Dry Toilets for the North of Namibia

6,000 children die everyday worldwide from preventable illnesses related to the lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation facilities. In the driest regions in Sub-saharan Africa, water is a scarce and expensive resource. The poor populations here can afford neither the costs for installation of toilets nor the fees for a water supply.

For this reason, SODI and its Namibian partner, Clay House Project, plan to construct 600 dry toilets in Otjiwarongo and rural areas in the north of Namibia. These facilities will serve over 4,500 people who will actively take part in the construction of the toilets and who will learn how to make small reparations themselves.

Dry toilets are the sole solution that simultaneously improves the environment, prevents illnesses and is affordable for poor populations. They protect the health and lives of many Namibian children. The dry Otji-toilets will save 70,000 litres of water annually, which the people can rather use for drinking water and in daily life.

How does the Otji-toilet work? Sunlight heats up a black pipe at the back of the toilet. The resulting heated air ventilation dries the faeces and eliminates odours. Drying the waste kills bacteria, preventing the outbreak of illnesses. This is one important advantage of dry toilets over water toilets.

This project is supported by the European Union. A donation of 75 Euros pays for one dry toilet.

Project runtime: from 2008 to 2011
Project volume: 532,032 Euros
Support from the European Union: 399,024 Euros
SODI-donations: 108,008 Euros
Local partners: 25,000 Euros

Recent updates: 114 Otji-toilets have already been installed in Namibia through the SODI project. Read more