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Please consider offering your plumbing/mechanical skills to help RHF support and improve the lives of women and children, who are victims of rape.
RHF currently operates in rural Jinja, Kamul & Buyende, Uganda.
“To strengthen organizational capacity to improve socio-economic status of rural women and wellbeing of children in central and north eastern Uganda by 2021.”
RHF will focus on establishing water and sanitation facilities in schools, households and communities, conducting hygiene and sanitation improvement trainings, introducing new water and sanitation technologies, creating spaces for citizens to engage, influence and demand improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities from decision makers.
To contribute to reduction of gender disparities in education and children in vulnerable situations by 2021, RHF will ensure access to quality education and vocational training.
To increase literacy levels, vocational and life skills for women, youth and vulnerable children by 2021 RHF will support vocational skills development, adult education and capacity building.
For more information regarding RHF projects please contact:
hellentanyinga@gmail.com
Helen H. L. Tanyinga
Executive Director
Learn more here: https://www.rapehurts.org/
Ecuador Tierra Viva Foundation works toward improving access to safe water and sanitation, by installing, upgrading, repairing and maintaining systems in rural community schools.
Potential projects cover a wide range of social necessities including: Installation of water and sanitation systems, improvement of school and childcare infrastructure, provision of teaching resources, promotion of ancestral heritage, protection of archaeological sites, and environmental conservation through agricultural innovation and reforestation. Various projects are already in process while others seek funding, expertise and scheduling with the community groups involved.
Please consider offering your plumbing knowledge and skills to their projects and improving the lives of school children and the community. Sharing your knowledge and skills, you will not only improve health conditions, but also aid in helping the community to create the baseline for economic opportunity. You will be humbled by the generosity of the people, and overjoyed with having the experience of a lifetime.
Spanish language skills are advantageous but not required. Potential volunteers are expected to pay their travel expenses, and ETV requests a $150 per week donation to cover costs of volunteer lodging in a local bed/breakfast.
Thank you for considering this organization! For more information, please contact Paulina Vivanco at Ecuador Tierra Viva : info@ecuadortierraviva.org
Helping Hands 4 Africa would like to utilize your skills and knowledge in Uganda to develop and construct 5 wells for rural schools, that will provide clean safe drinking water for the students and community.
*Rain harvesting and upgrading pit latrine collection are potential projects when funding is finalized.
HH4Africa is a community based organization with multiple initiatives to improve the health and quality of life for poor communities of Uganda. NGO’s and the government have made improvements, but due to increasing population, scaling up coverage of water, sanitation, energy and infrastructure remains a serious issue.
The majority of the HH4Africa volunteers, are placed in rural areas of eastern Uganda although projects do also exist in other parts of the country. Potential volunteers will be working with the community leaders responsible for the project, and will likely stay with a host family involved in the construction of the wells.
*Volunteers with plumbing/mechanical skills are encouraged to apply. HH4Africa recommends if you can to stay at least 4 weeks, but 2 week stints can be helpful especially with your specific skills and knowledge.
HH4Africa is a volunteer run community organization with limited funding, thereby request volunteers are prepared to cover most of their travel and related personal expenses.
For more info, please contact:
Contact: Bogere Ali
email: bogere.hh4africa@gmail.com
Helping Hands 4 Africa
Aiming to improve sanitation for 100 million people by 2020 with an award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- SaTo products are designed to improve the user experience and safety of open-pit latrines
- Over one million units are currently in use in over 14 countries
- The Sato series today consists of several variations, adapted to suit local practices
TOKYO, JAPAN — LIXIL Corporation (“LIXIL”), a global leader in housing and building materials, products and services, today announced that it has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the expansion of its SaTo (“Safe Toilet”) business activities, providing affordable, aspirational solutions to people that lack access to proper sanitation.
SaTo products are designed to improve the user experience and safety of open-pit latrines. They are refined yet affordably priced and simple to install. They utilize an airtight counterweighted trap-door to prevent odors and the transmission of disease. First developed by LIXIL’s American Standard Brands with previous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, over one million units are currently in use in over 14 countries, starting with Bangladesh and now including the Philippines, India, Uganda, Kenya and Haiti.
Kinya Seto, LIXIL President and CEO, said, “As the global leader in sanitary ware, LIXIL is uniquely positioned to contribute to tackling global sanitation issues through innovative products and a sustainable business focused-approach. LIXIL has set a goal to improve sanitation for 100 million people by 2020, and SaTo products will play a leading role in reaching this target. We look forward to now increasing SaTo’s presence in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where these products can make a meaningful difference.”
Jim McHale, Ph.D., Vice President, LIXIL, and General Manager of the SaTo business unit, commented, “SaTo products offer a simple and affordable solution that can help improve the lives of people in low-income and off-grid areas suffering from poor sanitary conditions. We are now accelerating the scaling-up of the SaTo business, using the expertise we have developed in Japan, the U.S. and globally, to tackle poor sanitation. I would like to thank the Gates Foundation for its support, which will help us improve access to SaTo products in developing countries worldwide.”
