Where we are
Kenya
Situated in East Africa, Kenya has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) in East and Central Africa and its capital Nairobi is a regional commercial hub. However, it is still an extremely poor country. Approximately half of the population lives in absolute poverty and a large majority lack access to improved sanitation. It is estimated that 60% of the population in Nairobi live in slums, where the ratio of toilets to people is about one in 300.
In June of 2010, Peepoople registered and incorporated Peepoople Kenya as a non-government organisation (NGO) in Kenya. Peepoople Kenya is the legal entity base for the initial launch project (ILP) in Nairobi, our first urban slum launch project in Kibera, as well as other Peepoople projects in Kenya.
Besides in the slum Peepoo has successfully been tried in areas affected by floods and in refugee/IDP camps in Kenya.
South Africa
South Africa has a high unemployment rate and also ranks high in income inequality. In addition, the country has a low gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and high poverty rate. In contrast to many countries in similar situations, the informal economy of South Africa is not thriving. This is due in part to the fact that approximately 30% of the urban population resides in slums.
Peepoople has conducted a test in the Durban slum.
Pakistan
Climate change is becoming evident in countries like Pakistan where natural disasters have occured more frequently in recent years. In Pakistan alone, 20 million people were affected by floods in 2010, and 5 million more in 2011. In many emergency situations, access to adequate sanitation is one of the strongest determinants of survival by people in these types of emergencies.
Climate change, coupled with conflicts and a measureable lag in achieving sanitation- and water-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) require new thinking for making the MDGs practical to achieve in Pakistan and elsewhere. According to UNICEF and WHO, 23% of the residents in Pakistan defecate in the open as a daily practice. A paradigm shift is necessary to harness the humanitarian assistance so that it contributes to long-term development and achievement of MDGs. A rights-based approach that addresses the needs of those at the bottom of the economic pyramid first, is the process that Peepoo is implementing.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, natural disasters induced by climate change affect the lives and livelihoods of tens of millions of residents and threaten to slow down, or even reverse progress made to alleviate poverty. 75% of the country lies less than 10 meters above sea level and 80% of Bangladesh is considered to be a flood plain. Consequently, residents throughout the country constantly face a high risk of flooding. Approximately 18% of Bangladesh’s surface is flooded each year, and has been measured at up to 75%. The destruction from these natural disasters has resulted in more than 7 million homes destroyed and 5,000 people killed.
To date, Peepoople has conducted a project in Mymensingh, Bangladesh with a focus on slums.
New Zealand
New Zealand is comprised of two main islands and a number of smaller ones distinguished by mountain ranges and volcanic activity. Earthquakes are common throughout the country, but in most cases, they are not too severe.
Peepoople’s focus is not on Western markets or developed countries such as New Zealand. However, following a severe earthquake in 2011 in the capital city of Christchurch, Peepoo was distributed to people affected by this natural disaster.
Haiti
On January 12 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti and devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 200,000 people were killed, and more than 1.5 million residents were displaced. The government was disabled and infrastructure decimated.
When the earthquake hit, it effectively destroyed water and sanitation systems near the epicentre. As a result, more than 1.5 million people were left without access to safe drinking water or toilets. Even before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 80% of the population lives under the poverty line and the water and sanitation facilities that were in place prior to the disaster were chronically under-developed.
According to UNICEF and WHO, 28% of the population practices open defecation. In rural areas the amount is as high as 49%. Between 1995 and 2012 there was only a 3% decrease in access to sanitation facilities.
