Accra, Nov. 5, GNA - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday started a pilot project at Avenor in Accra to help slum communities achieve better environmental conditions.

The project was made possible through the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International, and Nimba Community Support Services (NIMCOSS), Non-Governmental Organizations that mobilise residents to improve on their living environment and asset generation opportunities. Under the project, five Elevated Compost Latrines (ECL), which produce no odour if well maintained would be piloted and if successful, would be replicated in other slum communities in the country.

According to the NIMCOSS Project manager, Mr. Yaw Dua, the ECL were custom made to fit the dimensions of households, and that it had two different chambers that separated urine and faecal matter and comes with two cubicles, vent pipes, an access panel door, toilet seats and separate drop holes for urine and faecal matter.

Ashes and saw dust or corn husk are sprinkled on the floor of the compost chamber to form a thin uniform layer or film across the floor to prevent faecal matter from coming into contact with floor of the compost he said.

When the chamber is full, household are expected to stop using it for six months after which the compost could be turned into manure. The five pilot projects are to augment the old public toilet facilities built in the 1960s and a few recent ones he said.

Mr. Dua explained that under the scale up programme, CHF "bears 90 percent of the costs ranging from 1700 to a little over 2000 dollars depending on the size whiles landlords are given micro credit loans from Boafo Micro Finance Services to fund the remaining 10 percent".

Ms. Melanie Walker, Representative of the Gates Foundation, urged members of the community to take good care of the facility because more funds would be released only if the project became successful. CHF Country Director Sandrine Manuel-Capalle urged the people to unite and get involved in the development of the area.

Mr. Oscar Tagoe, representative of Avenor Landlords Association, said the area used to be a den of deviants but the story was now different due to implementation of developmental projects in the area. He said the introduction of the ECL was ideal for the area because it would discourage residents from using the big drains as places of convenience and expressed his appreciation to the NGOs for the micro credit loans and their commitment to give the area a facelift. Nov. 5 09