AfriGadget

The VIP - an invention from Zimbabwe

Ingenuity, obviously, isn’t only limited to the African continent, as it is especially found in societies where access to resources is limited. While we’ve been able to witness lots of interesting innovations from other regions of the world that were born out of a lack of readily available solutions, we must also not forget that a few smart ideas were actually developed in Africa and have since then conquered the world.

One of such smart ideas is the Ventilated (Improved) Pit Latrine, in short: the VIP – which was developed as the “Blair Latrine” by Peter Morgan, who has been living and working in Zimbabwe for over 35 years, researching and developing water and sanitation technologies.

venting a pit latrine
Diagram showing effect of vent pipe on functions of pit latrine (source)

The major advantage of the VIP over a normal pit latrine is that it comes with a ventilation pipe (covered with a durable fly screen on top) which reduces flies and odour. In the absence of other alternatives, the Ventilated Pit Latrine is considered reliable, which explains the success of this technology: over 500.000+ units of this type have been built in Zimbabwe alone and it has proven to work elsewhere around the world.

The VIP clearly isn’t the solution to sustainable sanitation as it comes with a few limitations, but it does function without water and has very low investment, operation and maintenance costs.

Next to some interesting experiments with different water pump systems such as the Blair hand pump (also known as the Zimbabwe Bush Pump) or the spiral water wheel pump, Peter is also active in the field of ecological sanitation and recently published a very interesting booklet titled “Toilets That Make Compost” where he writes about his experiences with compost toilets such as the Arborloo and the Fossa Alterna.

screenshot from Peter Morgan’s manual on how to build an Arborloo (PDF,~ 3,1MB)

While there’s no single sanitation concept that will work in all places around the world, the VIP for one is a proven technology which has been accepted by its users since 30 years.

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7 comments for this post.

Comment from Bruno deméocq
29 August 2007 - 1:25 pm - :

I do have the same VIP at home in Dakar ! Are u sure it’s coming from Zimbabwe ? ?

Comment from JKE
29 August 2007 - 4:10 pm - :

Well - that’s exactly the point: while the concept of a Ventilated Improved Pit latrine (VIP) was initially designed at the Blair Research Laboratory in Zimbabwe in the 1970s, the technology has since then been exported to other countries.

Comment from Erik Hersman
30 August 2007 - 3:50 am - :

500,000 in just Zimbabwe! Man, that’s a lot. I had no idea that’s where they originally came from either.

Comment from metamanda>>weblog
21 October 2007 - 4:31 am - :

of my very favorite technologies out there, or at least one of my very favorite papers about a technology. Peter Morgan, the nearly-invisible inventor of the bush pump, designed other wonderfully simple, accessible, practically useful stuff like theventilated (improved) pit latrine, or VIP. He’s also apparently working on composting toilets. The best thing: these technologies are designed for use in Africa. They are designed for their context, and work in that context, while also allowing for end-users to adapt them for unanticipated

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Comment from ::: Planète Béranger :::
24 October 2007 - 2:17 am - :

[...] Via AfriGadget, who also lists the home-made helicopter (from a Honda Civic, an old Toyota and from the remains of a crashed Boeing 747) and the Human and Animal Powered Vehicle, here’s the invention of the day: the VIP — Ventilated (Improved) Pit Latrine: [...]

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Comment from Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG)
30 October 2007 - 10:34 pm - :

bio-sticks?)is seen as a way to reduce dependence on Middle East oil and lessen the impact of global warming. Japan imports virtually all of its energy resources including oil. Other ideas for how to use unwanted/unused chopsticks. [IMG :)]The VIP - an invention from Zimbabwefrom Afrigadget [IMG Venting a pit latrine] The major advantage of the VIP over a normal pit latrine is that it comes with a ventilation pipe (covered with a durable fly screen on top) which reduces flies and odour. In the absence of other

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Comment from Jan Martin
23 May 2008 - 4:24 pm - :

By the way, mobile toilets use at construction sites in Germany are build the same way. Only difference is that the pipe is inside the toilet (for no other reason than to make it more compact), and it is painted black.

Due to the black color it heats up and works like a chimney, sucking out all the odor from the toilet itself.

Works great and independent of wind.