Building your own latrine: Community-led total sanitation in southern Shan State

Written by Theingi Win*

March, 2019 - Sai Awan, 47, has done something he didn’t plan to do. He has built his family a latrine.

In Pak Kan village in Hsi Seing Township of Myanmar’s Southern Shan State, the father of two is convinced his efforts will improve the health of his family and his village.

 “When I learned that diarrhoea is related to open defecation, I realized the importance of latrines and became passionate about building them. Even though I don’t have much money, I’m doing it now, not later, “ said the father of two.

Open Defecation (ODF) Triggering session with children at Pan Kan village in Southern Shan State. 
©UNICEF Myanmar/2019/Theingi Win

Married for eleven years, Sai Awan and his family live in a bamboo house and until recently all the family members shared a latrine at a relative’s house or practiced open defecation behind the bushes in the nearby fields. 

Sai Awan’s daughters aged eleven and four years old urged their father to build a latrine at their home. Both girls wanted a safe, hygienic and private place. Especially in the monsoon season, open defecation is not easy and it is unsanitary.

Sai Awan wanted to please his daughters but felt he could not afford to build a latrine on his small income as an odd job labourer. For him, a private latrine was low priority compared to meeting other immediate expenses and household necessities. Sai Awan’s wife agreed.

However, in October 2018 when Sai Awan, his wife and 661 residents of Pak Kan village attended a session of the Community-led Total Sanitation project, things began to change.

Implemented by Social Vision Service, a non-governmental organization, and supported by UNICEF and the Myanmar government Department of Public Health, the session discussed the issues around open defecation and related problems in the households and the community. 

Using latrines and supporting hygienic behavior such as washing hands with soap after using the toilet significantly reduces the risks of diarrhoea and child morbidity. It also promotes the safety and privacy of women and girls.

The practical and educational discussions were followed by a tour of the village to view the open defecation sites with flies and foul smell. With a strong desire to improve conditions in their village and highly motivated to change, the villagers agreed to help each other build or renovate their latrines.

“The public meeting convinced me that this project to eliminate open defecation is important for the health of everyone in our village. It’s about hygiene and sanitation, keeping the community healthy, ” explained Sai Awan.

Sai Awan and his wife started by digging the rocky ground to build their own latrine. 

“When my wife and my daughters pushed me to finish this project quickly, I went into town and bought a shovel and pickaxe with my own meagre income,” said Sai Awan with a big smile. 

Sai Awan also borrowed tools from his neighbours and gladly accepted the materials they donated, such as the toilet seat from U Aung Thant and the roofing metal from U May Htar. A water jar, scoop, and soap for hand washing were the finishing touches.

The new latrine took a couple of months to complete and Sai Awan is proud of his new asset. His family is delighted. They all know their future will be healthier with this simple change in their lives.

Following Sai Awan’s example, another 104 new latrines have now popped up in the village. Pan Kan village is a role model, the first village in Myanmar to achieve recognition for being Open Defecation Free.

Working together in partnership, UNICEF, the Myanmar Department of Public Health and Social Vision Service, aim to reach the Open Defecation Free goal in 665 villages in Hsi Seing, Mouk Mai, and Pae Kone Townships of Southern Shan State over the next two years.

*Theingi Win  is an intern for UNICEF Myanmar Shan State field office