IDEO.org
Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor WSUP
Unilever
Clean Team Ghana Ltd
In Kumasi, it is estimated that only 40% of the population has access to a flushing toilet in their home. The remainder use a combination of pay-per-use public toilets, pit latrines, “flying toilets” or open defecation, posing numerous health threats to residents and impairing their quality of life. To address this, the Clean Team toilet was designed as a partnership between the non-profit organisation Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP), Unilever and IDEO.org.
The installation of in-home flushing toilets is made very challenging by lack of piped water access, lack of space, terrain, topography, tenure challenges and high installation costs. Clean Team provides a portable urine-diverting toilet with a removable cartridge and sawdust as cover material for solid waste. Twice a week, Clean Team collects and replaces the used solid waste cartridges with clean ones. The portable toilets are quick and easy to install, and flexible enough to allow tenants and those not living on the ground floor to access sanitation services. The monthly fee of approximately 52 GH cedis for a household of 5 people is paid in advance via a mobile money payment system.
By providing an affordable in-home toilet service, families are afforded dignity and convenience as they do not have to stand in a queue to use public toilets. This has additional safety benefits for women, children and the elderly - particularly at night. The service costs less than using public toilets.
Containing and removing human waste for further treatment allows for it to be better managed. Alternatives like open defecation and pit latrines pose health risks as pathogens can contaminate water sources, and diseases can be spread by flies and other disease carrying vectors. Clean Team Ghana partners with Safisana to produce biogas and fertiliser from fecal waste.
Clean Team has added bio-digester toilets to their service offering.
%2520(2)%2520(1).jpeg)
.jpeg)