New sanitation facilities will improve health, safety, and dignity for families.
The Rotary E-Club of Sunshine, New York, has launched its first international service project of the new Rotary year—an initiative providing sanitary toilets to families in rural Bangladesh.
The project, titled “Toilets for Health,” supports Rotary’s area of focus of Maternal and Child Health, which the Club is highlighting during July. When completed, the project will provide five hygienic toilets for five families living in villages where safe and private sanitation facilities are extremely limited.
The first two toilets have already been completed and formally handed over to the recipient families. Construction of the remaining three facilities is expected to be completed soon. Altogether, at least 35 women, men, and children will directly benefit from the project.
For families in these communities, the new toilets represent far more than a physical structure. They provide privacy, personal safety, improved hygiene, and protection from illnesses associated with inadequate sanitation.
Before the project began, women and girls often had no private place to use a toilet. Many were forced to wait until after dark and walk to secluded outdoor areas, exposing them to discomfort, health risks, insects, snakes, and potential personal danger.
Bathing and washing were also difficult. Families frequently depended on a nearby pond that had become polluted through heavy use.
“Before the toilet was built, the women and girls in our family had to wait until it was dark to go outside,” Monika, a local mother said. “Now we have privacy and feel much safer. This has brought dignity and peace of mind to our entire family.”
Each toilet has been constructed on a raised platform and includes a sanitary toilet pan connected to a covered containment well. The facility also includes a separated space for bathing and washing and is designed to follow accepted standards for rural sanitation.
Locally available corrugated iron sheets have been used to enclose the sides and roof, making the structures private, durable, and appropriate for village conditions. Purchasing materials locally also reduces transportation costs while supporting businesses and workers in the surrounding community.
Because the villages do not have household running water, each recipient family has also received durable hygiene supplies, including a water bucket and mug. Water can be collected from nearby public tubewells previously installed through another service project supported by the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine.
“We used to depend on the pond for bathing and washing, even when the water was not clean,” another resident, Samiya, explained. “Having a private place where we can use clean tubewell water will help protect our children and keep the family healthier.”
The cost of constructing each toilet is approximately $250 in local currency, making the project a practical and cost-effective investment in community health. Funding was raised by Club members and supporters in several locations, with an additional subsidy provided by the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine.
As an e-Club, Sunshine Rotary brings together members living in different parts of the United States and other countries. The project demonstrates how members separated by geography can still unite resources, expertise, and compassion to address urgent needs in communities around the world.
“Access to a safe and sanitary toilet should not be considered a luxury,” said Club Charter President Bina. “It is essential to health, dignity, and personal safety, especially for women and children. Through this project, our members are helping five families achieve a lasting improvement in their daily lives.”
The construction work was supervised by a group of local volunteers associated with the government village health establishment. Their involvement helped ensure that the facilities were properly located, constructed safely, and suited to the needs of each household.
The project also reflects Sunshine Rotary’s commitment to sustainable service. The toilets have been designed using materials that can be maintained locally, while access to the Club-supported tubewells provides families with a nearby source of cleaner water.
“This project builds upon our earlier work providing community tubewells,” the Club Charter President added. “By connecting access to water with sanitation and hygiene, we are creating a more complete and sustainable approach to improving family health.”
With two toilets already in use and three more nearing completion, “Toilets for Health” is already transforming daily life for participating families. The project illustrates how a relatively modest investment can produce long-term benefits—reducing health risks, improving safety, and restoring privacy and dignity.
Through initiatives such as this, the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine, New York, continues to demonstrate Rotary’s commitment to Service Above Self and its belief that meaningful change begins by addressing the fundamental needs of individuals, families, and communities.