Cavanna, S., Debus, J-P., and Nikiema, L.Z.P. (2011). A practical guide for building a simple pit latrine : how to build your latrine and use it hygienically, for the dignity, health, and well being of your family. Hardware Quality Project, Regional Global Water Initiative (GWI) West Africa Programme. 23 p.
Download the guide as a PDF file or view online on the CRS web site
Also available in French
This technical do-it-yourself guide provides step-by-step instruction on building simple pit latrines. It was designed for use at the individual household level to assist families in West Africa who have already decided to build their own latrines.
The dialogue in the guide should be enacted by a facilitation team in the form of a skit followed by a debate. Each key step (placing the latrine, digging the pit, making the slab, building the superstructure) should be represented and followed by a discussion with the public, with responses and comments being provided for each step.
The guide is a product of the Global Water Initiative (GWI) programme, which is financed by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (HGBF).
Illustration by Y. Parfait Bonkoungou in "Practical Guide for Building a Simple Pit Latrine"
Sanitation Updates 