Sanitation Africa Limited

Samuel Malinga , Uganda

Sanitation Africa Limited works to improve access to water and sanitation health (WASH) facilities, such as latrines and hand washing units. Sanitation Africa Limited has helped 10,000 people to access better hygiene and sanitation facilities in Uganda. Samuel and his team have constructed almost 600 latrines and 20 handwashing facilities to date, and have upgraded more than 1,000 latrines. Uganda does not yet have universal sanitation coverage, which contributes to ill health, absenteeism and low academic attainment. The percentage of people in rural areas with access to basic sanitation facilities actually decreased between 2016 and 2018, from 80% to 79%.

Sanitation Africa works with a team of engineering students to design innovative solutions for sustainable toilet construction, as well as designing technology to upgrade existing facilities to be more durable and effective at a low cost. Sanitation Africa has also developed semi-mechanical pumps to empty pit latrines in areas that are otherwise hard to reach. The organisation strives to become a hub of knowledge on low cost hygiene and sanitation solutions, so that low income communities can benefit from this expertise. Lack of knowledge is a major barrier for communities when working to improve communal hygiene facilities, and so Samuel and his team work to make this knowledge and technology more accessible. Sanitation Africa has employed over 870 masons and 100 sanitation promoters in this work, further helping to support the local economy by providing jobs and economic opportunities.