Peer Review

Summary

Introduce the concept of ECOSAN toilet in Perungalurpet, Korkkadupet and Molapakkam villages of Puducherry Union Territory. The interested willing women SHG members will be selected and ECOSAN toilets will be constructed in a participatory way.

Background

In rural Villages of Tamilnadu and Puducherry open defecation is a common aspect and the villages chosen for are not an exceptional one. It is important to sensitize people on the importance of safe disposal of human excreta. The present situation is not favorable to the girls and women in most of the villages to perform the day-to-day defecation and to urinate in a safe and private place.

Under the guidance of Ekoventure 15 women SHGs are functioning in these villages. Most of the women do not have toilets. Ekoventure has been involved in creating awareness among the women SHG members about the importance of toilets. Ekoventure has been working in these villages for the past one decade on various projects related to Agriculture.

Location

Attachments

Focus

People Getting Safe Drinking Water:
0

School Children Getting Water:
0

People Getting Sanitation:
250

50 families of the women SHG guided and supervised by the Ekoventure NGO.

People Getting Other Benefits:
750

The masons (5nos.) in this area will be trained in the construction of ECOSAN toilets.
At present Ekoventure is guiding 50 nos. of Women SHGs in Puducherry. The SHGs will be trained on the importance of ECOSAN toilets.
Awareness will be created among the entire community in the three villages on ECOSAN toilets

Application Type: Project Funding

Start Date: 2010-09-01

Completion Date: 2011-03-31

Technology Used:

In conventional toilets, it requires large quantity of water for flushing and for transporting the excreta into a septic tank. Moreover, the septic tanks are emptied into the nearby water bodies and thereby resulting in the contamination of the water resources. In the ECOSAN toilets, the excreta is composted and disposed of as manure.

Ekoventure had linked all these women SHGs with the Indian Bank under the microfinance programme. Most of the women have expressed their willingness to contribute a part of their loan amount for the construction of a toilet of their own.

Awareness meetings will be conducted intensively for the women SHG members in which the benefits of ECOSAN toilets will be explained. Video films on importance of Sanitation and ECOSAN toilets will be projected in these three villages. Separate Trainings will be organised for the masons and the beneficiaries followed by exposure visits to the existing ECOSAN toilets in the Villupuram District, Tamilnadu.

The women beneficiaries will be arranged for the loan towards their contribution from their group for the construction of the ECOSAN toilets.

Phases:

Yes in one phase.

Community Organization:

The amount shall be released in two parts – 50% as advance and the remaining 50% immediately after completion of construction of toilets.

Government Interaction:

Ancillary activities:

The project is to be implemented involving the women SHG members who were associated with this NGO since 2001 and with their support this project will be implemented in a participatory way by involving them in all aspects of this project – planning, execution and monitoring.

The women have voluntarily opted to contribute Rs. 2500 per toilet towards their contribution.

Other Issues:

At least 5 masons will be trained in the construction aspects of ECOSAN toilets.

Maintenance Revenue:

The women SHG members will be motivated to avail Bank loans for the construction of ECOSAN toilets as a special case

Fund Requested: $10,474

Implementing Organization:

Attachments

TOILET DESIGN

Lynn Roberts of Agua Para La Salud (APLS)

Would you post a design document so that it can be reviewed...Gracias Lynn

Would you post a design document so that it can be reviewed...Gracias Lynn

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear Gracias Lynn,
Thanks for showing interest in reviewing the proposal.
We attach herewith the document on ECOSAN toilet. Further some of the photos taken during the construction of the toilets are atached in our earlier project funded under PWX - Application 233.
regards

Dear Gracias Lynn,

Thanks for showing interest in reviewing the proposal.
We attach herewith the document on ECOSAN toilet. Further some of the photos taken during the construction of the toilets are atached in our earlier project funded under PWX - Application 233.

Claire Rumpsa of Aqua Clara International

Hi,
It is good that your organization has been involved in the villages for a sustained period of time. I understand that your organization has a number of proposals for review in PWX and this one is for approximately half of your annual budget. What is your plan for absorbing this funding should your application be successful? Do the E...

Hi,
It is good that your organization has been involved in the villages for a sustained period of time. I understand that your organization has a number of proposals for review in PWX and this one is for approximately half of your annual budget. What is your plan for absorbing this funding should your application be successful? Do the ECOSAN toilets require any ongoing maintenance? If so, what is your plan for maintenance and oversight?
Best wishes,
Claire
Aqua Clara International

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear Claire,
with our present status of implementing various projects for the current finnacial year, the budget of this project is only 20% of our annual budget.
The ECOSAN toliets does not require any major ongoing maintenance. The users have to be trained on the proper use and maintenance of the toilets. Since, we have proposed t...

