes, there is generally one latrine per family. But the latrines are very simple -- single pits protected by plastic sheeting and sticks. There don't even seem to be any adequate plinth slabs, or any reinforcements for the sides of the pit walls. When a pit is full, the families are encouraged to cover it with soil, and dig a new pit nearby.

None of the latrines have roofs, so the rains very easily fill the pits, and cause collapses of the pit walls. There are logistics difficulties involved -- the nearest point of supply is 100km away, by a road which becomes impassable during the rainy season.

Nevertheless, I am proposing to start with latrine building rather than the parallel shelter building programme, because (a) without latrines, it is less likely that the families will move into the camp extension, (b) latrines can be done with less materials/staff, (c) there are serious public health and waste management issues in the camp.

I'm assuming that I will have to propose at least two different types of latrine, or at least different pit dimensions, because of the different types of soil. Actually, it may be four different types, because I will also be required to oversee the building of group latrines for some new schoolrooms as well.

I'd like to look at latrine types which have perhaps double pits, or some other feature which would speed up the process of diminishing the volume of the raw seepage. I'd also be interested in easy-to-maintain models where filtered liquids could be used for irrigation/reed beds, etc.

Does anyone have any ideas about alternative materials for pit-wall reinforcement? Concrete rings are going to be too costly and unwieldy to get into the camp in the numbers required, but it has occurred to me that there are large numbers of empty USAID metal food tins lying around the camp.

The Somalis have a reputation for not being terribly co-operative with each other, nor very 'community-oriented' so I'm not sure how far any ideas for community-based seepage would fly, although personally I'm attracted, and I'd be willing to give it a go if someone had any bright ideas for how to get everyone to agree to it.

Obviously, I am going to push in the meantime, for separate shower stalls, materials for latrine roofs, and a campaign of surface drains.