Water and Sanitation

The Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrine

Scouts in Uganda are involved in initiatives that help promote a better awareness of hygiene, and therefore, by educating and encouraging people to take more care with their personal hygiene and food preparation, less diseases can take hold.

Pit latrines, although a bit smelly, do perform a vital function in keeping faeces in a controllable environment. A simple change in design when building them will get rid of the smell as well. A chimney is run from the pit up above roof level. The air in the chimney gets hot and rises to be replaced by air from the pit which in turn sucks air in through the toilet seat. As well as the air moving, any smells also move in the same direction. Simple but very effective.

This is a cross section view of a VIP Latrine. The VIP Latrine does not need a lid for the hole because moving air (draughts) are needed to carry away bad odours and trap and kill flies. The Ministry of Health encourages families and schools to have VIP Latrines. Your District Health Inspector can give advice about building VIP Latrines

Programme ideas

1.Compare the differences between the two systems of water supply and waste disposal. How do you think you and your family would manage in Uganda?

Contact the National Rivers Authority or local council and arrange for a speaker to discuss the matter? Or better still, why not visit a sewage farm and see for yourself!

2. Keep a record of the amount of water you use in a day. This can be achieved by counting the number of times you flush the toilet, have a shower or bath, do the washing-up or clean the Unit minibus and so on. Estimate the volume of water used by the Unit every week. Calculate how many trips you would need to make the local river to collect your water if you lived in Uganda.

3. Make a list of things you can do to save water:

For example not leaving the tap running when you clean your teeth. Not filling a washing up bowl with water when there are only a few cups to wash (does this happen on Unit night? or don't the mugs get washed anyway!) Having a shower rather than a bath.