Nano is a village of 2,000 people located in northern Togo, West Africa. Nano had little or no governmental support, and functioned without electricity or access the clean water. The village has no latrines and almost no effective public health knowledge or support. Debilitating individual health problems were wide-spread.
In 2005, Public Health International (PHI), working with community leadership, set up a Public Health Committee. PHI provided educational support to the Committee alerting it to health standards for sanitation and clean water.
PHI also worked with Committee and community leaders to sink clean water wells to serve the whole population, and built latrines to protect ground water and villagers from contaminants.
Nano’s 2,000 villagers now have clean water conveniently available, replacing the cattle pond which was its age-old source, and a basic but effective waste-management system. Nano’s committee is now working with PHI and surrounding communities to spread their new understanding of public health and its benefits. Newly enfranchised leaders are becoming aware of other improvements which will be sought for their communities.