Brian Arbogast, Director of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, “Inadequate sanitation is a pressing global problem, adversely affecting the health and prosperity of billions of people in low-resource setting. We are honored to partner with Lixil to explore and scale innovative product solutions that will expand sanitation access and improve outcomes for the poorest and most vulnerable around the world.”
During the SaTo development phase, engineers underwent a number of technological design iterations and field tests similar to designing high-end toilets, including computational analyses of flushing and fluid mechanisms. The Sato series today consists of several variations, adapted to suit local practices, cultures and regulations. This is the third grant provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the development of SaTo products.
Hurricane Matthew update!
Build Health International was in the process of building a new surgical center in Fond-des-Blancs, Haiti, when Hurricane Matthew struck the south coast. In its devastating aftermath, they are redeploying staff, crews, materials, equipment, and other resources in an all-out effort to help clear roads, repair bridges, ensure access to food and water, and prevent disease. It will be a long recovery, but BHI, in partnership with the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, is committed to seeing it through.
To stay up to date, check out their Facebook page. To donate, click here. Thank you.
Once disaster relief efforts have been stabilized, volunteer plumbers will be needed for various projects in Haiti for new construction and renovations.
Most work is start to finish; also some underground plumbing, finish work, medical equipment installation.
Please update your volunteer profile in the volunteer section of our website.
Current projects in Haiti in the design or construction phase include a national reference laboratory, surgical center, mother’s house and sanitation block, medical resident dorm, climate-controlled warehouse and distribution center, and residential school.
Build Health International is doing a major upgrade and expansion of the existing 500KW solar photo voltaic (PV) system at Hospital Universitaire in Mirebalais, as well as renovations and updates to 12 clinics across the country.
Based in Beverly MA, Build Health International has a small professional staff supported by skilled tradespeople who volunteer on site.
All travel, housing, and meals are provided. Monthly stipend: $500.
Date: project will begin As soon as possible
Anticipated project duration: 3 – Six Months
Organization Name: Build Health International
Website: www.buildhealthinternational.org
Volunteers Initiative Nepal initiated its disaster relief project to help victims right after the massive earthquake on 25th Aprll, 2015. They have completed two phases of disaster relief …. and can use your help…..
Click link below to the Volunteers Initiative Nepal -website for more details about water and sanitation projects…. Thank you!
https://www.volunteersinitiativenepal.org/post-disaster-relief-reconstruction-sustainability/
Construction for Change (CfC) has openings for volunteers with plumbing and electrical backgrounds who are looking to give of their time and expertise in exchange for a once in a life time experience as a CfC Project Manager serving in under-resourced communities across the globe.
“Our goal is to build safe, sustainable infrastructure for nonprofits across the world. We partner with other non-profit organizations worldwide that are addressing gaps in education, healthcare, and economic opportunity, but lack the construction knowledge and financial resources to invest in the infrastructure needed to expand or improve their services. By providing quality infrastructure, we empower communities to create opportunity, improve the quality of life for themselves and their families, and help to break the cycle of poverty.”
These two projects are representative of some of the types of projects that have recently benefitted from the services of volunteer plumbers connecting with Construction for Change:
Sierra Leone :
“We are working with partner organization, Partners in Health (PIH), to assist in making many improvements to an important regional hospital that will be PIH’s hub in SL. Ideal candidates have knowledge of water systems, sanitation, some electrical and basic building structures. We are looking for someone who can help the Operations and Clinical teams get things done in the face of many obstacles. Timeframe is a minimum of 6-12 months, would consider a shorter time period for someone who would have an impact. This role is critical to PIH’s program and mission in West Africa. All living travel and living expenses are paid for by CfC & its partner organizations.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Haiti:
Project Manager(s) needed to oversee construction of a water systems project in Haiti.
This project may take as long as a year to complete, depending on the volunteer(s). Overhauling a water system including conversion from diesel to solar power, for St. Boniface Hospital, and the Fond des Blancs community. Individuals with experience in plumbing and electrical are desired, previous experience in project management not required. Transportation, lodging, food, and insurance is provided.
For more info on these projects and others:
Please add your name to the Plumbers Without Borders’ volunteer database, by signing in and creating a profile.
Thank you!
Your plumbing and mechanical skills could help improve the lives of these beautiful children, who became orphans when the ebola virus took their parents.
They currently have to fetch water by hand from a nearby well, and would greatly benefit from the installation of a solar water pump. While the orphanage searches for a suitable pump kit, hopefully to be donated, they would love to hear from you if you could potentially help them with the installation and training to maintain.
Please sign up as a potential volunteer, or sign-in if you already have an account, and let us know that you would like to connect with this orphanage.
These Haitian siblings ― residents of Pierre Payen, Haiti ― are beaming with pride. They were the first.
