PoopReport Gives Back: A Fundraiser For Rural Indian Toilets
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Why. To bring dignity and hygiene to girls who desire both but can afford neither.
> Pardada Pardadi: learn more
> NPR report on Sam Singh
Please note: while this fundraiser has officially closed, donations will be accepted until toilet construction begins. Feel free to contribute!
Students at Pardada Pardadi.
| Results to date: $17,115.25 as of July 21, 2:45 AM! Full list of donors below  |
Your editor with two girls in Karanpur.
Sam Singh stands near one of the thirteen toilets already built.
Today PoopReport has a unique opportunity: to help girls in a tiny village in rural India get actual toilets to poop in.
Karanpur is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, four bumpy hours east of New Delhi. It's a haphazard collection of brick dwellings without doors or windows, split up by narrow paths humped in the middle so rain and sewage channel into rivulets on either side. A couple hundred people live here in walking distance of their fields, with cows roaming the alleys and goats tied up in courtyards. Stray dogs laze in the dust. A few frayed power lines bring weak, sporadic electricity. Plumbing is nonexistent. No trains or busses stop at Karanpur; it may not even appear on any maps. Karanpur is typical of Indian villages but for one respect: the fifty village girls who attend the Pardada Pardadi girls school.
Pardada Pardadi was founded by Virendra "Sam" Singh, a sixty-eight-year-old American citizen and chemical engineer who left India in 1960 and returned in 2000 to invest his savings in a school for girls. Eight years later, the school enrolls 700 lowest-caste girls aged 8-21 from 43 surrounding villages, teaching them academics along with health, hygiene, money management, legal awareness, and life-changing vocational skills.
It's not easy to convince a poor father to send his daughter to school. Daughters are valuable labor, even eight-year-old daughters. The abstract promise of an educated future cannot overcome the reality of living hand-to-mouth, praying for a good monsoon and fearing what drought might mean. It's not a question of a father's love -- it's stark economics.
So Sam structured the school around tangible economic incentives for attendance. It provides free books, uniforms, and meals, and deposits ten rupees ($.25) a day into a bank account set up for each student, building a 30,000 rupee ($750) trust that matures the day the student graduates, turns twenty-one, or marries -- whichever comes first. This is a huge sum in rural India -- on graduation day, it transforms a girl from the daughter of a poor farmer into one of the richest and best-educated women in the entire district.
Pardada Pardadi provides an education, job prospects, and a nest-egg -- enough to liberate a girl from marrying a barber at fifteen for the sake of a goat and to elevate her entire family along with her.
But the promise of the future doesn't change the reality of the present: nearly every girl at Pardada Pardadi wakes up before sunrise to go poop in the fields.
OPEN DEFECATION: A SCOURGE OF INDIA
My first train trip in India was the six AM Shatabdi Express to Jaipur. The sun rose late on that December morning, illuminating hundreds of men squatting in the fields next to the tracks, mile after mile, their asses towards the train, pooping on the same ground hundreds of men had pooped on every single day before.
Men only. Modesty forces women to poop in the fields before sunrise, or to hold it until after the sun sets.
This is the practice across India, including in Karanpur. And the sanitary ramifications are staggering. Poop is a vector for bacteria and viruses, and it attracts insects and rodents that are equally unhealthy. People poop faster than Mother Nature can degrade it, which means people who poop in the same place day after day will inevitably come into contact with festering feces. A speck of poop on a shoe gets touched by a hand that passes a glass of water to a two-year-old: that's how disease spreads.
Why do people poop in the fields? For some, it's because they're ignorant of hygiene and bacteriology; for others, it's because they're too poor to have any other choice.
LET'S GIVE THEM A CHOICE
A few months ago, Sam Singh was asked what impact he expected his school to have in his students' villages. Sam answered that girls who are educated about hygiene keep themselves and their families at a higher standard. (My wife and I saw this for ourselves in our tour of Karanpur: where the students lived, we met spotless girls and saw spotless one-room dwellings standing in sharp contrast to those without students at the school.)
But that wasn't what Sam was being asked. How can the school influence not just the girls, not just their families, but their neighbors as well?
This was something Sam hadn't considered. His solution is the reason you're reading this: toilets.
Here is an appliance that embodies his philosophy. A toilet protects its owner from the danger and humiliation of outdoor defecation. But it also provides a haven for neighbors to achieve the same standard of safety and dignity -- educated or not, Sam knows, no woman wants to poop in the fields. Here is an inexpensive way to improve health and spread sanitary practices beyond the walls of his students' dwellings.
