Latrines are done!

(Welcome to the Inauguration of the Latrine Project!)

I want to thank everyone for all of their support on this latrine project, both for your financial contributions and your sweat labor! I still do not know who the donors were for the grant, but I thank you all for providing the funds for this project. Special thanks to Cory, Aleah, Kevin, and Iyi for helping me out with the construction and to Tara, Nick, George and Bill for coming in the spirit of helping out until plans fell through! All 20 latrines were finished on time and it was a really positive learning experience for everyone. We had an inauguration party for the project which everyone just thought was hilarious. If anyone ever needs a latrine built for them, I might just be your resident expert. Peace Corps gives you the opportunity to learn all sorts of things you never thought you'd need or want to know.

Here are several pictures throughout the process and simple instructions to make your own latrine =):

Step 1- dig a 9-15ft hole:

(15 footer!)


(Measuring the hole. I had a contest with a $5 prize for the person with the deepest hole)

Step 2- cover the hole with large sticks, but leave an opening for the seat and then cover with any old material you have

(Covering hole here with an old Feliz Navidad piece of plastic. Santa Claus was buried in the latrine floor!)

Step 3- cut the rebar with a handsaw

(Miguelito cuts the rebar into 8 pieces)

Step 4- Lay out the rebar on top of the covered hole, make the handles for each of the 4 corners so that when it fills you can pick it up and use it again over a new hole

(the bucket in the middle just holds the place of the seat, which is attached after the cement is poured on the floor)

Step 5- mix the cement with sand, rock and water that you haul on your back from the river!

(This is where it starts to get tough)

Step 6- pour the cement in the mold for the latrine floor

(smoothing out the cement)


(team effort)


(Couldn't reach that far corner, so I got in the bucket/seat place holder)


(looking good!)


(Making my mark)

Step 7- take lots of pictures

(Take pictures of the finished product- shown here: Miguelito and Iyi)

Step 8- move the latrine floor if you didn't construct it directly over the hole

(These floors weigh about 800 lbs)

Step 9 - Let dry, attach the seat, put up roof and some kind of walls and you're all set!

(anything can be used to make walls- old clothes and blankets, bamboo, palm leaves, etc.)


(this one came out really nice!)


(some don't need four walls if they face the woods)

Thanks again to everyone who helped out!