Improved Sanitation and Hygeine

One of 18 new hand washing stations in CBM’s three target communities

of North Eastern Province, Kenya

Only a year ago, we had written about the fact that there was not a single safe latrine in the three communities where CBM is serving along the Tana River of North Eastern Province, Kenya. Our primary intervention was to help these communities recover from drought and displacement through food for work projects and conservation agriculture (These initiatives are still ongoing). We soon discovered several public health issues facing the people. One primary need was for improved sanitation and hygiene. They along with 69% of people in Subsaharan Africa did not have a single safe latrines or toilet.

Well, that was true a year ago, but not today!

Our colleagues William Wako, Geoffrey Mwita and Jackson Andai have been working with these communities over the past six months to establish eighteen community toilets and hand washing stations, all hand dug and built by the community members themselves.

"There are more than 300 houses in Bakuyu,” confesses Geoffrey, “but these first six toilets are making a big difference. The community has divided up into committees each responsible for maintaining their toilet and protecting it from vandalism. Already the committees are planning to build more. They just needed help to get started. Most of the materials were already there, they just didn’t see how to use them."

Community volunteers working together

to build a kitchen for the Buula Pamoja

Community School

Please continue to pray for the work in North Eastern Province and for the health and wellbeing of the people of these communities.

You can learn more about the work of CBM in Africa and around the world on our website at www.cbmin.org

Oh, and by the way.... even the soap at each station is handmade 

by a community group - Pretty cool!