Overview
In many underserved Nigerian communities, access to basic sanitation is still a dream. Centre LSD, through its Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) model, has transformed three vulnerable communities in the Federal Capital Territory from open defecation zones to clean, organized, and healthier environments.
This CIDA-funded WASH initiative targeted Durunmi 3, Ruwan Fulani, and Kuyizhi communities, where open defecation, waste heaps, and poor hygiene once defined daily life. Today, they stand as shining examples of what locally driven sanitation reform can achieve.
The Problem
When Centre LSD entered these communities, the situation was dire:
Durunmi 3 & Ruwan Fulani:
- No toilet facilities, residents defecated in open spaces and flung waste through windows.
- The only toilet available was dangerously located beside a borehole (their water source).
- A massive, long-standing waste heap near the community served as both a dump and disease vector.
Kuyizhi Community (Kuje):
- Only 1 out of 34 households had a toilet.
- Waste runoff during rains contaminated nearby streams, their only drinking water source.
- No handwashing practices; oral-fecal disease transmission (malaria, typhoid) was rampant.
Centre LSD’s Intervention
Using a community-led approach, Centre LSD engaged residents in identifying problems and taking ownership of solutions. Activities included:
- WASH awareness campaigns
- Toilet construction advocacy
- Handwashing promotion
- Sanitation rituals (bi-weekly exercises)
- Government engagement for infrastructure support
Key Outcomes
✅ Kuyizhi Community (Kuje)
- All 34 households now have toilets with handwashing facilities—self-built and maintained.
- Established a bi-weekly community sanitation ritual since 2012—still ongoing.
- Attracted external support:
- After Centre LSD shared Kuyizhi’s hygiene success at a CSO forum, the Nigerian Red Cross built a two-room clinic and maternity center in the community.
- The facility has been taken over by Kuje Area Council, staffed and operational since 2013.
✅ Durunmi 3 & Ruwan Fulani (AMAC)
- Waste heap removed through advocacy with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
- Use of waste bags enforced by AEPB to maintain cleanliness.
- Toilets built by landlords in both communities—residents now have access to safe sanitation.
Impact
This intervention has drastically reduced the prevalence of waterborne diseases, improved community dignity, and fostered local ownership of sanitation. More than just a WASH project, it has created a replicable model for community empowerment, environmental management, and health improvement.
Conclusion
Centre LSD’s WASH success in the FCT proves that even in the absence of large donor funding, strategic advocacy, citizen mobilization, and community pride can drive life-changing outcomes. When communities are trusted to lead, they not only improve their environment, they sustain it.
