"In October, the construction measures for the new construction as well as the renovation of latrines in public facilities, such as health centres and community offices will start. Each of these new toilets is designed in such a way that it can also be used by people with physical disabilities," says Lena Ahlf, our project officer for Indonesia.
She herself will be present in Sigi and Donggala when the inclusive latrine construction starts.
The integration of older people as well as people with special physical needs was an important concern for us in this project.
Right from the project planning stage, arche noVa also cooperated with local self-organisations of people with disabilities. The topic of inclusion was taken into consideration from the very beginning in all processes - from the accessibility of the locations to the planning of the buildings and the inclusive design of the latrines themselves. The standards applied here are universal, but are adapted to the specific circumstances in Indonesia.
Due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the island state continues to be highly endangered by catastrophes, earthquakes and tidal waves which are therefore a constant threat to the inhabitants of Sulawesi.
One of the first emergency measures that arche noVa carried out in cooperation with the ASB (Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund = Workers' Samaritan Federation) in the weeks and months following the earthquake was therefore training in low-risk behaviour in the event of a disaster, involving 37,000 people in village communities and educational institutions.
In addition, our colleagues in Sulawesi organised courses on drinking water treatment, good hygiene practices for protection against infectious diseases and latrine construction.
Due to the widespread destruction caused by the earthquake and the tsunami, it quickly became clear that older people and people with physical disabilities in particular suffer more than others from the consequences of the natural disaster. "If the only accessible toilet is in a building with several steps, or if the latrine rooms are so narrow that it is almost impossible to get in with walking aids, then some people are immediately excluded. Here we consciously want to create better conditions for all those affected," explains Lena Ahlf.
If you want to support arche noVa's work in Indonesia, we would be pleased to recieve donations.
