Sanitation & Hygiene

“Improved sanitation and hygiene in schools, health facilities and households is a crucial component in enhancing the quality of life, improving public health, and fostering sustainable development.

Our objective is to move communities up the ‘sanitation ladder’.”

The Sanitation Ladder

The Sanitation Ladder is a framework used to assess and improve sanitation services by categorizing different levels of sanitation access. It helps track progress toward better sanitation by identifying where communities stand and what improvements are needed.

The Sanitation Ladder

  • Helps governments and organisations plan sanitation improvements

  • Measures progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6)

  • Encourages step-by-step improvement rather than just focusing on the end goal

The Sanitation Ladder in the Communities

  • Sanitation Ladder Overview

  • Open Defecation: This photo, taken in Mnazimmoja village, highlights the widespread practice of open defecation before the arrival of DMDO. The lack of proper sanitation led to outbreaks of waterborne diseases, especially during the rainy season.

  • Unimproved Sanitation. This photo shows a traditional toilet with grass walls in Mandwanga village. This type of toilet contributes to contamination, increasing the risk of diseases like diarrhea and cholera.

  • Limited Sanitation. This is a photo of a shared toilet in Mikongi Village: This toilet, built with sturdy block walls and a washable floor, was built by the community following marketing efforts by DMDO on the importance of proper sanitation.

  • Basic Sanitation. This photo shows a toilet in Chikombe Village with mud walls and using a washable floor, which elevates the toilet from 'Unimproved' to 'Basic' standard. This Basic toilet was built by a household following marketing by the DMDO on the importance of proper sanitation and hygiene.

  • Safely Managed Sanitation. This is characterised by [X] and is the highest level on the Sanitation Ladder. [how does this relate to the DMDO work?]

How Are We Doing?

  • Health Facilities Gained Access to Clean Water

  • Households Provided with Basic Sanitation

  • The training of SWASH teachers at Chiuta secondary school

  • A group photo of SWASH Club members and their teacher at Chiuta primary school.

  • Mr. Limwagu (District Health Officer) promoting sanitation and hygiene best practices to Malungo primary school students during social, and behaviour change and communication (SBCC) campaign

  • School latrine construction in process.

  • School latrines before DMDO intervention.

  • George Mgaza, DMDO's sanitation and hygiene specialist derivering key messages during SWASH training session

  • Faith leaders were trained on improving their latrines by using SATO pans and other sanitation marketing options

  • Tippy tap at the household

  • Local artisans demonstrate how to make tippy taps for hand wash purposes

  • Local artisans demonstrate how to install SATO pan

  • Visiting SATO pan merchant/vendor

  • Teacher's toilet at Mandwanga primary school before DMDO program

  • New toilet for teachers at Mandwanga primary school is under construction

  • Out patients toilet at Malungo dispensary before DMDO intervention

  • New out patient toilet for Malungo dispensary is under construction

  • Hand wash facility at Nambahu dispensary is under construction