In a picturesque agricultural Kerjo Lor village in Wonogiri district, some families are facing challenges to meet sanitation needs. They lack toilets with septic tanks at home and consequently dispose of domestic wastewater directly to environment. This practice can lead to water and soil pollution, increasing the risk of preventable water borne disease transmission. The Village Head, Laura Isabela, pointed out limited finances hinders the families from building toilets with septic tanks.
To assist those families, Kerjo Lor village government has allocated fund in the village budget to build toilets with septic tanks for the low-income. “This year marks the second time we have utilized the village budget for the purpose. We have allocated 42 million rupiah to build 14 toilets with septic tanks this year,” elaborated Laura Isabela.
To ensure the village funded sanitation program benefits the most deserving families, the government has partnered with a community-based group (KSM) to select the recipients. Furthermore, the government has also involved local masons received training on standardized septic tank construction from USAID IUWASH Tangguh to build the facilities. Laura Isabela highlighted that engaging the local masons will extend the impact of the government-funded sanitation to more community members.
On July 9, Laura Isabela supervised the toilet and septic tank construction at one of the recipients, Sularmi. For years, Sularmi had to walk 300 meters to her relative’s house located 300 meters when she wanted to use a toilet. “It was very inconvenient especially during rainy days or at night,” she said. Sularmi expressed her joy for receiving the toilet from the government. “This assistance has been incredibly helpful. Using toilet is now convenient,” she added.
Contributors: Sony Suharsono/Cahyadi Kurniawan
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