As WOFAN was implementing the water component of the WASH project in schools and communities in Sokoto State, the organization was also constructing Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) Latrines in several communities in the state.

The construction of VIP Latrines, which is also co-funded by WOFAN and USAID, is in part fulfillment of efforts to improve livelihoods in the benefitting communities.  Under this segment of the project, the aim is to improve access to better personal hygiene and environmental facilities by discouraging open defecation through the provision of VIP latrines which are user and environment friendly. 

It is generally agreed by hygiene and health professionals that after water, personal and environmental hygiene are the two most important factors in the fight against diseases.

They argue that no matter how clean the water available for drinking and domestic use is, bad personal and environmental hygiene as well as poor sanitation would always have negative effects on communities.

So, providing clean drinking water without a corresponding improvement in personal and environmental hygiene could mean total failure at the end of the day.

24 VIP Latrines consisting of 48 blocks of toilets with 144 compartments have been completed in the first phase of the project.

The communities which benefited from the VIP latrines are Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko Model Primary School, Gumbi JNI School, Barade Abubakar Jabbi II JNI, Drop-in Center, Wamakko, Federal Low Cost Model Primary School Arkilla, Bankanu Model Primary School, and Sarkin Yamma Model Primary School.

Other beneficiaries are Kware Nizamiyya, Ubandoma Model Primary School Hamma Ali and Shehu Malami Model Primary School More.

Members of the community dug the pit as their contribution to the project, construction work started in the second quarter of the year and all the blocks have been painted accordingly. They are all now ready for commissioning.