How a simple toilet can save a community

We all use the toilet every day. It’s a normal, private part of life that we don't often think about. But what if you had no toilet? Where would you go? For nearly a billion people around the world, the answer is outside: in a field, in the bushes, by a river, or next to railway tracks. This is called open defecation, and it is one of the most dangerous and widespread problems facing developing countries today. It is not just a matter of comfort or privacy, it’s a critical issue of health, safety, and human dignity.

 

What exactly is the problem?

When people defecate in the open, they leave their waste exposed. This human waste is full of dangerous bacteria and viruses, that can make people very sick. The problem is how easily these germs can spread throughout a community. 

Imagine a village where many people use a nearby field as their toilet. Here’s what happens next.

Water gets contaminated. When it rains, all the waste left in the fields is washed into rivers, streams, and wells. This is often the same water that people use for drinking, cooking, washing dishes, and bathing. When a person drinks this water, they are drinking the germs from everyone’s waste. This leads to serious waterborne diseases. 

Contamination through a touch. Children often play outside barefoot. They can step in human waste and bring the germs back into their homes on their feet. If they don't wash their hands properly before eating, they can easily get sick. 

Flies spread disease.  Flies are attracted to the waste. They land on it, and the tiny germs stick to their legs and bodies. Then, these same flies fly into homes and land on the food people are about to eat. Someone eats this contaminated food and gets sick.

The results of this contamination are devastating. Diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and intestinal worms become common. For adults, these illnesses mean they cannot work, and their families lose income. They have to spend their limited money on medicine. For children, the impact is even worse. Diarrhea is a leading cause of death for children under five. Those who survive are often left weak and malnourished, which can affect their growth and brain development for the rest of their lives. 

Beyond health, open defecation creates other serious problems, especially for women and girls. To have some privacy, they often have to wait until it is dark, either before sunrise or after sunset, to go outside. This puts them at a much higher risk of being attacked by animals or assaulted by men. It is a daily experience of fear and a loss of personal dignity. 

But why does open defecation happen? 

This is not a problem because people want to live this way. It happens for several connected reasons:

• Poverty. The most direct cause is that people simply cannot afford to build a toilet. Even a simple toilet costs money for materials that poor families do not have.
• Lack of knowledge. Some communities may not fully understand the connection between open defecation and the diseases that affect them. They may not know how germs spread. It is seen as normal because it is what their parents and grandparents have always done.
• Tradition and culture. In some places, it is a long-standing tradition. There might even be cultural beliefs that having a toilet inside or too close to the house is unclean. Changing these deep-rooted habits is very difficult.
• Lack of government services. In many rural areas or crowded urban slums, there is no government infrastructure for sanitation. There are no sewer systems, no public toilets, and no programs to help people build their own. 

 

However, there are simple and inexpensive solutions that work. The solutions don't have to be expensive or complicated. The most effective approaches are those that communities can lead themselves, using local materials and knowledge.

• Building simple and affordable toilets. The goal is to stop open defecation, not to build a fancy bathroom. A simple pit latrine can be very effective. This is basically a deep hole dug in the ground, with a small shelter built around it for privacy. The shelter can be made from whatever is available locally. For example bamboo, mud bricks, wood, or old metal sheets. A concrete slab with a hole makes it safer and easier to clean. This type of toilet safely contains the waste, preventing flies and rain from spreading the germs.
• The power of handwashing: The tippy tap.  A toilet is only half the solution. Washing hands with soap after using the toilet is just as important. In places where running water is not available, a clever invention called the "tippy tap" is a perfect solution. It’s made from a plastic bottle or a gourd, which is filled with water and hung on a string next to the toilet.  A foot-operated pedal allows a person to tip the bottle and get a small stream of water to wash their hands without touching the bottle itself, making it very hygienic. It uses very little water and can be built by anyone in minutes.
• Changing minds, not just building toilets. Perhaps the most powerful solution is an approach called Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). This strategy understands that just giving someone a toilet doesn't mean they will use it. You have to change their way of thinking first. 

Instead of lecturing people, a facilitator helps the community see the problem for themselves. They might gather the villagers and draw a map of their community in the dirt. They ask people to mark where their houses are and then mark where they go to the toilet. The map quickly shows that their entire village is surrounded by human waste. The facilitator might then take a glass of water and a strand of hair, dip the hair in some animal dung, and then dip it in the water. They ask, "Would you drink this?" People say no. The facilitator explains, "This is what a fly does when it lands on your food."

This process creates a powerful moment of realization and collective disgust. The community understands that they are, in effect, eating each other’s waste. This "triggers" them to take action together. They decide, as a group, that they will stop defecating in the open and will work together to build a simple toilet for every family. Because the decision comes from within the community, it is much more likely to last. 

Let us move towards a healthier and more dignified future.

Ending open defecation is about more than just building toilets. It’s about restoring dignity, improving safety for women, and giving children a chance to grow up healthy and strong. When a community becomes free of open defecation, school attendance goes up because children are no longer sick. Families save money they would have spent on medicine. The entire community becomes healthier and more productive. The solution starts with a simple hole in the ground, but it ends with a brighter future for everyone.

By sharing this article you can help spread awareness about this important issue. Your share could help communities in need make a safer choice for their health. Together, we can help more people.