In late November 2009, the Peepoo solution was launched in Silanga, a village in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. Approximately 20,000 people live in Silanga and sanitation is severely lacking throughout the community. Peepoople is currently serving around 2000 people, which is improving the health and livelihoods of Silanga’s residents. This has also created a series of work opportunities, both formal and informal, within the community.

In addition to supplying Peepoo toilets to the people of Silanga, the purpose of the project is to demonstrate how Peepoo functions in larger scale settings. As part of the process of gauging acceptance and usage, various aspects of the Peepoo value chain, including distribution, collection and reuse of Peepoos is also being adjusted and monitored.

The Peepoople Kenya team is working in a very close relationship with the Silanga Chief, Chairman and Elders of the community in planning and implementing the Peepoo solution. The purpose is to build a sustainable sanitation system that will improve the health and living conditions for the residents in Kibera. At the same time, the use of Peepoo will create work opportunities for slum dwellers, and contribute to food security in the short-term, as well as over a long-term perspective. The success of this initiative will enable the creation of a sustainable sanitation model that is easily scalable and can be duplicated in urban slums throughout the world.

Most of the schools in Kibera are informal. Parents pay a school fee, if they can, and the children need to wear school uniforms. School classes are large, sometimes as many as 50 to a 100 children are squeezed into a small room. Very few schools have good and hygienic sanitation, many of them even lack toilets altogether. In these cases the teachers need to bring all the children together some distance to a communal pay toilet. Shared toilets are often dirty and overfull. In other cases the children just run out and defecate in the open, which sometimes leads to rape.

In over 80 schools in Kibera the Peepoo sanitation system is in use. The Peepoo solution ensures a healthy, safe and clean sanitation solution. Peepoo is implemented with training in hygiene, health and sanitation to the children and teachers. The importance of hand washing with water and soap is in focus. In some schools the used Peepoos are reused as fertiliser in gardens and contribute to food security. Peepoo Kids Clubs promote hygiene and agriculture with competitions and training.

In 2014 – 2015, the United Postcode Lotteries are contributing with 3 million SEK, which enables 10 000 more school children to be added to the programme in Kibera.