Sam settled on a World Bank toilet model which collects and composts waste in alternating pits that need to be emptied only once every two years. But as inexpensive as they are, they still cost too much for Sam to fund them on his own. He approached participants of the World Toilet Summit for fundraising help. My wife and I accepted his offer to tour the school and meet his students; and now I'm passing his plea for help on to you.
PoopReport is dedicated to laughing about poop. It's easy for us to laugh because the threat posed to us by poop is limited to the dangers of individual humiliation when Taco Bell attacks. Our toilets and sewers whisk our poop away, giving us dignity and sanitation in one quick flush. This fundraiser is our chance to offer the same basic dignity and sanitation to the girls of Pardada Pardadi -- to give them one more weapon in their struggle to break the poverty cycle.
Sam has raised enough money to build thirteen toilets in Karanpur so far, each one graced with the green-and-yellow double diamond of Pardada Pardadi. Each toilet was spotless when we saw them -- testament, again, to the importance these girls place on hygiene in general and on toilets in particular.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Sam's immediate goal is 43 toilets in Karanpur itself, followed by a toilet for each of the 700 girls in his school. Every cent will help achieve this goal. A dollar is lunch for four workers building a toilet. Twenty dollars may pay the labor cost altogether. And $300 -- which is no small sum, even for an American -- will fully cover the cost of bringing health, sanitation, and dignity to a student of Pardada Pardadi, her family, and her neighbors. For $300, Sam and his team can build a complete toilet.
Part of Sam's fundraising scheme is naming rights: if you donate $250 towards a complete toilet, he'll inscribe your name on it. Upon completion, he'll send you photos of the toilet bearing your name, along with pictures of the students and the family whose lives will change because of your generosity.
There's something funny about the idea of a toilet in the middle of India bearing the name "Di Uhreea" or "Bunga Din" -- but there's something truly moving about it, as well. So help take the first step towards making these girls' bathrooms as sanitary and dignified as your own. Please give today.
Click the button to pay using PayPal OR your credit card. The payment goes directly to Sam Singh's PayPal account -- PoopReport doesn't touch any of it. PoopReport will publish a running tally of the amount raised as that information arrives.
| Amount raised to date: $17,115.25 as of July 21, 2:45 AM. Tremendous thanks go out to: | ||
APRIL 29
$250. Thanks, Logjam!
$250. Thanks, Prarie Doggin!
$10. Thanks, Eoz!
$250. Thanks, Daphne!
$15. Thanks, anonymous!
APRIL 30
$250. Thanks, Cory Doctorow!
$250. Thanks, anonymous!
$25. Thanks, lilacsigil!
$11.75. Thanks, anonymous!
$250. Thanks, Dave!
$25. Thanks, Nicole!
$250. Thanks, Rich Shupe!
$10. Thanks, Rosalind!
$250. Thanks, anonymous!
$20. Thanks, anonymous!
$10. Thanks, anonymous!
$25. Thanks, pepe!
$250. Thanks, Sheelagh Carleton!
$30. Thanks, Dane Buson!
$20. Thanks, anonymous!
$250. Thanks, anonymous!
$250. Thanks, CaCa Doodle Doo!
$250. Thanks, Erik!
$50. Thanks, anonymous!
$25. Thanks, Lynell Hunt!
$25. Thanks, Ralph Giles!
$20. Thanks, ryan!
$20. Thanks, anonymous!
$250. Thanks, Adam and Rebecca!
$50. Thanks, SK!
$10. Thanks, elle!
$250. Thanks, Aatish!
$10. Thanks, Guillem Cantallops Ramis!
$20. Thanks, Earline!
$25. Thanks, max!
$50. Thanks, Vicki Brown!
$50. Thanks, Rich Morin!
$20. Thanks, anonymous!
$250. Thanks, anonymous!
$4. Thanks, anonymous!
$10. Thanks, Joe Gamache!
$250. Thanks, The Disco Squad!
MAY 1
$40. Thanks, anonymous!
$250. Thanks, Raoul!
$30. Thanks, Jens!
$20. Thanks, addie plum!
$10. Thanks, anna!
$250. Thanks, Tim Chesnutt!
$250. Thanks, anonymous!
$25. Thanks, anonymous!
$4. Thanks, Jessica!
$25. Thanks, Jennifer Laidlaw!
