PPF 2019 Village Stupa Sanitation Construction Project

In March-April 2019 the PPF team of Aidan Ward, plumber, and Marcus Gleeson, media expert, successfully installed plumbing infrastructure for a community toilet block in Kavre district, Nepal.

The Project

The villagers of Bhattedanda village, who have benefitted from a village based sanitation program led by Paul Pholeros from 2007-2010, identified the need for the facility.

They  requested a community toilet/shower block be built near the site of a Buddhist stupa and adjacent small monastery, the “gomba”, in the nearby forest. It is a place where people gather for religious and community events, monks come for meditation, and cremations are carried out at the nearby “ghat”, burning ground.

There was no water supply, no toilet, no washing place at this site.

The Work

The PPF team worked closely with the village construction and plumbing teams to share knowledge and skills. Together, the teams built a very fine sanitation block with 3 toilet cubicles and 1 shower each side for females and males. The toilets, showers and handwash basins drain into a septic system with soakage trenches.

The local teams organised the installation of a large water tank and water supply.

During their visit the PPF team also inspected existing village toilets to check for any damage after the earthquakes in 2015. Result….no damage to the toilet buildings and the septic and biogas systems. The team somehow found time to connect with the public health team at the nearby Dhulikhel Hospital, and to visit a newly established plumbing training colleage at Sindhuli in southern Nepal.

The Thanks

The villagers dedicated this very important block to the memory of “Paul Sir” in recognition of his long term commitment to improving their living standards.

As the Lama priest noted at the inauguration of the block, this is the first time there has been a toilet in this forest meeting and worship site for over 600 years.

The villagers are very proud of this amenity and have employed a caretaker to ensure it is cleaned every day and is appropriately maintained.

You can view a recent video of the block, put together by Zidan Waiba of Bhatttedanda village.

PPF Team Feedback

“When the hard, physical work was done, and we started the more technical work, it was extremely enjoyable being able to pass on knowledge to willing “students”. Watching their enjoyment as they put their new skills into practice was really rewarding. This shows how valuable hands-on training can be. The same can be said for how great it felt when we learned something in return. I loved the challenge and would go back in a heartbeat.”   Aidan Ward, Plumber 2019

“This was an incredibly humbling and enlightening experience for me as I not only learned new skills to benefit my career but was also exposed to an entirely new world with a deep rich culture, magnificent scenery and a generous heart that is shown in each and every one of the villagers faces. I feel truly privileged to have been given these experiences which will stay with me for the rest of my life.”  Marcus Gleeson, Media Coordinator 2019