It’s Fortunate to Have Credits of Toilets...

KOMPAS/PINGKAN ELITA DUNDU

Residents of Kampung Kelor, Sepatan Timur district, Tangerang, Banten, still defecate on the farm and in the river because toilets have not become a priority in their respective houses. A public restroom built by a social institution 10 years ago was in an alarming condition on Thursday (15/11/2018).

For the last two years, Saroh, 48, has had her own toilet and sanitation facilities in house. A resident of Pisangan Pangsor, Sangiang village, Tangerang regency, Banten, no longer had to go to the farm or river to defecate. The toilet has also saved her from worries to be swept by the river water flow during defecating.

“It’s convenient to have a toilet, bathroom with clean water. There is no need to go to the river, farm, and paddy field any longer. I’m no longer afraid of being swept away by the river water flow,” Saroh said on Thursday (15/11/2018).

Previously, like the habit of her neighbors, Saroh defecated at the farm or paddy field about 100 meters from her house. On other occasions, she defecated on irrigation channel, about 20 meters from her house.

This habit of defecating is locally called medol. The local people later create popular terms, like dolbon alias medol di kebon (defecating at the farm) and doli alias medol di kali (defecating in the river).

“In the past, my eldest daughter, at the age of three years, was swept away when she was defecating in the river. I’m afraid that my grandchild will have the same experience like my daughter. Therefore, as soon as there was an invitation to join a cooperatives to get credit for toilet, I joined it. Alhamdulillah (Thanks God), it is more convenient now,” said Saroh, a member of Benteng Mikro Indonesia (BMI) Sharia Cooperative.

Another BMI cooperative member is Hayati, 52, a resident of Sindang Sono village, Sindang Jaya district, Tangerang regency. Seven years ago, she renovated her house, but failed to equip it with a toilet.

The decision to have a toilet and bathroom measuring 2 meters x 1.5 meters happened two years ago because she was ashamed to her grandchildren, sons and daughters in law and their parents.

“My grandchildren and sons and daughters in law, who live in Jakarta, were reluctant to come here, let alone to stay overnight. They did not want and were not used to defecate at the farm, ponds, let along the river. They no longer wanted to go home here during Lebaran holidays. Finally I took the credit from the (BMI) cooperative,” said Hayati, the grandmother of 12 grandchildren.

Head of the Sepatan branch office of BMI Cooperative Kartubi sadi the cooperative provides micro credits for sanitation management and credits from clean water in a household scale because many residents do not have their own toilets.

The cooperative is present to ensure that the low-income residents have the opportunity to have their own appropriate toilets and septic tanks.

Kartubi explained that the sanitation credit program included the provision of sanitation packages,

namely toilets, septic tanks, and clean water (pump wells). The time and amount of installments are adjusted to the ability of the residents, at least Rp 10,000 per week.

Thus far, Kartubi said, the cooperative has up to 6,000 members, including 300 in Sepatan.

Still low

The Tangerang Regency Health Office recorded that as of October 2018, up to 27.2 percent of 3.4 million residents still have the habit of defecating anywhere, at the farm or river.

The coverage of the Smart Community-based Total Sanitation (STBM) in Tangerang regency in 2017 still reached 72.54 percent. This percentage was lower that South Tangerang city (99.20 percent) and Tangerang city (98.87 percent). The STBM coverage also showed that the target had not been met in Tangerang regency.

Head of Tangerang Regency Health Office Desriana sadi that in 2012 up to 66.6 percent of the residents did no longer have the habit of defecating anywhere and in 2017 the number rose to 72.18 percent. As of October 2018, about 72.8 percent of the residents have been aware of the importance of sanitation.

So far, areas with low STBM coverage are located in Jambe, Jayanti, Kronjo, Rajeg, and Pakuhaji.

Social welfare observer from the University of Indonesia and University of Pelita Harapan Paulus Tangdilinting said that the habit of defecating at the farm and river has been inherited for generations. “So this habit (dolbon and doli) has been conducted as a way of life of the local community,” he said.

In order to change such a habit, according to Tangdilinting, a period of one to two years is needed. The government and other institutions intending to change this habit have to be patient.

“Indeed there should a pre-conditioning which has to be met to change this habit. The pre-conditioning will be the one which will change it. Besides the government, the community needs an institution which cares about the need of the life of the community, such as cooperative,” he said.

Be starting, Tangdilinting added, it would be better for the government and institutions which help building the decent sanitation facilities have to awaken in advance that healthy and clean life is important.

Toilets have to be accompanied with other facilities, such as the adequate availability of clean water. Cooperatives which provide credits for toilets are badly needed.

No less important is the fact that building public awareness for a clean and healthy life needs patience. And fortunately, there are now cooperatives and credits for toilets...