Note: This information was provided by Elmer Sayre via the SuSanA secretariat and is also posted on the frontpage of www.susana.org/news/latest-news as a news item.

Partner News:

WAND Foundation


WAND Foundation informed us about their success of portable ecosan toilets implemented in evacuation centers and scattered communities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan after the Typhoon Sendong in the Philippines.

It is a first time demonstration of portable dry toilets used in an emergency all over the world. Locally fabricated Eco-San toilets were deployed by the Water, Agroforestry, Nutrition and Development (WAND) Foundation in cooperation with the Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Sustainable Sanitation Center and local partners in over 30 evacuation centers and schools in the two cities. Since they started, they have only de-commissioned 8 units (out of a total of 168) and 6 of the de-commissioned units were sent to Dipolog City to be installed in flooded areas there. Right now they are still maintaining the remaining ecosan toilets (mainly waste collection and storage) and in some areas, they have installed cement waste storage boxes so waste collection is easier.




The media has reported on this intervention www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/275171 and the CAPS newsletter also covered WAND's efforts. The blog of the SuSanA working group 8 on emergency and reconstruction situations has also posted an update on the emergency responce efforts.

The next step for WAND is to promote household vegetable gardening among the survivors by the provision of training, seeds, seedlings, organic fertilizer and small tools. Providing starter seedlings will be nice since they can see plants grow immediately and be encouraged about it. They are starting with 500 survivors from both cities from our their own funds. With vegetable gardens, they have food, micro-nutrients, something to do, exercise, fulfillment. They also reported to have started piloting a portable, nut and bolted single-vault ecosan that can be easily transported and assembled where disaster may happen. This may be a good replacement of the messy, expensive, plastic water-based portalets.

If you wish to have more information please go the blog mindaterrapretabiochar.blogspot.de/ or contact Elmer Sayre (see Partner information www.susana.org/lang-en/partners after log-in).

There has also been some discussions on their work on this forum. Check out this discussion thread forum.susana.org/forum/categories/67-san...-on-use-of-uddts#806

*** If you wish to share your news with the SuSanA network please post in this category or get in touch with info@susana.org***