By connecting improved sanitation with sustainable farming, the project shows how practical, locally led solutions can help communities make better use of available resources while addressing multiple challenges at the same time. The initiative was supported through the Czech-UNDP Partnership for the SDGs Challenge Fund.
In Kashitu, Zambia, a project implemented by Přátelé New Renato and New Renato Community Society, with support from the Czech-UNDP Partnership for the SDGs, is exploring an innovative way to address two local challenges at once: inadequate sanitation and declining soil fertility.
The project is piloting a community-managed sanitation–fertilizer system that uses urine-diverting dry toilets and composting to safely transform human waste into fertilizer. Alongside the infrastructure, the initiative includes practical training, demonstration plots, educational outreach, and a local Sanitation Club to support long-term management and community ownership.
Many households in the area rely on pit latrines, while farmers face rising fertilizer costs and decreasing agricultural productivity. Through ecological sanitation systems, the project is demonstrating how human waste can be safely transformed into fertilizer, creating a valuable resource for local agriculture.
Before launching activities, the project team surveyed 500 households to better understand community needs. The results revealed strong interest in ecological sanitation, high demand for affordable fertilizer, and a need for practical training.
Building Local Ownership
In response, the project combined the introduction of the technology with training and awareness-raising activities. Community members learned how the systems work, how they can be maintained, and how the resulting fertilizer can be used safely and effectively.
To help ensure the approach continues beyond the project period, a local Sanitation Club was established to support maintenance, knowledge-sharing, and community outreach.
By connecting improved sanitation with sustainable farming, the project shows how practical, locally led solutions can help communities make better use of available resources while addressing multiple challenges at the same time.
