A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Community Emergency Response Initiative (CERI), has distributed ‘smart toilet’ facilities to some groups in Plateau to tackle open defecation in the north-central state.
CERI Executive Director, Mr Benson Attah, while speaking at a training toward helping selected persons to master the use of the devices, regretted the hazards of open defecation on the health of the people.
The training, which took place in Shendam on Saturday, exposed the participants to the health hazards of open defecation and how to address them.
Attah stated that the training was in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of attaining open defecation-free country by 2025.
The executive director said that the main target was to achieve safe and clean water and sanitation by 2030.
“CERI is working with different stakeholders across the country, including the federal, state, and local governments as well as local communities and individuals.
“CERI is working in 10 different sectors to enhance the abilities of communities to end open defecation and promote safe and clean water and sanitation.
“We are working to sensitise and also enhance the capacities of participants in mobilisng members of their communities to change their behaviours.
“We observed that many people, rather than use the designated place for easing themselves, prefer to do open defecation and we want them to change those behaviours,” stated.
Attah further pointed out that open defecation was unhealthy for the well-being of citizens because more than 70 per cent of diseases emanate from poor sanitation and hygiene.
The executive director stated that the training was also to expose the trainees to commercial aspects of managing human faeces.
According to him, the beneficiaries can set up commercial toilets and also collect human waste for manure and other purposes.
The lead facilitator, Mr Eric Ejih, said that smart toilet, also known as Sato, was unique as it was the only toilet type that “meets sanitation marketing mix”.
Ejih stated that the smart toilets were portable, affordable, odourless, fly-free, and without infections.
“It’s always dry; it has a trap that seals it from flies and doesn’t retain water like a water system that splashes water after defecation,” he explained.
The focal person for the training, Mrs Nenpinmwa Victor, said that a lot of knowledge was imparted during the training.
Victor expressed optimism that the participants would make good use of what they were taught.
“By the grace of God, we’re going to end open defecation within our communities.
“With this technology, people will be able to get very cheap, affordable product that they will use, and it will help in checking open defecation,” she stated.
A participant, Mr Peter Tapgun, said one of the things he learnt was how to install Sato.
Tapgun said that with the experience, he would start-up a business in that line.
“I will also encourage people to stop excreting outside because of the health implications of doing so,” he said. (NAN)