Building bathrooms and promoting hygiene to transform Argentina's reality
Módulo Sanitario
(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#SDGAction53946
Description
Modulo Sanitario's mission is to solve the sanitary deficit suffered by more than 6 million people in Argentina. We offer simple, inexpensive and quick construction sanitary solutions that solve the lack of access to infrastructure, conditions and adequate places for personal hygiene practices; thus allowing people to have access to a complete and well cared for bathroom, with hot and cold water, electricity and corresponding drains. The toilet substantially improves the quality of life of families. Not only does it have a positive impact on their hygiene, but also on their social ties, overall health, mood, self-esteem, sleep quality, work capacity, school attendance and more. We dream of a future in which everyone in the world has access to basic services such as a bathroom, so that water and sewage are present in every home. Our goal is for all people to have decent housing conditions, health care and hygiene. The impact of the work we do every day confirms that reality is transformable and that our mission is possible. Our constructions are the last link in a 5-month social process in which, with the help of young volunteers, we get to know a neighborhood and the reality of its families. By means of surveys, we investigate in depth their social, economic and sanitary situation and we build for the families that need it the most. In order to build, families must meet certain requirements such as: clean the land and home, build a well for the Biopozo (sanitation system), pay 6% of the cost of the bathroom, and actively collaborate during construction. They have approximately 2 months to pay the percentage. During this time, each volunteer maintains constant communication to encourage the family to achieve the objective (this amount, although it is less than the total value of the bathroom, represents a great effort by the families due to their low income. We incentivize this payment so that families take ownership of their bathroom; that it is a mutual effort; and that it strengthens the commitment to post construction care). Our bathroom model offers all families an economical, complete and high quality proposal. The bathroom has: hot and cold water installation, water heater, sink, faucets, shower receptacle, electrical installation, excreta disposal installation and a solid structure insulated from the cold and mud. It is a standardized solution that provides a family with a safe and complete space in which to maintain hygiene habits and safe sanitation, in only two days of construction.
At Módulo Sanitario we seek to solve the sanitary deficit in which more than 6 million people live in Argentina, and to guarantee minimum health, sanitation and habitability conditions. The general objective of this project is to build toilets for families in the Buenos Aires suburbs (the largest urban conglomerate in Argentina) and in the province of Cordoba, as well as to accompany them with hygiene and health workshops. Our work is carried out by volunteers who develop their human and professional skills in the service of the most vulnerable in society. To reach the construction, we carry out a social approach between volunteers and families living in extreme poverty. During this process, which lasts approximately 5 months, volunteers and families establish a bond based on trust and teamwork. The volunteers conduct censuses, hygiene workshops, assign families, accompany them and unload materials, while the families agree to clean their land, actively participate in the construction, build a sanitation solution (well) and pay for a percentage of the toilet. During the construction, there is a festive atmosphere for the achievements and mutual effort. In addition to the construction, we train the families in personal hygiene and cleanliness (especially focusing on the bathroom) for the future care of the house and their quality of life.
At Módulo Sanitario we seek to solve the sanitary deficit in which more than 6 million people live in Argentina, and to guarantee minimum health, sanitation and habitability conditions. The general objective of this project is to build toilets for families as well as to accompany them with hygiene and health workshops. Mostly in the Buenos Aires suburbs (the largest urban conglomerate in Argentina) and in the province of Cordoba, where we have groups of volunteers working everyday for the most poor families in need. We also articulate with local companies or municipalities to reach other locations where we do not have our own equipment. in this way, we have already transformed the lives of 1100 families in Argentina, which directly benefits approximately 4,500 people. Our work is carried out by volunteers who develop their human and professional skills in the service of the most vulnerable in society. To reach the construction, we carry out a social approach between volunteers and families living in extreme poverty. During this process, which lasts approximately 5 months, volunteers and families establish a bond based on trust and teamwork. The volunteers conduct censuses, hygiene workshops, assign families, accompany them and unload materials, while the families agree to clean their land, actively participate in the construction, build a sanitation solution (well) and pay for a percentage of the toilet. During the construction, there is a festive atmosphere for the achievements and mutual effort. In addition to the construction, we train the families in personal hygiene and cleanliness (especially focusing on the bathroom) for the future care of the house and their quality of life. The bathroom substantially improves the quality of life of families. Not only does it have a positive impact on their hygiene, but also on their social ties, overall health, morale, self-esteem, sleep quality, work capacity, school attendance and more. We dream of a future in which everyone in the world has access to basic services such as a bathroom, so that water and sewage are present in every home. Our goal is for all people to have decent housing conditions, health care and hygiene. The impact of the work we do every day confirms that reality is transformable and that our mission is possible.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cVG7Siti3__iuBa5a80rgAj7x6j118eg?usp=sharing https://www.instagram.com/modulosanitario/ https://modulosanitario.org/nosotros/ https://youtu.be/JFeiQekVUyY
SDGS & Targets
Goal 1
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