Dear Claire,

with our present status of implementing various projects for the current finnacial year, the budget of this project is only 20% of our annual budget.

The ECOSAN toliets does not require any major ongoing maintenance. The users have to be trained on the proper use and maintenance of the toilets. Since, we have proposed to select the beneficiaries from our women SHGs, and since we are guiding these groups since 2000 there would not be any difficulty or extra cost involved in the supervison of the functioning of these toilets to be constructed under this project. The weekly/monthly SHG meetings would be the platform to discuss the performance of the toilets.

maintenance, selection of villages

Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well

Hi,
The pictures are great of some of the past projects. It does make a lot of difference. Seeing is believing and one can go back after 5 years to see the status.
I have the same question as Claire about the maintenance: cost. procedures needed.
Regarding selection of the SHGs is excellent to develop sustainability. But a large numbe...

Hi,

The pictures are great of some of the past projects. It does make a lot of difference. Seeing is believing and one can go back after 5 years to see the status.

I have the same question as Claire about the maintenance: cost. procedures needed.

Regarding selection of the SHGs is excellent to develop sustainability. But a large number will be left behind. Is there any plans to promote in the areas where there are no SHGs. If so what method would you use to promote it?

Some parts of West Bengal gets flooded would it be advisable to implement ecosan in such areas?

Thanks and best wishes

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Our priority and focus is the SHG women who are guided by our NGO as it is easy to mobilise the contribution amount. They could avail loan from the SHG they belong to. We expect that the success of the performance of the ECOSAN toilets in these villages will motivate the other women to take up the construction of ECOSAN toilets. We also ha...

Our priority and focus is the SHG women who are guided by our NGO as it is easy to mobilise the contribution amount. They could avail loan from the SHG they belong to. We expect that the success of the performance of the ECOSAN toilets in these villages will motivate the other women to take up the construction of ECOSAN toilets. We also have approached the NABARD for a similar project and in case of selecting a new village we will be organising a sequence of awareness meetings with display of video films on importance of toilets, ECOSAN toilets, organise exposure visits to successfully maintained ECOSAN toilets. In such case, the time taken for persuation was nearly six months which we have experienced in our earlier project in the neighbouring Villupuram district, Tamilnadu.

The most suited toilet for coastal villages, flooded areas would be the ECOSAN toilet. The ground water table is also not contaminated by this type of toilet.

Sustainability

Lynn Roberts of Agua Para La Salud (APLS)

Do you have any studies of past projects such as toilets installed two years or more in the past, showing continued use and problems encountered in sustained use in your area?

Do you have any studies of past projects such as toilets installed two years or more in the past, showing continued use and problems encountered in sustained use in your area?

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Yes we are monitoring the toilets constructed earlier.
out of the 62 toilets constructed during 2008-09 in the Villupuram districts only 40 toilets are in regular use. Others use the toilet for storing their household articles - fodder, fuel wood, etc.,
This is case in majority of the households where flush toilets have been constructed....

Yes we are monitoring the toilets constructed earlier.
out of the 62 toilets constructed during 2008-09 in the Villupuram districts only 40 toilets are in regular use. Others use the toilet for storing their household articles - fodder, fuel wood, etc.,
This is case in majority of the households where flush toilets have been constructed.

Positive results are - In one of the visits by the authorities from Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry, they have assured to collect the decomposed dry night soil (for their farm) at the time of maturity.

In the initial stage we faced the problem of odour and the same has been rectified by applying more wood ash. Now, the use is routine.

It needs more awareness creation and regular monitoring atleast for a period of 2 years to make it sustainable.

regards

AR. Natarajan

Lynn Roberts of Agua Para La Salud (APLS)

Thanks for the response. We have also found in Guatemala that the compost toilet needs a very motivated and aware population to work well. Do you have a promotion and maintenance program along with the construction project?
What was your selection process for identifying a village?

Thanks for the response. We have also found in Guatemala that the compost toilet needs a very motivated and aware population to work well. Do you have a promotion and maintenance program along with the construction project?
What was your selection process for identifying a village?

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.
We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit lin...

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.

We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit linked programmes.

Since we will be working in these villages under various projects, we will monitor the performance of the toilets continously.

regards

AR. Natarajan

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.
We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit lin...

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.

We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit linked programmes.

Since we will be working in these villages under various projects, we will monitor the performance of the toilets continously.

regards

AR. Natarajan

Lynn Roberts of Agua Para La Salud (APLS)

Thanks for the response. We have also found in Guatemala that the compost toilet needs a very motivated and aware population to work well. Do you have a promotion and maintenance program along with the construction project?
What was your selection process for identifying a village?

