Project Report
| Jun 2, 2014
Safe Sanitation for Leyte and Samar Provinces
By Cora Sayre | Project Leader
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Typhoon-ravaged Leyte and Samar provinces. This time we continue to build low-cost robust pour-flush and dry toilets. We also build dry toilets and train beneficiaries on the re-use of human waste in small-scale agriculture. We tell them that urine is a great fertilizer and that feces when properly handled and sanitized is a good source of phosphorus which is a major element for the plant. Most of them are sceptical and we are met with laughter and unbelief but we keep prodding-on especially in areas where there is no water. Right now, we are constructing toilets in 5 municipalities in Leyte and Samar.
Aside from providing the survivors with toilet facilities we also provide requesting local government units with toilet bowls and then they in turn provide this to their constituents. So far we are able to provide a total of 730 toilet bowls to several barrios here. The latest addition to our repertoire of sanitation support is the promotion of a robust, low-cost communal hand-wash for schoolchildren. We realize that hand-washing is an important practice that we need to introduce but traditional hand-wash are easily broken and the faucets stolen. Our hand-wash is different in that it consist of a steel pipe with micro-holes and could not be easily break-down.
Hoping for your continuing support.
Very sincerely yours,
Cora Sayre
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
Mar 13, 2014
Samar Province Safe Sanitation Initiative
By Cora Sayre | Project Leader
![Samar Toilet Camp]()
Samar Toilet Camp
Staring last week we are starting to provide low-cost sanitation in the Province of Samar. The first municipality of Samar from Leyte is Sta. Rita and it can be reached via the famous San Juanico Bridge. We have established our toilet production camp in the Municipality of Marabut after coordinating with the local officials there. We found out that like Leyte, Samar is also equally devastated by the typhoons with large areas of farms damaged and houses and structures flattened to the ground. Tents where people are staying are everywhere. Food aid is very few already as international aid pronounced that now is no longer the time for emergency but that of "recovery". I don't know for how long people will hold out and famine stalks the land. Sanitation too is wiped-out and our toilet system is the only viable alternative as international water and sanitation agencies insist on the use of the plastic slab with a hole as their toilet. People detest the plastic slabs and seldom use it if at all. We are trying to lobby with international aid and hope that they will adopt our system.
Next week we will start with the installation of the toilets to the communities and selecting the poorest of the poor who is also most vulnerable to diseases caused by open defecation. Our problem in Samar is that the cost of materials is very high and roads are very bad. There seems to be sleeping government here. Local NGO's are also not active as it should be in other areas.
Hoping for your continuing support, I remain,
Cora Sayre
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
Feb 11, 2014
Expanding our work in Samar Province
By Cora Sayre | Project Leader
![Ensuring safe future for the children]()
Ensuring safe future for the children
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Super-typhoon devastated Leyte Province. Last week, I was able to visit the province of Samar which is very near Leyte and I saw the extent of devastation there with much of the land and houses flattened to the ground. It was in the municipality of Guiauan in Samar where the first landfall of the typhoon happened. We decided to expand our efforts in Samar and our initiative will have similar strategies as what we have done in Leyte, namely,
- Join the WASH Team in Samar in order to introduce our approach and determine areas of implementation and convergence.
- Pitch a mobile pre-fabrication tent in a designated place in Samar and starting in Guiauan municipality where the first landfall of the super-typhoon happened and where 98% of structures in the area were flattened to the ground.
- Bring our expert artisans and recruit local semi-skilled workers.
- Bring our toilet bowl moulds from Leyte to Samar. Also bring our elf trucks and other resources to Samar.
- Start sourcing of hardware, materials and implement pre-fabrication and installation activities by coordinating with barangay officials and leaders.
With this report, may I enjoin you to help support us with two of our complementary initiatives which are coconut replanting program to replace the damaged coconut trees and house re-building for the survivors. The links are,
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/typhoon-haiyan-filipino-home-building-project/
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/typhoon-haiyan-coconut-replanting-project/
Very sincerely yours,
Cora
![Share on Twitter]()
![Share on Facebook]()