MAY 2
$150. Thanks, Snapper!
MAY 3
$250. Thanks, John & Ida Sands!
MAY 4
$250. Thanks, Audrey Adams!
$250. Thanks, Ryan Niswonger!
$20. Thanks, anonymous!
MAY 5
$20. Thanks, anonymous!
MAY 6
$250. Thanks, Eileen Mills!
MAY 10-20
$100. Thanks, TIC Financial!
$50. Thanks, Nehar Arora!
$250. Thanks, Sarah and Laura Eilers!
$250. Thanks, Harley Brown!
$50. Thanks, Eric The Anonymous!
$250. Thanks, Anonymous!
$9,480.50. Thanks, 99 other anonymous people!*
* The names above belong to those who sent me the details of their donation. According to Renuka from Pardada Pardadi, a total of 150 individuals have donated a $17,115.25! Thanks go out to everyone; but due to privacy issues, I'll only post your name up on the board if you email it to me.
An open sewer in Karanpur. Help improve the sanitary lives of the girls of Pardada Pardadi!
About the Author
I am the founder, editor-in-chief, and dictator of PoopReport.com. I am also the author of Poop Culture: How America is Shaped by its Grossest National Product, published by Feral House. You can email me at dave {(at)} poopreport dot com.
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53 Comments on "PoopReport Gives Back: A Fundraiser For Rural Indian Toilets"
I bought a shit can too. You go girls! (er that didn't sound right)
Ummmmm could they maybe just maybe SINK that sewer line UNDER the street. Geez! Dave you are a world humanitarian.
_______
The Thunderous Crapper 63 Enjoying home toilet advantage since 2004!
AHHHHHEMMMMMMMMMM JUST CLEARING MY THROAT!! ;)
Dave, you and Sam are heroes, plain and simple. I made a donation, as big as I can right now, but will donate again as finances allow. Thanks for all you do!
_______
Assaulting toilets since 1977!
Assaulting toilets since 1977!
I normally don't give to charities unless I'm reasonably sure where the money is going. I absolutely hate the fact that often a lot of what we donate is siphoned off by bloated administration and/or outright corruption. When I get an opportunity as this, where I can see the difference I make, I am happy to help. Believe me it's not about the name plaque.
Pssst Dave, if I donate an additional $20 can you make my plaque bigger than Logjams?
This is a great program. It's nice to see that other needs around the world are being met by programs like these. Like the donation of pads/tampons to African girls so they don't have to miss a week of school every month. Yes, food is great, and we shouldn't stop campaigns involving food donations, but what do you do when that food comes out the other side. This is just one step closer to improving the world!
_______
Born right the first time.
I found Jesus! He was behind the sofa the whole time!
Up goes another.
The voice of sanity
Some of you who donated may not see your names on the board right away. Since the money goes directly to Pardada Pardadi, I get a donation alert only if someone clicks a certain link after they've donated and fills out the form once they land back here on PoopReport. I'll get a full accounting from Renuka at PP in the morning (Indian time), so if you don't see your donation on the list right now, you probably will in 24 hours or so.
When I first started talking to Sam, I told him that I'd be proud of we contributed even $1000. I'm overwhelmed that we've already broken the $3000 mark!
Dave, that's because we all really do give a shit.
Dave, I clicked on "moderate comments" and it took me to Paypal. If this is your way of getting more money out of the moderators, it's funnier than hell.
_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
Same here, Daphne! I tried to moderate, and up came Pay Pal! Haha!
_______
Assaulting toilets since 1977!
Assaulting toilets since 1977!
This is truely heartwarming. I hope Sam can get some extra construction crews together to put the project into high gear.
Dave, I was wondering if there is any significance to the green with yellow diamonds paint scheme for the doors?
Green and yellow are the colors of Pardada Pardadi. I think diamonds were chosen because they're so bold and eye-catching -- which makes each door function as an ad for the school, which is important if you're trying to convince poor families to educate their girls.
On behalf of Pardada Pardadi I want to thank all of you for your kind donations. I spent last summer working at the school and I can tell you from first hand experience what an amazing difference the school makes in the lives of these girls and their communities. Rural India is a really tough place to live, but toilets make life a little bit easier.
Once again, thank you!
For more information on the school and other ways in which you can get involved, please visit:
education4change.org or pardada-pardadi.blogspot.com
Wow - this is great! I was in India recently, and can attest to the need of toilets in rural areas! You only learn of the miracles of the human body when you have to 'hold it' for 6 hours to make it to some privacy.
