Sudha, her husband and three children are agricultural laborers. They live in Koduthurai, a village with 30 houses that were built about 30 years ago by the government for those living in poverty. The tiled houses start as one room and expand according to family needs.

There was no toilet in their village so they were forced to defecate in the field near their house. Once cultivation started in the fields, they couldn’t go there either.

Health educators from Water.org’s local partner - SCOPE - identified Sudha's community as one of the villages that needed a toilet. Applications were distributed and Sudha applied for a small WaterCredit loan to build an ecological sanitation (ecosan) toilet for her family.

The toilet was quickly constructed and Sudha was shown how to use the it. The ecosan toilet saves the earth, water, and air from pollution and degradation. This is due to the separation of the urine and feces. Feces is converted into compost by a dehydration method. The wash water is collected separately.

Sudha and her family members are happy with the toilet and very thankful for the help that Water.org and SCOPE have given to her. They no longer have to use the restroom out in the open, and instead have the safety, health, privacy, and dignity that a toilet brings!