The risk of water contamination due to poorly managed septage has indeed become a major sanitation issue in Neighborhood 15 in Titi Kuning urban village in Medan Johor sub-district, Medan city. The community in this area no longer practices open defecation.
Yet, until 2017, majority of the residents did not have access to septic tank. Data of Titi Kuning urban village in 2017 indicated that 319 of 500 households in Neighborhood 15 did not have access to septic tank.
Similar to many residents in Neighborhood 15, Ipah, a resident and cadre in Neighborhood 15, Titi Kuning urban village did not have access to septic tank.
“I only knew that we should not practice open defecation as it harms health. But, I did not know that the septage should be contained in septic tank to prevent environmental contamination. Thus, I never thought of building the septic tank,” Ipah started her story.
Ipah’s way of thinking changes when USAID IUWASH PLUS started its programs in Neighborhood 15 in Titi Kuning urban village in 2017. The programs targeting the community include participatory assessment and triggering and safely water and sanitation promotion conducted jointly by the city health office, the city housing, settlement, and spatial planning office, and USAID IUWASH PLUS.
“Honestly, I just learned about the benefits of septic tanks when participating in the triggering activities. I understand that the septage should be managed properly,” admitted Ipah.
“Perhaps it was the cause of my children having diarrhea and itchy skin,” she added.
With this knowledge and experience, Ipah is motivated to socialize the benefits of safe toilet—toilet with septic tank, to her neighbors. Ipah also becomes a member of the participatory monitoring and evaluation team established by USAID IUWASH PLUS. This team’s duty is to evaluate the progress of the community’s water and sanitation access in which the results will be discussed with the community, government, and other stakeholders.
“Many people in this area did not understand that containing human waste in a septic tank will create healthy environment, said Ipah. “I want to raise their awareness on the importance of septic tank for the environment and people’s health, and I should give an example,” said Ipah
“At first, people didn’t believe me when I said that poorly managed domestic wastewater could contaminate water sources and cause diseases. But I patiently continue explaining it to them,” said Ipah.
“I am committed to build a septic tank although my family could not afford it in cash. I save up a small amount of money from my husband’s wage as a workman. Thank be to God, after saving up for eight months, my family could build our own septic tank and the construction process was assisted by USAID IUWASH PLUS,” said Ipah.
“How could I tell the community about the importance of septic tanks if I did not have one at home?” said Ipah.
Thanks to all the hard work that Ipah and other stakeholders, such as other cadres and the health office staff, have done the participatory monitoring and evaluation data in 2018 showed that there are only five of 500 households in Neighborhood 15, Titi Kuning urban village not having a septic tank.
“I hope for the long run, more community members in Neighborhood 15, Titi Kuning urban village, will use septic tanks, so that our environment can be cleaner and healthier. I will always continue socializing safely-managed sanitation to more community members because it will bring great benefits for environmental cleanliness and our own health,” said Ipah closing her story.
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