May 2 update: whoa! $12000! Amazing.
This couldn't have happened without the blogosphere stepping in. Big thanks go to Boing Boing for their major post. Thanks also to Pax Arcana, Miniature Rose, I Speak of Dreams, The Angry Economist, Vox, and Neatorama.
We tried to make a donation the other day and thought we had, but the PayPal page is confusing (to us, at least). After logging in to PayPal, the amount was typed in after "Donation for toilets for the girls of Karanpur" and then the "Update Totals" was clicked...Couldn't see what else to do, so thought that was it. However, yesterday I looked at my PayPal account and nothing had been taken out. I think it needs to be clearer just what steps to take to donate via PayPal. Hope you can do that. I'll bet that if we had trouble figuring this out, other people have had a problem, too and probably didn't contribute though they had intended to.
Confused, once you update the totals of your donation, you need to either enter your PayPal login information (to the lower right of the page), or enter your credit card information if you don't have a PayPal account (to the lower left of the page). The steps should be pretty straight forward from there.
Hm, yes. How could you think a transaction had been completed if you didn't sign into your Paypal account or actually give your information?
_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
I mentioned in my comments (above) that I had indeed logged into PayPal. That's the first thing I did on that page. ("After logging in to PayPal...."). After that, as I also mentioned in my comments, I typed in the amount and then clicked on "Update Totals."
Well, updating totals isn't paying, it's updating your order before you process it. For example, if you are on Amazon or some other place online that has ordering, and you decide you don't want something in your cart after all, or if you accidentally put the wrong item in your cart, you can update your cart before processing your order. You can update if you want to delete something off your order, but you haven't clicked on the "pay now" or "process order" or "confirm payment" that always comes afterwards. And, if you don't get a page with a confirmation number or something saying "your payment has been submitted", then you haven't paid.
EDIT - I just clicked on "Donate" and did what you did, confused, and after I logged in and updated, there were two boxes in bright yellow that said "Pay now". Did you not get those two boxes on your screen?
_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
Thank you for responding. No, I did not get those two boxes. Please read my first comment, above, to find out what I saw and what I did. I've used PayPal to pay for things before (within the last two weeks, in fact) and never has it looked like it does here; that's why I was asking for someone to explain just what to look for and what to do (step by step, please) on that page. I don't want to fill up this page with my comments, but only wanted to contribute something to this cause.
You know it just occurred to me in situations like this that you can go to Google, use the verified Paypal link they have, sign in, and then manually donate the funds from there. I feel badly that you'd have to do this (it sounds like a definite snafu), but it's always the last resort. The main thing is to get the Paypal account info or the email of the person to whom you want to shuck out cash.
We're thankful you "filled up" the comment thread, because you want to contribute!
_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
Hopefully the donation is about the same as a "fill up" these days.
As in gasoline? We don't want to break confused's bank, now..... or do we? ;)
Off topic (no shit? daphne? off topic? huh...) about gas. I was thinking about this one time in Fort Knox when I filled up the tank before going to the candy store in E-town to get stuff for our concession stand at the ball field, and it cost a little over fifteen dollars to fill up our thirteen gallon tank. Gas was hovering at $1.29 a gallon. It was the summer of 2003. That was a little under five years ago. How times have kicked us in the wallet.
_______
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
.....hugging bunnies since 1969
www.daphneszoo.com
About a four-fold increase from when I started driving in 1970 (well legally at least). To 2003 is about 33 years, and so we have almost another four-fold increase in the last 5. What's wrong with that picture?
Well to stay on topic, let me say it was my pleasure to help these young ladies live in some dignity. From the pictures, they look more dignified already than most of my friends. God bless them, Sam and Dave.
I'm officially calling an end to this fundraiser today. I'm not shutting down the donation button, in case any future reader wants to make a contribution. But I am saying that this is the time to acknowledge the amazing thing we PoopReporters have done.
When I first got in touch with Sam Singh, I told him to expect no more than $1000. I didn't want to get his hopes up. But I had big dreams nonetheless: I knew this was a community of good people, and I knew many of us would step forward for such a good cause.
As of this writing, this fundraiser has raised $14,906.25. Some donations came from the blogosphere, but a significant portion came from the men and women of PoopReport: those who know that our ability to laugh at poop comes from the good fortune we've had to be born into a society in which sanitation is both mandatory and affordable.
