When we asked families in Madina where they went to relieve themselves, the answer was hard to hear: most had no real toilet at all. People were using open fields or homemade latrines built from whatever materials they could find — unhygienic, and often unsafe.
Why It Matters
Going without a safe, private toilet isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s undignified, and it’s genuinely dangerous, especially for women and girls, who face real risks relieving themselves in the open, often after dark. It also spreads disease, contaminating the same water sources and soil that communities already struggle to keep clean. Time and again, families told us how much they wanted a toilet of their own.
Our Approach
For several years, Help Madina has been helping families build Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines — a simple, low-cost design that uses ventilation to control odour and keep flies away, without needing running water. It’s a genuine partnership: each family digs their own pit to a specified design, and Help Madina provides the materials and guidance to build the latrine on top.
To date, we’ve helped build over 300 VIP latrines — over 300 families with a safe, private, and dignified place to go.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this work. Every latrine means a family with more dignity, more safety, and a healthier home.
Want to support this work? Donate here.