India - Tamil Nadu
We have been working in Tamil Nadu since 2004, and our involvement has steadily expanded. In general, our projects focus on water and sanitation, although our largest to date is the construction of 56 homes built for the very poorest of people (read more: Karrigan Nagar). These homes, each of which will have its own eco-sanitation toilet, will be built from compressed earth blocks (CEBs), made from locally sourced materials that are both natural and sustainable.
We are very much involved in the construction of eco-sanitation toilets in a variety of places, especially in schools, although we have recently completed an innovative design for women only at Mohan Singh Street in Cuddalore (read more). Women suffer greatly through not having toilet facilities and, in broad terms, each toilet is used by 350 women (and their children) and costs in the region of £4000.
We have also run projects in Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, centred on an orphanage, also involving water and sanitation, although we are currently raising the funds for a scheme that will include a livelihood programme as well. This last project will impact on the lives of 10,000 people, who have limited access to water and no sanitation.