Diseases associated with poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) are a major cause of mortality in Bangladesh. HFH Bangladesh’s WaSH project focuses on three areas: field level research on existing WaSH issues, community awareness training on safe WaSH practices and providing no-profit loans to encourage families to build sanitary latrines.

Rasida Begum in front of her latrine; before (open air pit, above right) and after (new sanitary latrine, above left)

Research

HFH Bangladesh has so far completed 2 studies on WaSH that looks at water born diseases caused by using surface water and rainwater harvesting systems in specific areas of Bangladesh.

Training

HFH Bangladesh always conducts a baseline community survey when beginning a project in a new area. Evaluations from these surveys revealed that the benefits of using safe water and hygiene practices were not always well communicated or accepted in many rural communities. Hence, Habitat has developed training materials and engages community members to attend awareness building sessions that promote the adoption of safe WaSH practices.

Sanitary Latrines

In the project area, Habitat also identifies those low-income families that are in great need of WaSH facilities and provides them with sanitary latrines through Habitat’s no-profit loans. This loan pool can then be used on an ongoing basis to assist more families to build sanitary latrines.