It's still unsure when the toilets will be built -- it may be June, it may be November. I'll pass along any information as it comes. And you can bet I'll be there to help dig the pits, stack the bricks, and take lots of pictures when it happens.
Thanks to all who donated and to all who helped spread the word. It's a rare thing to know you've made a tangible difference in a person's life, but you did. And you should be very proud.
-------
One administrative note: some of you have asked to have your toilet read "REAL NAME" instead of "POOPREPORT NAME." Pardada Pardadi will be sorting that out with each $250 donor individually.
Uh Dave, that last toilet on the tote board(the one without the roof). Who's going to get that one? I would like to donate a tarp to that family if it helps.
I was just thinking about this, and the name plates and such....and I probably shouldn't say anything at all, since I'm not in a position to contribute anything, but wouldn't it mean more, to the donor AND the receiving folks, just to put an anonymous plate reading simply "Donated by folks who care" ? What are the motives, here? "I want my name on MY toilet in India"? Isn't that counter to donating out of kindness and thoughtfulness of others?
"One of the founding members of the Front Page Hyena Pack, and runs as its alpha male when the urge strikes him, which is often." Daphne (one perceptive chick)
Sorry Bilge, I plan to visit that part of the world the next time my brother is working in New Delhi. Since he invariably will take me out to some real non-touristy places to eat, I want a toilet with my name on it that I can commandeer when all bowel hell breaks loose.
I regretfully did not donate because I am living on a small fixed income and paying almost half of my social security for
treatment for my wife's
severe osteoporosis (medicare doughnut hole.)
I was really impressed by the generosity of the poop report folks. Americans are good people.
Dave, you deserve to be knighted for your actions and eforts on behalf of these girls. I say, "Kneel
Dave of poop report, arise
Sir Dave of poop."
erm..... er..... OK if anyone is going to knight thee big cheese, surely it would be me and the Baroness?
_______
Did I just fart?.... hope so!
Did I just fart?.... Oh shit! NO!!
My wife and I had dinner with Pardada Pardadi's Renuka Gupta the other night, and I wanted to post an update on the progress that's been made.
The final tally is a spectacular $17,115.25, which is enough money to build 75 toilets. Economies of scale brought down the price below $250 per toilet, as did the identification of a government program that will contribute 1500 rupees ($37.50) to the cost of a toilet.
Right now, Pardada Pardadi is conducting surveys to identify the families that will get the toilets. To generate interest, two Pardada Pardadi community workers are going door-to-door to talk to the families of the students. In addition, students are carrying the word home with them; and teachers, who meet with the families of students once a week anyway, are also spreading the word.
Pardada Pardadi has already seen such overwhelming interest that they expect to build toilets in fifteen villages instead of just one.
"Any program, to be successful," Renuka told us, "has to have community participation." To this end, they've decided to ask for 500 rupees ($12.50) from each family that wants a toilet to engender a sense of ownership and pride, instead of charity. In the neediest cases, they will quietly allow the family to contribute 500 rupees worth of labor and materials. They've already gotten deposits from ten families.
Pardada Pardadi is keenly interested in the reception of this program, as they see it as a pilot for toilets on a larger and wider scale. They have developed a set of benchmarks that will define success:
1) People in the community begin to demand toilets
2) Everyone in a family with a toilet is using it
3) Pardada Pardadi graduates become ambassadors for sanitation and health
As for the actual building of the toilets, that will happen in November, once the monsoons are well passed. Renuka expects construction to take no more than two months.
I will post updates as I learn more. And of course, I plan to visit Pardada Pardadi both during and after the toilet construction.
Following the toilet fundraiser update I sent on Monday, I got this response from Ron Fuchs -- the guy responsible for the Karanpur toilet project in the first place. There are a few clarifications and new pieces of information that are important to pass along. The most critical is a misunderstanding: while naming rights were $250, the cost of each toilet will probably be at least $300. Which means we may build fewer than we expected. We'll know more in November -- it depends on a lot of variables, as you'll read below, including the exchange rate and the economy.
The good news is that we raised enough money that we should be able to build enough toilets to accommodate all those who gave enough for naming rights. And this doesn't change the fact that we raised enough to make a significant impact in the lives of many, many people.
Below is the email from Ron. Let me know if you have any questions.
=============
Dave, Thanks for the update on the toilet project. As you may know, I funded and built the first 12 toilets in Karanpur in 2007 and 2008. Your article was very well done and obviously well received by a number of your very dedicated readers.
