One of the things Anglicans in Development’s partners do when they start a new project or take a project to new parts of the country is to consult with the local people. They are asked what their priorities are, whether what the project has to offer the community is relevant to them, how they might maintain any infrastructure built as part of the project, and a range of other questions.

The two women pictured, Ethel and Patrice (not their real names) from a village in Vanuatu’s northern Torba province, were recently consulted by Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM)’s Integrated Vanuatu Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project team, who asked them for their views on the new project goals and objectives.

Ethel and Patrice were very happy to be consulted, and each requested the construction of improved latrines at their homes. The women had been to other communities that the ACOM Vanuatu WASH team have worked in, and they were impressed by the latrines they saw there. These are latrines with a riser and seat, that use the improved ventilation method.

The latrines that Ethel and Patrice have currently are of the open pit variety, and these were getting difficult for them to use because both women have knee problems.

The ACOM Vanuatu staff saw the women’s needs as high-priority, since they were elderly. So, instead of waiting until the new project was due to start in this village, ACOM Vanuatu staff managed to obtain some left-over materials from another village where they had been working, and constructed for them the new ventilation-improved latrines, with risers and seats.

However, program staff get left over materials from previous sites and construct their latrines.

Ethel and Patrice are delighted with their new facilities, and the rest of their community looks forward to the project starting in their village soon.

ABM and AID thank our supporters who give generously to the Vanuatu Integrated WASH Project.

AID acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP)