Good, Decent Toilets for 49 families in Zimbabwe

Phase one of the American Foundation for Children with AIDS LOOLOVE project has been completed. With your generous support, we have managed to build 16 latrines for vulnerable families in villages in Matobo and Umzingwane Districts in southern Zimbabwe.  The latrines are real game changers for these folks and in an area where 52% of homesteads do not have access to safe sanitary systems, the impact is HUGE.  Each beneficiary is also given a water filter and a solar lamp which makes this initiative even more worthwhile.

This is Mrs. Moyo who lives in Magalane Village, proudly posing in the doorway of her LooLove Palace as she calls it.  She was  married in 1985 and moved to his homestead in that same year and has lived there ever since.  Her husband died in 2018 from HIV/Aids and she has been living with Aids for 15 years.

Mrs. Moyo is caring for 4 grandchildren and manages to provide for them by selling produce from her vegetable garden and by cutting and selling thatching grass during the grass season after the annual rains.  Her hobby is gardening and she loves working in her small vegetable garden plot which is a kilometer from there house.  She is a very industrious person and we noticed that if you don't get to her home very early in the morning you will miss her as she will be " down in the garden". 

Mrs. Moyo She absolutely loves her LooLove latrine and says life is much safer and heathier for her and the grandchildren now, especially at night as they have a safe ablution nearby and no longer have to walk out into the bush.  Please consider helping us with phase two of this project which targets another 16 families.

The team here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS thanks you for supporting this project and the work we do for the children in Africa.  As you make decisions regarding your giving for the remainder of this year, please keep us in mind so we can continue our good work through 2023 and beyond.  If you would like to learn even more about what we do or how you can meet some of the children you have helped, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org. 

Mr. Thomas in the white shirt, his wife standing next to him and his sister are the happy beneficiaries of a LooLove toilet built by AFCA and Kumusha Wines.  Mr. Thomas is 87 years old and not in good health, having tuberculosis for which he is receiving treatment. He had been advised by health care workers that due to his prolonged illness it was critical that the family introduce safer sanitation and hand washing practices.  Their previous toilet had collapsed 8 years ago and as the family income averages $40 per month, there was absolutely no fiscal space in their budget to be able to construct a toilet of their own.

Their plight was brought to our attention by the village health worker for the area and the structure was built for them.  Mr. Thomas told us that he had almost given up hope about having a family toilet and was amazed at how quickly AFCA had come to his aid!!

A recent survey conducted by AFCA in this region showed that 42% of families considered vulnerable due to illness did not have their own toilet facilities.

The team here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS thanks you for supporting this project and the work we do for the children in Africa.  As you start to make decisions regarding your giving this year, please keep us in mind so we can continue our good work through 2023 and beyond.  If you would like to learn even more about what we do or how you can meet some of the children you have helped, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org. 

Our first LooLove Latrine has been built! It was built using a combination of ecobricks and regular bricks, helping clean up our world a little bit each time a new latrine is built. Wine bottles recycled from the local bar are used for the windows, allowing fresh air in while keeping privacy intact. A good roof was mounted on the sturdy walls, keeping out rain, wind, leaves, and sand. All these details are super important for the families who will receive the gift of a safe and decent latrine and we cannot wait to start building for the 49 families who were selected for 2023.

Thank YOU for allowing us to start this project and to give families the gift of a latrine. For most of us, a bathroom is something that we take for granted, but for people who must use open defecation in woods, behind rocks, or in open fields, this is a game changer. Privacy, safety, and a healthier disposal of human waste are all gifts that the families will never forget. With the additional gift of a solar lamp, the trip to the toilet will no longer be scary for little ones.

Let’s keep sharing the LooLove, folks! Together, we can create communities that are heathier and safer.  Everyone here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS, and our partners in Africa, thank you for your continued support of this important project.  If you would like to learn even more about this project and others, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org.