grantees » Michelo Katambo

This grantee is still in the process of their leadership development with the JWH initiative.

Michelo is a project coordinator for Global Dry Toilet Association  project, partnered with Kaloko Trust Zambia (KTZ). She works tirelessly to promote dry sanitation and promote ecological toilets in Zambia as a means of increasing access to sanitation, conserving water, and enhancing natural nutrient cycles. Michelo has been an incredible source of motivation for the local Zambians to improve their own lives. She believes that sanitation projects cannot work unless communities are committed to being responsible for the environment themselves. In line with this principle, she has educated many people  on the concepts and benefits of dry toilets as a way to address basic hygiene and environmental needs. Her dedication to her work is so strong that she moved to the village in which she works so she could be closer with the people and the projects to which she is devoted, despite the sometimes difficult conditions. Thanks to Michelo’s hard work, there are now 11 sanitation clubs and water committees in the region, with almost 40 dry toilets in the area.

Michelo would like to revitalize her work in this field, and to do so, she will use her JWH Initiative grant to pursue various education opportunities. She has been accepted at the Institute for Capacity Development in Pretoria, South Africa and will attend a course that covers topics such as project planning, monitoring, and evaluation. She hopes this course will help her in her work as the project coordinator at KTZ, and with her future endeavors promoting dry toilets and sustainable sanitation initiatives.