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The importance of a latrine

“It is important to have a latrine to avoid contamination, so that the children aren't sick,” said Maria A., a mother of six and resident of San Francisco de Capire. Her household is one of 30 that were surveyed about their sanitation perceptions for research on the effect of sanitation education on latrine acceptance in Trojes, Honduras.

Through an internship I completed last fall with Pure Water for the World in the Rutland office, I had the chance to travel to Trojes to conduct this study. As part of my senior thesis at Middlebury College and an extension of my internship, I’m hoping to learn more about how hygiene and sanitation education influences residents of rural communities to seek to build a latrine, and in turn reduce the spread of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and parasites.

Worldwide, 2.6 billion people lack access to proper sanitation. A development agency in India, Village Development, recently conducted a study that concluded that one of the most acute problems stifling community development there was poor health linked to excrement. It’s a dirty, smelly topic, but one that necessitates attention in the international arena. As a student of International Politics and Economics, I am interested in the interconnectedness of public health and sustainable economic development. The services that PWW provides seek to bring together these sectors, insuring better health, which in turn increases child school attendance, adult labor productivity, and ultimately fosters economic growth and poverty reduction.

On one of my first days of field research, I drove with a team from PWW to San Francisco de Capire, a hill community of about 60 households, mainly coffee farmers, to conduct a focus group to ask residents about their perceptions of sanitation in their community and to observe a program orientation that PWW health promoters facilitated. Participants were engaged in demonstrations—one of which involved swirling a hair dipped in chicken feces in a pitcher of clean water, interested in learning more about the water filtration systems that PWW will be providing for each interested household, and actively engaged in discussions about the causes and results of water contamination in their community. In a development climate that can sometimes be focused on omniscient professionals dictating proper behavior, it was refreshing to witness a process that fostered community engagement and investment.

I’ve enjoyed spending time in the town of Trojes, sampling local dishes including chilaquiles, a crunchy tortilla dish, and marmahons, a risotto-like meal, and even walked to the border and took a bus to Jalapa, Nicaragua. This weekend, Jennifer, the PWW volunteer working here, invited me to teach some of her Trojes friends how to make pizza. While there, amidst a game of Monkey in the Middle with several Honduran children, I was struck by how international the language of play really is.

This week, a group of American volunteers and Pure Water donors visited Trojes to view the filter and latrine projects and learn more about the work Pure Water does in the region. Despite three days of heavy rain and sinking mud, the group was able to help construct a record seven latrines and install eight filters. It was a learning experience in and of itself to witness the challenging conditions in-country staff contend with on a regular basis. The homeowners who received latrines and filters were enthusiastic about and integral in the construction and installation processes.

As I begin my last week in Honduras, I am humbled by the dedication of the Trojes staff and resiliency of the community members. I am eager to analyze the data I have collected to better understand the connection between sanitation-targeted educational programs—an important part of Pure Water´s educational framework—and latrine construction, and to better understand the mechanisms through which Pure Water empowers rural Hondurans, like Maria A., to achieve improved health.