In 2019, there were two toilets between 57 houses in a Polewali village cluster. Since the Transformational Community Development (TCD) program has begun, there are now 14 toilets in the village. In decades before TCD, village residents considered toilets to not be an urgent need, and difficult to construct. Only people who were “well off” economically earned the privilege of a toilet in their home. During the initial TCD training 5 years ago, the community was trained in the lesson “Needs and Local Resources”. At that time, participants put toilets as the third priority behind water and income generation. However, in 2021, after transformation began to occur with water sources developed and piped into homes, community members began to learn from TCD lessons about hygiene, and began working to find a solution to the toilet problem. Neighbors would begin to save money together, and when saved funds reached 50% of the needs, GHNI would subsidize the remaining cost of materials.

Masrah, a 25 year old water TCD water committee member, has had a strong desire to construct a toilet for her household. However, she is a squatter and does not own her own land, which created a complication. After 3 years of lobbying to the land owner, this year Masrah finally obtained permission to begin construction. Masrah formed a new savings group with her neighbors, and is hoping for her dream to be realized–having a toilet in her own home for her family. Who would have thought that something so simple as a toilet would be a dream worth striving for for people around the world?

Thank you,

Written by Didi, GHNI Partner