Thanks for the response. We have also found in Guatemala that the compost toilet needs a very motivated and aware population to work well. Do you have a promotion and maintenance program along with the construction project?
What was your selection process for identifying a village?

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.
We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit lin...

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.

We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit linked programmes.

Since we will be working in these villages under various projects, we will monitor the performance of the toilets continously.

regards

AR. Natarajan

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.
We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit lin...

Ekoventure is working in the proposed project area since 2000. We have approximately 8-9 women SHG in 2 villages and in one village we are being supported by NABARD under the Village development programme.

We are selecting the households only from the women self help group members who have been linked with the Banks under the Credit linked programmes.

Since we will be working in these villages under various projects, we will monitor the performance of the toilets continously.

Installing the ECOSAN toilets

My-Anh Ha of East Meets West Foundation

Hello:
Could you please clarify the following issues:
1.) Who will be in charge of installing the toilets?
2.) Will there be training and/or technical instruction materials for those involved with construction work?
3.) Will there be user’s training for family members?
Thanks!
My-Anh

Hello:

Could you please clarify the following issues:

1.) Who will be in charge of installing the toilets?
2.) Will there be training and/or technical instruction materials for those involved with construction work?
3.) Will there be user’s training for family members?

Thanks!
My-Anh

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear My-Anh,
Greetings.
1. The technical staff of Ekoventure will construct the toilets with the trained local masons. The staff in-charge has supervised the construction of 82 nos. of toilets so far since 2008 and has sufficient experience in this field. He has attended the training on “Capacity Building for Ecological Sanitation in I...

Dear My-Anh,

Greetings.
1. The technical staff of Ekoventure will construct the toilets with the trained local masons. The staff in-charge has supervised the construction of 82 nos. of toilets so far since 2008 and has sufficient experience in this field. He has attended the training on “Capacity Building for Ecological Sanitation in India” from 12th to 22nd May 2008 at MJP Research and Training Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra organized by Ecosan Services Foundation.

2. Local masons will be trained and exposure visit for the masons will be organised to the existing successful ECOSAN toilets. Ekoventure is a member in the Tamilnadu Ecosan Network (TEN) and thus can arrange for any technical clarifications from among the network members.

3. Yes, the members of the family will be trained on how to use and maintain the toilet.

My-Anh Ha of East Meets West Foundation

Hi Natarajan:
Thank you for your responses!
1.) In terms of users' training on ECO-SAN latrines, do you plan to include a component of training on hygiene, such as hand-washing after latrine use? Proper hand-washing with soap is an important step that should be included in the latrine-use instruction.
Also, are there facilities for han...

Hi Natarajan:

Thank you for your responses!

1.) In terms of users' training on ECO-SAN latrines, do you plan to include a component of training on hygiene, such as hand-washing after latrine use? Proper hand-washing with soap is an important step that should be included in the latrine-use instruction.

Also, are there facilities for hand-washing (soap holder, water dispenser, etc.) included in the latrine design?

2.) May be it could be mentioned in the user's instructions that besides ash, a number of other materials can be used to cover the faeces after use (soil, paddy husk, coir waste, dry leaves, saw dust).

3.) What is the total number of women members in the SGHs in the three participating villages in Puducherry? I just wanted to see the scope of the project and its impact.

Thank you!
My-Anh

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear My-Anh,
Thank you for the suggestions.
1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would ...

Dear My-Anh,

Thank you for the suggestions.

1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would be made for the same.

2. Yes. During our training we list out the various materials that could be used (as mentioned by you).

3. The number of members in the SHG are:
Perungalurpet - 6 groups - 91 members
Korkkadupet - 8 groups - 126 members.
At Molapakkam, Ekoventure has not formed any groups but work with the existing groups formed under the Block Development Office. Since, we have been awarded by NABARD, the implementation of the Village Development Plan in this village, we have selected this village for the construction of ECOSAN toilets.

with warm regards

AR. Natrajan

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear My-Anh,
Thank you for the suggestions.
1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would ...

Dear My-Anh,

Thank you for the suggestions.

1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would be made for the same.

2. Yes. During our training we list out the various materials that could be used (as mentioned by you).

3. The number of members in the SHG are:
Perungalurpet - 6 groups - 91 members
Korkkadupet - 8 groups - 126 members.
At Molapakkam, Ekoventure has not formed any groups but work with the existing groups formed under the Block Development Office. Since, we have been awarded by NABARD, the implementation of the Village Development Plan in this village, we have selected this village for the construction of ECOSAN toilets.

with warm regards

AR. Natrajan

My-Anh Ha of East Meets West Foundation

Hi Natarajan:
Thank you for your responses!
1.) In terms of users' training on ECO-SAN latrines, do you plan to include a component of training on hygiene, such as hand-washing after latrine use? Proper hand-washing with soap is an important step that should be included in the latrine-use instruction.
Also, are there facilities for han...

