Improved sanitation awareness, appropriate assistance and easy availability of building materials and construction skills have been known to increase the demand for household
latrines (Water and Sanitation Program, 2002). However in addition, the desire to be considered modern, ‘save face’ with guests and earn respect from neighbours also influences the demand for sanitation (Jenkins and Curtis, 2005). In a setting such as in Nelvoy village where open air defecation is rooted in traditional beliefs and is not associated withany stigma, educational interventions must focus on not only hazards of open air defecation, but project toilet usage as a modern, desirable practice. Sanitation must be ‘marketed’ in this and other villages to overcome local prejudices and barriers, and should use locally appropriate facilities promoted through the local government (Water and Sanitation Program, 2004). This may be more easily achievable in some sections of the community since people in higher SES category tend to use toilets more often (Table 4).