Provides a sanitary, dignified means of disposing human waste for slum dwellers

Detailed Description:
The Benga Toilet is a foldable, multi-functional unit for use in slums, where human waste is disposed indiscriminately due to the lack of sewage systems. The Toilet allows slum residents to privately & hygienically collect human waste in the home. The waste is disposed in a biodegradable, odor-eliminating Peepoo® disposal bag that can be converted into biofuel & fertilizer. The Benga Toilet enhances human dignity, improves sanitation, & creates a foundation for a human waste management system.

Know drawbacks of design:
A potential drawback to the Benga Toilet is the cost of the toilet for residents of slum dwellings. With slum residents having very little purchasing power for anything beyond the basic necessities of daily life, the need to keep the cost of the product at a minimum has guided every aspect of the design process. Specific materials have been selected to offer both the greatest functionality and the lowest cost, without compromising the aesthetic value of the product.

Designed in:
2009

Status of realization:
Prototype

Keywords:
disability, economics, energy, environment, health, lifestyle, population, public space, sanitation, security, social

Form
The Benga Toilet functions as a free-standing toilet & seating option. It is ergonomically designed to suit a wide demographic. Its dimensions are based on a standard sized toilet, with side handles offering stability during entry & exit, in particular for the elderly, disabled & sick. Materials choices are informed by cost, structural, and hygienic considerations. The steel-tube frame offers strength & durability. The seat base is made of wood & the toilet seat of EVA foam, providing a comfortable, easy to clean seat. The design complements existing living spaces of slum dwellings. Its scissor-folding mechanism allows it to be folded away out of sight when desired. When not in use as a toilet it serves as a stool by replacing the toilet seat with a cushioned cover. Fabric bags offer storage for toilet supplies and obscure the disposal bag from view. The fabric print reflects the vibrancy of African art, so it can function aesthetically as part of the furniture.

Impact
Slum residents face many concerns regarding human waste disposal: - Unsightly living environment: the ‘flying toilet’ results in the accumulation of human waste in the open neighborhood, creating a constant stench - Risk of disease: cholera, dysentery, typhoid & other diseases are widespread due to exposure to human waste disposed indiscriminately; pit latrines are unsanitary & can contaminate the ground water supply - Security risks: high crimes rates force women & children to use the ‘flying toilet’ method of disposal at night rather than venture outside to use a pit latrine - Lack of privacy, dignity & comfort: slum residents have no designated space that is private & secure to relieve themselves The Benga Toilet addresses these issues by providing residents access to a toilet in their homes. With widespread use it will contribute to improved sanitation & health circumstances. It also serves as a practical, multi-functional unit to complement & enhance existing living spaces.

Context
The Benga Toilet Project targets a number of global development concerns: health & sanitation, economic empowerment, & the human dignity of slum residents, aligning with the UN Millennium Development Goals for improved sanitation & living conditions for slum dwellers. With this product, slum residents can take control of how human waste is disposed – uplifting human dignity & providing economic empowerment. In the short term, used bags can be converted to fertilizer, & over time jobs will be created through new methods of processing waste. The Project aims to create an organized human waste management system that can be replicated in settlements lacking indoor plumbing worldwide. It will begin with introducing the Benga Toilet to Nairobi slums, followed by the implementation of a new disposal system. Residents will dispose human waste at collection sites established throughout the slum, from where it will be taken to existing conversion sites to be transformed to reusable energy.

Other relevant information
“Benga” is a genre of Kenyan music characterized by upbeat tempos & rhythmic drum beats. The beat emphasizes pride in human movement, emotion & self-dignity – the very principles the product represents. The Benga Toilet name stems from the desire to enhance the daily lives of slum residents by making ownership and use of the toilet a source of pride and a means of creating a cleaner, healthier environment & economic opportunity through an collective human waste management system.

Proven and/or potential effects:
In a trial test of the Peepoo bag in the Kibera slum, residents responded positively to the bag as a sanitary toileting option. Users responded most favorably to the bag for its economic possibilities: “the fertilizer aspect was most valuable because of the implied economic benefits” (p.26). Many cited the need for a “holding mechanism” that would “greatly facilitate easier, safer, clean handling of the bag” (p.27). Based on these findings, the Benga Toilet has great potential to improve lives. The Toilet addresses ergonomic issues by securely holding the bag & providing a comfortable seat during use. It also provides greater potential for long-term economic benefits. Source: Impact Assessment Report on the Peepoo Bag, Silanga Village, Kibera, Nairobi-Kenya by Peepoople®

Is the design protected by patent or ip registration?
creative commons

How has the development of the design been financed hereunto?
Personal investment

Is there a plan for future investments?
Yes

Is there in-house competencies to secure market roll out of the design, with regards to investment, distribution, sales, etc.?
Yes

Designed by:
Patrick Kiruki, Lead Designer, www.alrudesign.com, Industrial Designer, Kenya, Los Angeles, USA, Alru Design Consultancy