Módulo Sanitario is a program run by Horizonte de Máxima that seeks to resolve the sanitation needs of families living in informal settlements, and contribute to their health and hygiene. They have already improved the lives of 61 households at the moment.
According to the National Census 2010, there are 6 million people in Argentina who do not have a bathroom. This was the case for Jesus, who for years had a makeshift bathroom at the back of his house that had four rotten walls with no roof. “When it was raining, we couldn’t use it because of all the mud. We washed our vegetables in a pot and now we have a sink to wash the dishes,” says Jesus Ponce. Jesus’s family, who received a unit from Horizonte de Máxima, explained the leap in quality of life for his family after receiving their sanitation unit which comprised of both a kitchen and bathroom.
As of April 2017, 61 modules have already been made and the idea is to build 100 more this year. This project was mobilised by eight university students from both technical and humanitarian backgrounds. They worked with vulnerable families to design a dignified, low-cost and easy-to-assemble sanitation unit to combat the great social inequality that exists in Argentina.
The kitchen is equipped with a sink and tap with hot water. The bathroom consists of a sink, tap, shower and toilet. There is also the added benefit of having hot water and electricity for both the kitchen and the bathroom.
To carry out its work and select families, the organisation works side by side with the NGO TECHO, which already has considerable experience in the construction of decent housing for families living in conditions of extreme poverty. TECHO’s social factory provided them with wooden panels and other materials.
The cost of each module is $24,000, but the family is only asked to contribute $2000 to make the cesspit required for the construction and installation. The remaining $22,000 comes from Horizonte de Máxima.
In addition to construction, the organisation provides training to families on basic hygiene habits such as washing hands, bathing and washing dishes to improve hygiene and prevent disease.
Read more here.
Source: The Straits Times, 24 June 2017