According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
"sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal".
http://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/sanitation
"sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal".
http://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/sanitation
If you would like to make a contribution to this project please check our GoFundMe page.
This year (2019) we decided to embark on an important, but slightly more expensive project; building a toilet for our family and the community of Yahoma, Ghana. This block will be built with consideration for disabled/elderly providing easy access with larger door frames and hand rails.
Currently there are no public toilets in this area. Families are forced to squat in the bush, or in poorly constructed, makeshift pit latrines, which produce foul odours and contaminate soil. Our goal is to provide a sanitary toilet block and biodegradable waste system that we know will significantly improve the conditions for our family and for the surrounding community.
Due to our own limitations, we decided to reach out to our Australian family and community to get support to finance this project. We are seeking your support because we know they are in desperate need for this basic commodity. We hope you can come along for the ride and see this project come to fruition!
Currently there are no public toilets in this area. Families are forced to squat in the bush, or in poorly constructed, makeshift pit latrines, which produce foul odours and contaminate soil. Our goal is to provide a sanitary toilet block and biodegradable waste system that we know will significantly improve the conditions for our family and for the surrounding community.
Due to our own limitations, we decided to reach out to our Australian family and community to get support to finance this project. We are seeking your support because we know they are in desperate need for this basic commodity. We hope you can come along for the ride and see this project come to fruition!
According to the Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Report (2014 update) produced by the World Health Organization in collaboration with UNICEF, in GHANA....
- diarrhoea causes the deaths of over 3,600 Ghanaian children every year with cholera outbreaks occurring too frequently in our cities.
- 70% of all diseases in Ghana are caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.
- 67% of Ghanaians lack access to improved sanitation or are entirely without toilet facilities.
How do we make this happen?
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We are currently in discussion with builders and plumbers. After assessment of the site they will provide quotes. Based on research, we estimate that the "soakaway" and Biofil digester will cost approximately GHS3500.00 which is approximately AUD925.00.
For the construction of the building, we are trying our best to get an idea of the costs, however, it is not an easy task getting quotes! My guess is it may be around the same mark of GHS3500.00 which is approximately AUD925.00. As soon as we know, all amounts will be updated here. |
To help raise money for this cause, we will be presenting a public show on July 25th, 7 - 930pm in Mt Barker where all proceeds received will go directly towards the project. For more information, please visit our events page.
If you would like to make a contribution to the cause please check our GoFundMe page.
If you would like more information please send us a message below. We are 100% transparent with this project and welcome any questions.
If you would like more information please send us a message below. We are 100% transparent with this project and welcome any questions.
Some examples of the biofil system and toilets
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Due to decreasing health and increasing age of our family, we want to build a solid building, rather than a wooden single structure.
The toilet block will be made accessible for wheelchairs/walking frames, non slip floors will be laid and hand rails will be installed. Plumbing will be prepared in the foundations, however as the property does not have access to mains water, bucket flushing will be done till a time that we can afford to connect the family to mains water. |
The Biofil system
The Biofil toilet digester system is a small enclosed chamber that replaces the septic tank or manhole.
THE BIOFIL DIGESTER CHAMBER CONTAINS: a biological filter consisting of a medium of soil infused with environmentally friendly Bio-zyme micro-organism and bacteria's, porous plastic basket, treated fibre, coconut husk and porous concrete, fibre net and environmentally friendly bacteria's and micro organisms for degrading human waste.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Biofil digester is an aerobic decomposition system, it treats toilet waste and the flush water in the chamber, breaking down the toilet waste completely. The chamber itself is a filter, when you flush, the digester filters the toilet waste water through grades of sand, fibre net and porous concrete, allowing non-toxic clean and odourless water to drain out to your garden or soakaway leaving the toilet waste in a suspended environment. Under these conditions, millions of environmentally friendly micro organisms and bacteria feed on the toilet waste till it disappear completely, As the toilet waste decomposes in an aerobic chamber it suppresses the production of methane gas during the process. After construction a chemical call BIO-ZYME is emptied into the chamber. Biozyme is a chemical that burns, liquefies and degrades human waste within three days.
SMALL SPACE REQUIRED: Because of its small size (2ft X 4ft and 2ft deep) it can be positioned relatively anywhere.
COST: The construction of biofil digester chamber is safe and cheaper than septic tank or Man-hole system. The price for constructing 5ft square x 7ft deep soakaway, plus biofil digester chamber is 3,500GHC/$925AUD). The cost includes the casting of slabs for the chamber, casting of porous concrete, treated sand, treated fibre, a plastic basket with coconut husk, cement and water for construction of the chamber, transportation of material to the site and labour for construction of the chamber.
HEALTH: It is environmentally friendly, hygienic and promotes good sanitation practice. It produces no odour or sludge accumulation.
SAVES MONEY: The digester can be used for 30 to 40 years without dislodging.
THE BIOFIL DIGESTER CHAMBER CONTAINS: a biological filter consisting of a medium of soil infused with environmentally friendly Bio-zyme micro-organism and bacteria's, porous plastic basket, treated fibre, coconut husk and porous concrete, fibre net and environmentally friendly bacteria's and micro organisms for degrading human waste.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Biofil digester is an aerobic decomposition system, it treats toilet waste and the flush water in the chamber, breaking down the toilet waste completely. The chamber itself is a filter, when you flush, the digester filters the toilet waste water through grades of sand, fibre net and porous concrete, allowing non-toxic clean and odourless water to drain out to your garden or soakaway leaving the toilet waste in a suspended environment. Under these conditions, millions of environmentally friendly micro organisms and bacteria feed on the toilet waste till it disappear completely, As the toilet waste decomposes in an aerobic chamber it suppresses the production of methane gas during the process. After construction a chemical call BIO-ZYME is emptied into the chamber. Biozyme is a chemical that burns, liquefies and degrades human waste within three days.
SMALL SPACE REQUIRED: Because of its small size (2ft X 4ft and 2ft deep) it can be positioned relatively anywhere.
COST: The construction of biofil digester chamber is safe and cheaper than septic tank or Man-hole system. The price for constructing 5ft square x 7ft deep soakaway, plus biofil digester chamber is 3,500GHC/$925AUD). The cost includes the casting of slabs for the chamber, casting of porous concrete, treated sand, treated fibre, a plastic basket with coconut husk, cement and water for construction of the chamber, transportation of material to the site and labour for construction of the chamber.
HEALTH: It is environmentally friendly, hygienic and promotes good sanitation practice. It produces no odour or sludge accumulation.
SAVES MONEY: The digester can be used for 30 to 40 years without dislodging.