The first home in Friendship Village with no flying insects spreading dangerous diseases to their family.
Also, the first residents in their village to live free from a latrine stench pervading their living quarters.
The first family in Haiti to have a revolutionary SaTo sanitary toilet pan installed in their home. And have their quality of life forever improved. On July 11, 2014, this Haitian banana harvester, Edline, and her family became owners of the first SaTo hygienic toilet pan installed in the Western Hemisphere.

The SaTo sanitary toilet pan was invented by plumbing manufacturer American Standard Brands initially for use in rural Bangladesh. It closes off pit latrines from the open air, reducing the transmission of disease via air-borne insects. Here in this village in Haiti, half a world away from Bangladesh, the SaTo toilet pan serves the same purpose.
With several small children, this household ― located 90 miles outside the island nation’s capital of Port o Prince ― was in desperate need of an improved sanitation device. Like most residents, this family was using an open latrine when going to the bathroom. Located inside their home, the latrine emitted an unpleasant odor while allowing insects to easily come into contact with the human waste. This led to the spread of disease from the pathogens transmitted from the insects to the family members.

Nearly all of the villagers attended this historic SaTo installation. It symbolized an important step forward in improving sanitation in a nation still reconstructing two years after this devastating natural disaster. Aside from learning about the SaTo pan’s benefits, residents were educated on basic plumbing tips. They were instructed how to keep all open sewer lines tightly capped and extend the latrine vent well above the roof line of their homes.This initial SaTo pan was installed by American Standard’s Jim McHale, Ph.D., who serves as the Company’s global sanitation products business unit leader. McHale accompanied volunteers from Plumbers Without Borders to Haiti in July 2014 to determine if the SaTo pans would be useful in improving sanitation facilities in that country. He visited with 40 families in Friendship Village, a community developed and built by NGO Food for the Poor to provide shelter for the victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquake.
In 2014, American Standard will be donating more than 7,900 SaTo pans for use in homes, schools and tent cities in Haiti. Food for the Poor will assist with the pan distribution to villages throughout the nation. This effort will help Haiti’s residents rebuild with safer sanitation facilities and an improved quality of life, one SaTo at a time.
SaTo™ is a registered trademark of American Standard Brands.
Source: SaTo Stories: SaTo Toilet Pan Brings Safe Sanitation to Rural Haiti
Watch this video about Fred’s trip to Haiti and the installation of the first SATO in the Western Hemisphere.
Please consider offering your skills and knowledge to help Patrick and his staff to continue delivering health services to over 600,000 plus clients yearly. You will have a life changing experience providing you with a lifetime of memories and friendships. Please update your volunteer profile in our database on the Volunteer page.
This request for help comes directly from the Ganta Hospital Administrator, Patrick Mantor.
Excerpts and description of work and staff by Mr. Mantor
Our hospital is outfitted with 1946 plumbing and it needs to be replaced. This is a very big and technical project. Our constraints are funding and acquiring qualified and experienced plumbers to draw up a plumbing system replacement plan and attach realistic cost estimate. With the realistic cost estimate, we will invite our partners to support us to modernize the plumbing system.
We solicit volunteer plumbers to assist us.
We will provide in country transportation, housing and meals.
The pediatric ward and the ob/gyn ward will be the first areas that will be retrofit. We have a very hard working and committed maintenance crew. However, their level of expertise is limited.
We have one plumber and one plumbing assistant who learned their trade through an apprentice type training. All water and sewage systems are onsite with well water and septic field. We have deep drilled wells and electric pumps pumping water into many reservoirs with gravity flow through the piping system.
Piping Materials are locally available.
Main contacts for project:
Patrick Mantor, pmantorm@gmail.com
and Mary Zigbuo, maryrandallzigbuo@gmail.com.
Thanks so much for your help.
PATRICK M. MANTOR
ADMINISTRATOR
GANTA UNITED METHODIST HOSPITAL
P.O. BOX 1010
GANTA, LIBERIA
telephone: +231 880834162; +231 770456998
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — In an early 20th century advertisement from American Standard Brands, a proud plumber holding a pipe wrench stands below a slogan that reads “The Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation.” Now a five-year old, Seattle-based non-profit called Plumbers Without Borders (PWB) wants to update that truism for the 21st century.
“We want to be able to say that the plumber protects the health of the world,” said Domenico DiGregorio, a retired plumbing industry pro who is the organization’s co-founder and president. “As the world marked the 13th annual World Toilet Day in November, we wanted to see how this relatively young organization is working to raise awareness.”
Debra Judge Silber, of Fine Homebuilding Magazine, recently sat down with Fred Schilling for an insightful interview about his work and altruistic efforts. Fred is a VP of Plumbers Without Borders and has made a name for himself as not only a master plumber but also as caring individual who is not afraid to get his hands dirty for the greater good.
He’s plumbed luxury homes, commercial buildings, and a water park. Now he’s bringing clean water—and the skills needed to keep it flowing—to Haiti.