Published on: 04/04/2011
The dire sanitation systems available to the hundreds of thousands living in the Nairobi slum of Kibera, often called Africa's biggest slum, has been well-documented. Less talked about is the challenge of household energy for the urban poor. The Katwekera Tosha Bio Centre, operated by the Umande Trust, goes well beyond solving sanitation problems; it is a model for green energy, a meeting place for locals, and turning a profit for its operators.
The Umande Trust is a rights-based agency which believes that modest resources, strategically invested in support of community-led initiatives, can significantly improve access to water and sanitation for all," says Paul Muchire, the Trust's communication manager. This mission statement has guided the Trust towards partnerships with community-based organisations to improve the living conditions of people in places like Kibera.
The Trust first set out to build toilets and bathrooms, but had a larger vision: TOSHA, "Total Sanitation and Hygiene Access", was born. The centre has toilets and bathrooms on the ground floor - the toilets are connected to a bio-digester, with a dome-shaped holding tank in which biogas is produced. Raw human waste from the toilets flows in, and bacteria break it down, releasing methane gas which collects at the top of the domed tank. The gas is piped to collective stoves one floor up - and is usually sufficient for community members to cook on throughout the day. They pay a small fixed fee for using the stoves.
>From a business perspective, the profits from these centres are also significant. Katwekera Tosha makes a monthly profit of between 350 and 650 dollars. This money benefits the residents who have registered with the community-based organisation.
Source: Portal to Africa.com, 29 March 2011