Your article did contain some misinformation. Whether you think it is significant or not I leave to you. My only concern is that someone not familiar with the current technology may think that this project has developed a better approach to solid waste disposal.
First, the toilet model is based on The World Bank, "Manual on Design, Construction and Maintenance of Low-Cost Pour-Flush Waterseal Latrines in India", not the Sulabh toilet model. That Manual, available from the World Bank, identified as TAG Technical Note Number 10, (TAG 10) was the result of a joint United Nations and World Bank development program. TAG 10 revises work done by the UN completed as far back as 1973. The design which I used was derived from design specifications contained in TAG 10 and follow up work done by the UN/World Bank set forth in TAG 13 and TAG 15. Sam and I did visit the Sulabh Institute and examined their display toilets which appear to be fashioned after the suggested criteria of TAG 10. To my knowledge, Sulabh does not publish design criteria for a pour-flush water seal toilet.
Second, the pits will most likely need to be alternated every two years, which would require that the alternate pit would need to be emptied every two years, not, "...once every ten years." The length of time that a pit can be used is a function of the size of the pit, the number of users, the amount of water used and to some extent the soil conditions and rain fall. TAG 10 and TAG 15 contain design criteria for pit sizing. I used a pit size which I believed would be more that adequate for soil and use conditions. Only actual use will determine the length of time between pit alternations, though it should be at least two years. A pit that only needed to be emptied once every 10 years would need to be enormous, and there is some technology suggesting that a pit which is more than 1.5 meters deep will not "compost".
Third, the last 3 toilets built had a theoretical cost of about $295.00 (US). I say theoretical because I have not actually built a toilet for that amount. That figure includes certain "value engineering" designed to reduce the cost. The single biggest savings will come from a frame less door, if it can be made to work. The toilet enclosure will be made slightly smaller to avoid 1/2 bricks in each course and allow the roof to be constructed with 2 cut stones instead of 3. I "sold" naming rights to a few of my friends who knew I was building toilet in India for $250.00. That amount was selected because at the time, December of 2007, I thought I would be able to get the over all cost down to $250.00. Since completion of the second phase, I now know that a $250.00 cost could only be achieved with significant design changes.
I'm not certain what Renuka is referring to when she told you that economies of scale had brought the final price down to $250.00. In fact, at least 3 factors suggest that I could not duplicate the present model for $295.00. First, steel and cement, the most expensive materials being used, continue to be in strong demand in Asia, and I understand prices are rising. Second, the new bridge over the Ganges River has opened a new market for the brick factories who have responded with increased price and reduced availability. Third, Sam's construction supervisor, who had been responsible for all material purchases for the School's building programs, as well as the toilet project, and who understood local market conditions and pricing, is no longer employed by the school. These factors suggest that the over all cost may increase, if the model is not changed. Maybe Renuka has more up to date information on material cost and availability than I. The idea that 75 toilets could be built in 2 month's seems optimistic. I had problems finding experienced brick masons and spent considerable time trying to train the brick layers in good construction practices. Generally, constant supervision was required to ensure construction was in accordance with the design intent. Maybe Renuka has information suggesting that more qualified masons and supervisors are available now, which would make a 2 month construction schedule possible.
Dave, you have done a wonderful job in fund raising. If I can provide any further information about cost, design or construction means or methods used in phases I and II, don't hesitate to ask.
This was interesting indeed to scroll through the entire web page. Few suggestions,
1. In case you opt for pit latrines, please go for single pit that is at the off set. Twin pit model is not longer advisable.
2. Almost at the same cost you can also have shallow sewer toilets that may be more appropriate for western Uttar Pradesh rural settlements
3. Get the right distance from the drinking water source
4. Look at the possibility of bio-digestor
All the best.
Akhilesh
4.
_______
sirshitsalot I was just in the Philippines andthey too have open sewers!!! they run right next to the homes of millions of people. I'm so thankful to be born in the U.S.A. We don't know at times how lucky we really are!!!!!
sirshitsalot
Julia, I'm not sure of the status of this project, but you can email Dave, the owner of the site, and he can give you all the details. The address is : dave@poopreport.com
_______
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.
"One of the founding members of the Front Page Hyena Pack, and runs as its alpha male when the urge strikes him, which is often." Daphne (one perceptive chick)
Julia, mine needs a new flapper valve. If you want to send a few bucks here it will be ok too.
my butt is leaky
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