SOUTHERN PROVINCE

NYAMAGABE — Callixite Nkusi, the head teacher of Groupe Scolaire Cyanika could not hide his excitement as he took visitors around his school garden.

The size of the carrots and onions from this small school garden amused many including Energy State Minister, Engineer Albert Butare.

However, there is a secret behind the high productivity of the school garden. With support from the European Commission, the school constructed Eco-sun toilets which have made it possible for human waste to be turned into fertilisers.

The simple technology enables the separation of urine from the hard human waste. According to Nkusi, urine tapped in big containers is kept for 45 days before being used in the gardens.

After 45 days one litre of urine is mixed with four litres of water and then channelled into the gardens. The human hard waste on the other hand  is normally used after six months whereby it is also added to the gardens to boost soil productivity. The results have been encouraging.

"We are now able to supplement our students’ feeding needs in addition to protecting the environment. We no longer need to dig pit latrines since we now need the waste for productive purposes,” said the head teacher.

Francine Itangishaka, a worker on the school garden has adopted the simple technology and applied it to her garden at home.

The district Mayor Alphonse Munyentwari, says the Eco-sun toilet technology is now being directed from institutional to family levels.

"Schools and health facilities have demonstrated that this simple technology can boost agricultural production. We are now encouraging families to embrace it because it is productive and environmentally friendly,” he said.

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