Sanitation is a neglected issue in Argentina, where six million people do not have access to a bathroom inside their home. Many of these people live in informal settlements where less than 4.8% of the population has access to adequate sanitation. Infection and disease are commonplace and acute diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of illness and death in children under five in Argentina.
In 2015, Módulo Sanitario became the first organisation in Argentina aiming to tackle this problem at scale by installing prefabricated bathroom and kitchen cabins in people’s homes. Beneficiaries work closely with volunteers, building a septic tank and contributing 11% (around $8,500 AR or $90 USD) of the cabin’s cost before construction begins. The cabins are assembled over two days and include hot and cold-water facilities, drainage, electricity, sink, space for an oven, hand-washing sink, toilet, shower and heating. Each household is given hygiene training and a kit containing soap, toothpaste and detergent among other items.
So far, Módulo Sanitario has installed more than 650 sanitary cabins and aims to construct another 1,600 by 2023, reducing the risk of disease and improving the quality of life of thousands of vulnerable people in Argentina, and eventually in other Latin American countries.
