Rural Development Partners has urged community members in Kapatavingwe Shaba Village, Traditional Authority Mtwalo in Mzimba District to upgrade from traditional pit latrines to improved sanitary toilets.
Speaking on Tuesday in Emanyaleni under Engucwini Extension Planning Area, Rural Development Partners executive director Daniel Nyirenda said the initiative seeks to enhance sanitation in the village as part of the World Toilet Day commemoration.
for modern toilets
He said: “While traditional pit latrines exist, our goal is to help households modify them into improved toilets with features such as a movable impermeable surface, a lid, a lockable door and a hand-washing facility.”
Nyirenda emphasised that Kapatavingwe Shaba, as a model village, is expected to inspire neighbouring communities to replicate its successful practices.
Love a Village founder Julie Seath, a Canadian partner supporting Rural Development Partners, highlighted the broader impact of improved sanitation.
“Poor hygiene not only contaminates food and crops, but also contributes to illnesses and under-five deaths,” she said.
On his part, group village head Kapatavingwe Shaba lauded the initiative, noting that all 50 households in the village have toilets.
“We have never registered cholera cases in the village because of our commitment to sanitation. By upgrading to improved toilets, we aim to maintain our status as a model village,” he said.
Mzimba North water, sanitation and hygiene coordinator Chitatata Luhanga commended the organisation for initiating the project.
However, Luhanga expressed concern that about 30 percent of people in Mzimba North do not have toilets.
With funding from Love a Village, Rural Development Partners is implementing a five-year Kamwe and Engucwini integrated project in T/A Mtwalo in the district