1.1
By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day
1.1.1
Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location (urban/rural)
1.2
By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.2.1
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
1.2.2
Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.3
Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
1.3.1
Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable
1.4
By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
1.4.1
Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services
1.4.2
Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure
1.5
By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
1.5.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
1.5.2
Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)
1.5.3
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
1.5.4
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
1.a
Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
1.a.1
Total official development assistance grants from all donors that focus on poverty reduction as a share of the recipient country's gross national income
1.a.2
Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health and social protection)
1.b
Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions
1.b.1
Pro-poor public social spending
Goal 6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
6.1
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.1.1
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services
6.2
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.2.1
Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water
6.3
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
6.3.1
Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
6.3.2
Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
6.4
6.4.1
Change in water-use efficiency over time
6.4.2
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
6.5
By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
6.5.1
Degree of integrated water resources management
6.5.2
Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation
6.6
6.6.1
Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time
6.a
6.a.1
Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan
6.b
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
6.b.1
Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management
Goal 10
Reduce inequality within and among countries
10.1
By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
10.1.1
Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40 per cent of the population and the total population
10.2
By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
10.2.1
Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
10.3
Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
10.3.1
Proportion of population reporting having personally felt discriminated against or harassed within the previous 12 months on the basis of a ground of discrimination prohibited under international human rights law
10.4
Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
10.4.1
Labour share of GDP
10.4.2
Redistributive impact of fiscal policy
10.5
Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations
10.5.1
Financial Soundness Indicators
10.6
10.6.1
Proportion of members and voting rights of developing countries in international organizations
10.7
Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
10.7.1
Recruitment cost borne by employee as a proportion of montlhy income earned in country of destination
10.7.2
Number of countries with migration policies that facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people
10.7.3
Number of people who died or disappeared in the process of migration towards an international destination
10.7.4
Proportion of the population who are refugees, by country of origin
10.a
10.a.1
Proportion of tariff lines applied to imports from least developed countries and developing countries with zero-tariff
10.b
10.b.1
Total resource flows for development, by recipient and donor countries and type of flow (e.g. official development assistance, foreign direct investment and other flows)
10.c
By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent
10.c.1
Remittance costs as a proportion of the amount remitted
SDG 14 targets covered
Deliverables & Timeline
Construction of 200 complete and functioning bathroom built in 2023
Construction of 1100 complete and functioning bathroom built betweeet 2015 and 2023
Basic personal hygiene workshops (monthly)
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
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Timeline
Entity
Region
- Latin America and the Caribbean
Other beneficiaries
The neighborhoods and families we work with at Módulo Sanitario live in extreme poverty and destitution. The beneficiary families are made up of women, children, adolescents, people with disabilities and the elderly. Their ages range from 0 years old to over 65 years old. The family groups are usually single-parent families, often headed by a woman who lives with her children, or families in which different generations live together. On average, there are 4.2 people per household, where 1 or 2 are the responsible adults and the rest are children. Many families live in overcrowded conditions, with more than 3 people per room (which is a threat to privacy, but also suffers from the lack of an appropriate space to rest, study, socialize, etc.). In recent years and given the severity of the economic crisis in the country, these neighborhoods continue to grow, receiving new families who previously could access housing in a better neighborhood or rented. This causes families to buy land in poor conditions and build precarious housing solutions. Respiratory diseases are common in this population (many of which are due to the context of the neighborhood in general and the precariousness of the homes). Skin problems, recurrent diarrhea, nutritional problems, among others, are frequently encountered. The highest level of education attained by the head of household is generally completed primary school. The livelihood of many is based on the social programs they receive from the state administration and on informal activities they carry out; very few have access to the formal labor market. The quality of work tends to be low and unstable. Families sometimes do informal work ("changas"), but due to the context of the Argentine crisis (lack of work and hyperinflation), economic problems make it almost impossible to progress.
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Agustina, Institutional Development Coordinator