“Welcome to CAWST, here is the Introduction to Low Cost Sanitation Workshop, how would you feel about updating it?” I had already taken the workshop in its 2009 form as my initiation to the organization and there were already great materials to work with. Never one to shrink from a challenge I immediately embarked on my first project at CAWST. Unknown to me at the time, being fresh on the Education Program Development team, the Introduction to Low Cost Sanitation workshop update was to be the focus of my work for the next 16 months. Now this is due to a combination of two things, the first being the vast quantity of information about sanitation that is out in the world and the time it takes to turn that into digestible chunks for the brain in a user friendly and creative way. The second reason was put succinctly into words yesterday on the back of a Zambian (where I am writing this from) public transport van, “Better isn’t good enough”. This is sometimes a blessing for the work I do as an Education Program Developer, an attitude that pushes the box and leads to innovation and creativity. It is sometimes a challenge, hours and hours spent on perfection and sometimes frustration where the product was already “excellent enough” two weeks ago.
The final product of this labour of love and passion is a complete workshop with all lesson plans and supporting materials created new or updated based on the experiences of CAWST trainers, WET Centre partners, workshop participants and myself. It is a library of work that (I believe) CAWST can be proud of and will effectively enable sanitation practitioners and those with a peaked curiosity, to learn knowledge and skills and gain new perspectives on the successes and challenges of working in the field of low cost sanitation. Some of the highlights of this new and improved workshop are latrine fact sheets; design tables for latrine pits, soak pits and infiltration trenches, and participatory lessons where you have never had so much fun learning about sanitation.
I am now officially passing these materials onto my colleagues to enrich their experience as a low cost sanitation trainer and the experience of their workshop participants. I am also passing these materials on to you. Yes you. In true CAWST fashion, all of the workshop materials are free, open content and downloadable. Feel free to use them, share them, copy them or change them remembering to acknowledge CAWST as your source.
If you want more information about the Introduction to Low Cost Sanitation workshop
and how you can attend/host one, or if have any questions, feedback or concerns about the materials please contact us! I will be storing all your input for the next time I embark on updating this workshop (it’s also a nice fuzzy feeling to hear how and where you are using the materials).
Good luck with your work! And remember to always check back for CAWST’s latest materials, the Education Program Development team is always busy at work (it might be a few months until you see my next project posted, but I can guarantee it’s an exciting one!).
Taryn Meyers
Education Program Developer