Hi Natarajan:

Thank you for your responses!

1.) In terms of users' training on ECO-SAN latrines, do you plan to include a component of training on hygiene, such as hand-washing after latrine use? Proper hand-washing with soap is an important step that should be included in the latrine-use instruction.

Also, are there facilities for hand-washing (soap holder, water dispenser, etc.) included in the latrine design?

2.) May be it could be mentioned in the user's instructions that besides ash, a number of other materials can be used to cover the faeces after use (soil, paddy husk, coir waste, dry leaves, saw dust).

3.) What is the total number of women members in the SGHs in the three participating villages in Puducherry? I just wanted to see the scope of the project and its impact.

Thank you!
My-Anh

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear My-Anh,
Thank you for the suggestions.
1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would ...

Dear My-Anh,

Thank you for the suggestions.

1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would be made for the same.

2. Yes. During our training we list out the various materials that could be used (as mentioned by you).

3. The number of members in the SHG are:
Perungalurpet - 6 groups - 91 members
Korkkadupet - 8 groups - 126 members.
At Molapakkam, Ekoventure has not formed any groups but work with the existing groups formed under the Block Development Office. Since, we have been awarded by NABARD, the implementation of the Village Development Plan in this village, we have selected this village for the construction of ECOSAN toilets.

with warm regards

AR. Natrajan

AR. Natarajan of Ekoventure

Dear My-Anh,
Thank you for the suggestions.
1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would ...

Dear My-Anh,

Thank you for the suggestions.

1. Ekoventure regularly conducts awareness meetings in Schools and for the SHG members on hygiene, particularly the importance of hand wash after latrine use. As of now, we have not provided any soap hoder in the toilets constructed earlier. We agree to your suggestion and provisions would be made for the same.

2. Yes. During our training we list out the various materials that could be used (as mentioned by you).

3. The number of members in the SHG are:
Perungalurpet - 6 groups - 91 members
Korkkadupet - 8 groups - 126 members.
At Molapakkam, Ekoventure has not formed any groups but work with the existing groups formed under the Block Development Office. Since, we have been awarded by NABARD, the implementation of the Village Development Plan in this village, we have selected this village for the construction of ECOSAN toilets.

with warm regards

AR. Natrajan

Rating: 9

review by (only shown to members)

Commendable work. The records show work is monitored. Pictures, geocodes and reports of all the projects with unique Identification numbers uploaded on PWX is advisable. It is indeed quite tedious but worthwhile to see the status after few years. We, Project Well, is trying to establish the same on PWX. We also have a simple database used for tracking and assessment like others but PWX system is multi-functional. Good Wishes.

Rating: 7

review by (only shown to members)

The Ekoventure project proposal centers around the construction of 50 ECOSAN toilets in Puducherry. There are several positive aspects of this proposal. In an area where open defecation is common, Ekoventure is working primarily with Women’s Self Help Groups in an effort to change behavior. There is a joint contribution towards to cost of the construction of the toilets by the end user and also by the local government - this is a decent partnership and buy-in.

Ekoventure have been open about some of the challenges that they have faced in the implementation of their previous ECOSAN toilet construction projects in this area, but seem to be making good efforts to overcome these problems e.g. the odor. Ekoventure have had a number of other smaller projects funded by PWX in the past, but this proposal is for a larger amount of money. It will be important that they have a plan in place to absorb this funding.

Rating: 8

review by (only shown to members)

This is a strong project proposal with goals, purpose and expected results clearly defined. Project sustainability is also well-defined, including the financial arrangement for the users’ contributions. The technical option (Eco-San toilets) offers simple technology meeting the demands of the local community. The project has an excellent training and awareness-raising plan too. Finally, the organization is experienced in implementing similar projects (with considerable levels of success).

Rating: 9

review by (only shown to members)

The project has all of the basic elements that I would consider essential for long term success of composting toilets. (1)The participation of the women in the financing of the toilets; (2) the design is a good strong, private structure;(3) hygiene and maintenance education is in place and repeated over time;(3) the staff appear to be dedicated to solving a serious health threat; and (4) local masons are being trained in the process to decentralize the technology.

Rating: 9

review by (only shown to members)

Excellent project building on years of engagement.
My philosophical question is: at what point do we stop calling our project 'model' or 'pilot' ?