=== Moldova: ApaSan– Swiss water and sanitation project ===
'''''Basic data: '''''
By 2015, Swiss Cooperation has supported the construction of ecosan toilets in more than 56 schools, serving about 19,000 students and teachers in cooperation with school authorities of the districts. Effort was invested in monitoring and improving the toilets and in the implementation approach.
'''''The project and the experiences:'''''
People in many Moldovan villages live with poor sanitation and water supply infrastructure. The majority of households still rely on simple pit toilets in the yards, and the situation in most schools is not better: Usually there are pit toilets, built away from the main school building. More often than not, the toilet buildings are in bad conditions, without cabins or separators for privacy, without electricity or heating in winter, with no hand washing facilities and only poorly maintained and rarely cleaned. These toilets are unhygienic and unpleasant to use and they pollute the groundwater. School authorities lack of good alternatives, as flush toilets are rarely feasible, because there are no sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants in villages.
The long-standing support of the Swiss Cooperation to the development of the ecosan toilet solution was key to the success, as it allowed for continuous improvements until the solution reached maturity. The majority of school toilets of the first generation continue to work well. In Moldova, ecosan school toilets are now widely known to function well and to be clean and comfortable.
'''====The key lessons of the story:'''====
Moldova’s rural schools now have an alternative: clean and comfortable urine diverting dry toilets.
'''''===Sustainability Criteria:'''''===
'''Health and Hygiene: ''' The Moldovan ecosan school toilets control pathogens well and are generally much better maintained than the old pit toilets.''
'''Environment and natural resources: '''Ecosan toilets protect the environment better than pits (in rural Moldova there is no management of fecal sludge) or flush toilets (no wastewater treatment). They allow reusing human waste in agriculture.''
'''Technology and operation: ''' Ecosan toilets have proven to work well in rural schools in Moldova. They can be operated and maintained by school staff.''
'''Financial and economic issues: ''' Construction costs of ecosan school toilets are so low that school authorities can realistically cover them. O&M can be financed with available school budget.''
'''Socio-cultural and institutional aspects: ''' Ecosan toilets are well accepted by students, teachers, parents and also various national agencies. Regulatory framework is being adapted to include ecosan as standard for rural areas.''
===Project details===
'''Type of project: ''' Swiss Water and Sanitation Project (ApaSan)
'''Project period: ''' 2007-2015
'''Start of operation: ''' 2007
'''Project scale: ''' more than 56 schools in Moldovan villages (until 2015)
'''''The Swiss Water and Sanitation Project (ApaSan)''''' is implemented by the consulting company'''Skat Consulting Ltd.,''' financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and co-financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). The project has helped introducing and promoting ecosan toilets as an alternative option to unhygienic, uncomfortable and ground-water polluting pit latrines in rural schools in Moldova. In 8 years of support, more than 19,000 students and teachers in 56 schools have been served with better toilets, and the solution has been developed to maturity for up-scaling by Moldovan authorities.