Mud to Mortar
PROJECT LOCATION
Savar and Dhamrai Upazila, Bangladesh
Status
Ongoing
When
2014 - Present
Health Concern
Diarrheal Diseases, Upper Respiratory Infections
Project Hypothesis
Flooring upgrades will reduce diarrheal disease in peri-urban and rural homes near Savar, Bangladesh
Project Strategy
Construction of cost-effective, low-tech, easily cleaned concrete flooring intervention and education campaigns educating beneficiaries and the community on best sanitation and hygiene practices
Project Outcomes
The project reduced diarrheal disease but also proved that the flooring intervention has a number of health and social co-benefits, making the return on investment high. Through multiple iterations, the flooring intervention for Phase III costs $1.21 per square foot.
Phases IV and V included a training component for women to learn masonry assistant skills gain practical experience as part of the Mud to Mortar construction team. This experience provides them with an immediately employable skill that can open new opportunities to generate income in an area of work not typically available to them.
Number of Structures Improved
356 houses
Beneficiaries
- 1480 direct participants
- 2615 indirect participants through community workshops
- 5,569,103 individuals were reached through media campaigns
Research Outcomes
Pilot Phase:
- 23% decrease in the overall incidence of diarrheal disease.
- On average, women are spending 20 hours less each week maintaining their floors.
- 72% decrease in diarrheal episodes.
- 83% decrease in breathing problems.
- 53% decrease in coughing.
- 92% decrease in short and rapid breathing.
- 52% decrease in diarrheal disease.
- 79% of respondents reported a decrease in intestinal worm infestations.
- 68% increase in respondents who wash their hands regularly at critical times such as before eating, before feeding their child, and after using the toilet.
- 33% reduction of self-reported incidence of severe diarrheal episodes.
- 20% reduction of self-reported incidence of mild symptoms of diarrheal episodes.
- 22% reduction of self-reported incidence of respiratory illnesses.
- 24% reduction of self-reported incidence of skin infections.
- 32% reduction of self-reported incidence of worm infections.
- The families collectively saved ~$4,500 USD in medical treatment and from increased home security.
- 60% increase in knowledge retention about handwashing and disease prevention.
- 69% of respondents not only retained what they learned but also practiced washing their hands at critical moments.
- 76 families collectively saved 1,567 hours per week from cleaning dirt floors.
- 76 families collectively saved 1,676 hours per month from maintaining dirt floors.
- 79% decrease of self-reported incidence of diarrheal episodes.
- 62% decrease of self-reported incidence of respiratory illness.
- 90% decrease of self-reported skin ailments.
- 50% decrease of self-reported intestinal worm infections.
- Increased knowledge of critical handwashing moments for handwashing (after defacation, before preparing food, before eating, before feeding child).
- Decrease in days of lost productivity (school or work) due to illness in previous month: 91 in month prior to baseline and 10 in month prior to endline.
- 41 families collectively save 289 hours each month on cleaning and maintaining floors in their house.
- 39 Women were trained to work as a masons assistant and participated in construction of floors as part of the project; 21 women reported later working for pay as a mason assistant in a construction after their training and participation in the Mud to Mortar project.
- 57% decrease of self-reported incidence of diarrheal episodes.
- 53% decrease of self-reported incidence of respiratory illness.
- 22% decrease of self-reported skin ailments.
- The time households spend on cleaning their floor was reduced to half; time required for maintenance was early completely eliminated.
- Number of participants who state they always wash hands at critical moments (after using the toilet, before preparing food, before eating) increased.
- Increase in number of participants who could name specific possible causes of diarrhea in their context.
- 14 out of 19 women interviewed at time of follow-up reported having worked as a mason assistant for pay outside of the Mud to Mortar project.
Project Partners
- Local Implementing Partner - Association of Development for Economic and Social Help (ADESH)
- Phase I Design Partner - Grimshaw Architects
- Phase I & II Research Partner - BRAC University
- Phase III Technical Design Advisor - Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI)
SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT PROVIDED IN PART BY
- International Foundation
- Thornton Tomasetti Foundation
- UBS Optimus Foundation (UBSOF)
- ARCHIVE Global Board of Directors
- Individual donors through CaringCrowd by Johnson & Johnson
- CaringCrowd by Johnson & Johnson
- HighFives Campaign
- Individual Supporters
For more information please contact ARCHIVE here
A Phase II beneficiary home before construction (2018).
A Phase II beneficiary family and their home post construction (2019).
ARCHIVE, ADESH, and Grimshaw staff meeting with local project masons to develop new construction method for Phase II (2018).
Phase II community courtyard training led by ADESH staff, educating community members on healthy hygiene practices (2019).
A Phase II beneficiary family and their home post construction (2019).
A Phase I beneficiary home during construction (2018).
A mason works on a Phase I beneficiary home (2018).
A Phase I beneficiary family and their home post construction (2018).
Pilot Phase community training led by ADESH staff, educating community members on healthy hygiene practices (2014).
A Pilot Phase beneficiary home (2017).
A Pilot Phase beneficiary home and family (2017).
A Pilot Phase beneficiary home (2017).
A Phase I beneficiary family and their home post construction (2018).
ARCHIVE, ADESH, Grimshaw, and HBRI pose for a photo outside ADESH’s headquarters (2018).