Toilets
Rural communities in Cambodia face a number of challenges, one of which is poor sanitation and hygiene, including lack of toilets, proper drainage, garbage disposal system, as well as overcrowded and inadequate housing. The Ministry of Rural Development of Cambodia reported in 2015 that 75 percent of Cambodians lacked access to improved sanitation, and 66 percent practiced open defecation – nearly 6.5 million people. Open defecation contaminates the soil, air and water, both above and below ground. And it leads to serious illness and diarrhea. In Cambodia, one in eight children won't reach their fifth birthday due to infectious disease, much of it preventable. Diarrheal disease - one of the most common illnesses resulting from poor sanitation - is one of the basic killers of children under five years of age worldwide, more so than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined. (International Development Enterprises (IDE), 2014)
health
Improper disposal of human waste can cause devastating illness. When people don't have toilets, they defecate in the open, often near living areas or the rivers that supply water for drinking or bathing.
Safety
Due to both biological and cultural factors, sanitation influences women’s well-being. Particularly with regards to sexual violence in urban slum and rural areas where sanitation can be poorly located, badly lit and lacking doors or locks, threatening women’s safety by exposing them to the risk of rape, attack and harassment. Additionally, many women and girls experience fear when they have to travel outside home to and from public toilets or to a selected place in the open.
saves energy
Wastewater from toilets take about 10 times the amount of energy, in biochemical form, to treat it. Our toilets are sanitary, waterless toilets that don't require a sewer connection or electricity, and cost nothing per user per day.