Pit Latrines

It’s so easy to take access to sanitation for granted in the developed world. The photo gallery below gives you just a few examples of the toilets we see at the rural schools in South Africa. Keep in mind, these schools often have attendance of hundreds of learners. Not only do proper sanitation facilities reduce the spread of disease, but they also restore human dignity.

Some sanitation facts:

  • there are 913 schools with no sanitation facilities
  • 11,450 schools still use pit latrine toilets
  • Access to adequate sanitation brings improved health outcomes, increased school attendance, and greater dignity and safety for women
  • roughly 50% of all malnutrition cases are associated with repeated diarrhea or intestinal worm infections as a direct result of inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene
  • Nearly 1,000 children die every day from diarrhoeal diseases linked to
    a lack of safe water, sanitation, and basic hygiene

A Spring of Hope works to construct environmentally sustainable waterless toilets at our partner schools.

Water+Sanitation+Gardens=Happy Learners. Join us in making a difference!

Sources: World Health Organization, UN Women Commission on the Status of Women, equaleducation.org.za.