Kameshwaram School EUDT

St. Sebastian High School, in Tsunami hit Kameshwaram village, near Nagapattinam the first high school in the state to have an ECOSAN urine Diversion compost toilet, thanks to the noble gesture of a dozen French students.

Kameshwaram is a small costal village in Nagapattinam district, 20 kilometers from Nagapattinam, which was severely affected by the tsunami in December 2004. A joint project was initiated between Dr. Shyama Ramani – Director of Friends In Need Trust- France and M. Subburaman – Director of SCOPE (Society for Community Organization and Peoples Education) - Trichy- Tamil Nadu.

Residents of the village NGO’s and the Panchayat joined hand to transform Kameshwaram into a fully ecological village. Following this idea, SCOPE with the help of FIN Trust, DRDA and UNICEF has constructed 150 individual ECOSAN toilets in the village.

The ECOSAN toilet collects separately urine, wash water and faeces in order to recycle them. Urine and wash water are used for watering field or kitchen garden. Faeces get converted into compost in closed 6-7 months and the same is used for agriculture.

SCOPE not only builds toilets, but also trains people and encourages them to change their toilet behavior practice and use toilets properly. Use of toilets and stopping open defecation will improve greatly health, sanitary and environmental situation.

In November 2006 Mr. Balakrishnan, Head master and Ms. Merry Amaly Pushpam , Correspondent of the school requested the French research students Mr. Anotonin & Ms. Annebelle of SOS France, camping in Kameshwaram, whether they will support the construction of a toilet for the 420 boys and 370 girls in the school.

Kameshwaram has the largest concentration of about 150 ECOSAN toilets in a coastal Village in the state constructed by SCOPE, DRDA &UNICEF. After discussion between the different partners it was decided to construct ECOSAN urine diversion toilet in the school, the first of its kind in high school in the state. It was fest that the high rate of drop out of teenage girls would be reduced by provision of a toilet in the school campus.

SOS (Savoir Oser la Solidarité), a French student Trust, focused on welfare of children was very much interested in participating in such a project. The students of SOS in France worked during week- ends and the wages so earned - Rs.2.25 Lakhs- was sent for the project. The School management advanced Rs. 20,000/-. The construction of the toilet begun in March 2007. There are two blocks one for boys and one for girls. Each block has two toilets and twenty urinals. The girls block has been provided with a sanitary napkin incinerator.
The urine from the toilet is taken through pipes for irrigating the cashew trees in the adjacent block. Usage practices and health and hygiene massages are painted on the walls of the toilet.

The cost of the project is Rs.2.5 lakhs.

With government funds, a second EUDT has been constructed in the adjacent
Prathamaramapuram higher secondary school at a cost of Rs. 1 Lakh for boys.