The Skyloo's the limit

Rideana Juma outside her Skyloo composting latrine in Kitayita village, Uganda.

Credit: WaterAid / Caroline Irby

For the residents of Kitayita village, Uganda, digging pit latrines has always been a problem. The area is hilly, with thin soil cover underlaid with hard rock. But the Skyloo composting latrine is proving very popular. Not only is it constructed at ground level, it also turns human waste into rich fertiliser.

So, how do they work?

• The Skyloo composting latrine consists of two brick pits, constructed above ground level with a latrine squatting slab and superstructure on top

• Human waste drops through a hole into the vaults and ash is thrown on top, increasing alkalinity to a level that kills pathogens

• The temperature in the vaults is raised by the sun beating down on metal vault covers and the decomposition of the faeces. This also neutralises pathogens

• After several months the first pit is dug out and the fertile compost is used to grow crops

• The second pit is then used until it becomes full and the process is repeated

Hygienic latrines that generate free compost and pose no threat to groundwater resources are a real benefit to the community.

Rideana Juma has been using a composting latrine for over six months now. Before, Rideana's family would defecate in a series of pits on the parameter of her compound.

These pits were on the edge of a steep hillside above the local water source. When the rains came they would wash the contents of the pits down the hill, causing a serious health hazard to the community below.

"The pits would fill so quickly and we would have to keep digging new ones in the hard ground," explains Rideana.

"The children would fall down on the slippery slope when they went to the toilet. Now I have this new latrine we do not need to keep digging new pits and the soil around the compound is clean.

"We can use the products of the latrine for composting. I hope to use the products to help grow bananas and coffee which I will be able to sell."

WaterAid's partner Integrated Rural Development Initiatives (IRDI) has been training local masons to build Skyloos. Individual householders can choose from a variety of materials for the superstructure above the latrine slab, depending on their means.

So far ten Skyloo compositing latrines have been successfully installed in Kitayita village. By showing the benefits of these latrines, IRDI hopes to create a demand, helping to improve people's quality of life and stimulating local construction activities, not to mention the opportunity for people to sell increased crop yields.

Good news travels fast and people are always keen to keep up with the neighbours. Rideana adds, "The visitors who come to my house admire the latrine. We are not worried about hygiene any more. People want one for themselves."