What To Do With Crap?

FIGURE 1

Since 2009 Mr. Jeffry’s Third World Machine Shop (MJTWMS) has greatly improved the productivity and profitability of Ghanaian carpenters.  Since 2010 Moringa Community School of Trades (MCS0T) has enjoyed the luxury of an on-demand running water supply through construction of a Mr. Jeffry's Artesian Well Water System,(MJAWWS).   Now entering 2016, we have another technological hurtle to jump in order to further fulfill our project’s mission to help reduce the rigors of Rural African life.   To put it bluntly, this next hurtle is how to take a crap in rural Africa with a modicum of dignity in a village with no public sewer, limited water supply, and very little in way of resources and material to develop reasonable restroom facilities.

Thankfully, unlike the demands of creating our MJAWWS and MJTWMS systems where we had no existing model from which to draw, some successful research and development by others has already been done to address this 3^rd world crap problem.  Our project efforts seen here are based on a system that has been gaining wide acceptance in India.  This system is the Pour Flush Toilet System that also fits well for Africa.  It is straight forward to construct, it uses a minimum amount of water, it is infinitely more hygienic and dignified to use than our earlier pit latrines, and certainly better than just ducking into the bush whenever nature calls which is more the rule than the exception in Africa.  Additionally, the waste smell is kept to a minimum an added plus is that the byproduct is useful compost that can be applied as a fertilizer and soil builder.

The Pour Flush system is best understood by viewing the line drawing shown in Fig. 1.  Basically this system is a hybrid combination of an old fashion pit outhouse and our contemporary modern day flush toilets with full on site septic system.  However, rather than wasting 4 gallons or more per flush, the pour flush requires only 1 liter (0.265 gal.) of water per flush.  This enormous reduction in water not only saves on the labor required to carry water but it also eliminates the need for the traditional western style septic tank that must be periodically pumped by a municipal waste service and subsequently taken to a sewage processing plant.  These later services do not exist in rural Ghana nor is water so freely available the people can just flush it away.  The reality is that even if municipal systems were in place and water was in able supply in Ghana, the waste product of the Pour Flush system is a far more user friendly material than typical sewage waste sludge and much easier to safely dispose of in an environmentally correct way. The by-product of a fully cycled pit is actually a relatively odorless dry dirt-like material that is useful.   

As shown, our first pour flush facility construction is nearly complete.  As this first model is a single unit, it will be a unisex facility on the MCSOT compound.  We are hopeful to secure enough funding to build a second Pour Flush unit so we can designate one unit for Girls and one for Boys on the school campus.
  

Ultimately, the plan is to market these units to the surrounding community for a profit that along with our other Moringa Made Products and services will help support our school’s teacher salaries and general operation expenses.  Although cost is very reasonable by western standards, it is still unfortunately high by African standards so creative marketing will have to be employed.  Currently we believe that the health, hygiene, and the dignity factor of having such a system will be a good motivator for buyers but in the end it may come down to pride in ownership and the associated status symbol of actually having a toilet in which to take a crap will drive sales.  We will see.  All we can do is try.

Among other things our school needs, we so hope sponsors will show up to help fund our second needed Pour Flush Toilet for MCSOT.  We remain hopeful we might even be able to build a few public use units in the village proper but we would be content with at least adding a second unit on the compound so fewer staff and students will have to duck into the bush for relief. 
To consider funding a system or even part of one, the complete cost breakdown per unit is as below. 

Pour Flush System Cost:
Option # 1 = $1,651 USComplete Dual Pit – Pour Flush System with a top of the line masonry brick s**t house construction.
Option # 2 = $1,220 US
Complete Dual Pit – Pour Flush System with masonry washroom foundation and wooden enclosure.

Option #3 = $1,100 US
Dual Pit – Pour Flush System with masonry washroom foundation only.  Owner to build restroom enclosure.    

Please donate today! 

We cannot do this work without at least some funding folks. Please help us out.  Please. 

MoringaCommunity.Org is an organization of unpaid volunteers.  $0.97 on every $1.00 donated goes directly to our project in West Africa.  We do not use any third party fundraising service. We never bother anyone on the phone.  We only hope those familiar with the Moringa Project will please continue to support it. . 
 

What do you say?  Will you lend us a hand.  We promise we washed our first. We are a proud and clean lot.