Nguyen Lam in Vietnam

PROJECT STATS Location: Quảng Nam Province, Central Region, Vietnam Project: "Latrine Construction Project for Nui Thanh District" Partner: East Meets West Amount funded: $5,000 People Impacted: 1000 Status: Completed PWX report

An Interview with program beneficiary Mr. Nguyen Lam
Age: 80

1.  Where did you go to defecate before you had a hygienic latrine?

• In the daytime we went to the hill where there are lots of trees, 7500m -1000m away from home.
• At night we dug holes in the garden.

2.  What are the impacts of not having a hygienic latrine?

• It is a nuisance, especially when you have to defecate at night and when it rains.  We had to wear raincoats and often got wet after finishing such a work.
• The water source in the neighborhood is contaminated.  We often have diarrhea.
• The environment is polluted and smells bad.              

3.  What about the effectiveness of the new hygienic latrine?

• We find it very convenient and comfortable to have new hygienic latrine.  We don't have to spend much time when we need to defecate, and we don't have to bring any tools to dig holes to bury the feces.
• The environment is cleaner. We have less disease, especially diarrhea and cholera.

4.  Why did the local people take part in the program?

• Local people are quite aware of the health and convenience benefits of having hygienic latrines;
• We work together with everybody in our hamlet to participate in the sanitation activities of the community.

5.  Why was your family chosen to get the subsidy?

• We are one of the poorer families in the commune, so it is difficult for us to pay the full cost of the latrine ourselves;
• We are in the area where there are a lot of people interested in the program.

6.  If you haven't got the $20 of subsidy, would you have built this hygienic latrine?

• Without this subsidy, it might have taken us a long time to build this latrine or maybe we would not have built it.
• Our awareness of building hygienic latrine to keep the environment clean in the community is high so when we knew there was $20 of subsidy for anyone who wanted to build hygienic latrine, we decided to take this good chance

7.  What benefits that hygienic latrines bring to your family and community?
*  To your family:
The convenience and comfort.  Also, your family will be recognized as an educated family.  There will be fewer diseases.  Health is better and safer.

*  To the community:
Education/Culture:  More families considered  as educated families in the commune compared  with the previous years.
*  Economy:  Improved because the health of the local people is better. 
*  Environment:  Is green, clean and fresher.  No pollution, less disease.

8.  Are hygienic latrine activities implemented at the same time as the clean water system?

Yes, the construction of the clean water system and the hygienic latrines is implemented at the same time for 4 of 8 hamlets in the commune of Tam Anh Nam.  The other four hamlets do not yet have any clean water systems.  The government is working with the community to prepare a proposal to build clean water systems for these hamlets.