Shielding our most vulnerable little hearts through safe sanitation.

UN approved Out the Blue Programs - Lusikisiki has stepped in to permanently close down the crumbling pit latrine threatening the toddlers at Jira Crèche/ECD centre, anchoring safety and dignity where it is needed most. By deploying a cutting-edge non-sewered sanitation (NSS) system—complete with innovative, water-conscious, low-flush mechanisms and dedicated handwashing stations—we are finally providing these young learners and their devoted caregivers with a clean, secure space, safeguarding the foundational human rights that every person, every child, deeply needs and deserves.

Safe Sanitation for Early Childhood.

Deep within a highly isolated pocket of Jambini, Lusikisiki, Jira Crèche serves as a vital lifeline for families raising very young children. For years, however, this essential centre was bottlenecked by a single, severely deteriorated pit toilet. It was the only facility available to the children, the manager, and the assistant carers. The structure was in a state of collapse, marked by widening holes in the floor that opened straight into the raw sewage pit below. In an environment filled with energetic toddlers, it is a profound miracle that no child had suffered a fatal fall.

Leaving early childhood spaces in this state is unacceptable; clean sanitation is a fundamental requirement for toddlers aged 2–6. At this highly sensitive stage of physical and cognitive growth, child-friendly infrastructure acts as a shield against devastating infections and diarrheal diseases. By replacing hazardous conditions with dignity and safety, we protect these small children from preventable injuries and illnesses, establishing an environment where they can safely learn, play, and thrive.

As a result, some terrified learners resorted to open defecation in nearby fields, exposing themselves to additional, unimaginable risks. The horrific dangers of pit toilets became tragically clear when a young learner fell through a broken pit toilet into the sewage pit below. Although he was fortunately rescued, the traumatic incident highlights the ongoing, lethal threat faced by thousands of children across South Africa, where unsafe pit toilets continue to place young, precious lives at risk every single day.

Toddlers aged

2-6

Center

Manager

Care Assistant

Staff

Impacts

Dignity and Safety

Banishing the daily fear of structural collapse and replacing it with a secure, protective sanctuary for toddlers to safely take their first steps into learning.

Protecting Early Childhood Innocence

Building tailored, age-appropriate safety parameters that physically insulate very young children during their most fragile formative years.

Private and Secure Spaces

Providing clean, private, and fully lockable child-friendly facilities that grant absolute peace of mind to both little ones and early learning staff.

Early Health Safeguards

Actively blocking the transmission of severe childhood diarrheal illnesses and intestinal parasites, to protect critical early cognitive and physical development.

Nurturing Communities Together

Rooting long-term operational success in local community governance to guarantee a safer, healthier start in life for generations of toddlers.

Unlocking SDG Key Indicators

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

Combating early childhood illness by wiping out direct exposure to toxic open pits.

SDG 4: Quality Education

Upgrading early childhood development centers so toddlers receive a safer, healthier start in life.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

Establishing a standard of privacy and physical protection for women and young children from an early age.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Replacing primitive latrines with eco-conscious, low-flush systems that defend the local eco-system and water table.

SDG 6.2.1: Safely Managed Sanitation Services.

SDG 6.3.1: Wastewater Safely Treated.

SDG 6.4.1: Water Use Efficiency.

SDG 6.5.1: Integrated Water Resource Management.

SDG 6.6.1: Water-related Ecosystems.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Bringing specialized, off-grid sanitation engineering into underserved rural communities.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Demonstrating how multi-sector alliances can efficiently fix systemic infrastructure backlogs.

Related Links

groundup.org.za

Pit toilets: Eastern Cape parents take matters into their own hands

Parents at Good Hope Primary in Cofimvaba are building their own toilets

social-tv.co.za

Safe Toilets Restore School Dignity - Social TV

WeSolve4x is driving a sanitation campaign to replace unsafe pit toilets in Eastern Cape schools and restore dignity for learners.

EG_Post_FrontPage_Fri_15_May_2026.pdf

Download PDF • 4.86MB

eastgriqualandpostnews.co.za

Initiative eradicates unsafe pit toilets - East Griqualand Post

Siphelele Nketo A MAJOR initiative by corporate partners to eradicate unsafe pit toilets in public schools was observed in one of the rural schools of the Eastern Cape in Lusikisiki. This was after the education non-profit, WeSolve4x Foundation, announced the massive infrastructure intervention aimed at replacing hazardous pit latrines in Eastern Cape schools with safe,

www.dailydispatch.co.za

Decade to end pit toilets — NPO steps in for Lusikisiki school

Babheke pupils receive safe facilities, while over 800 EC schools still without.

DailyDispatch_01June2026_Babheke.pdf

Download PDF • 1.60MB

A Foundation Built on Shared Gratitude.

This life-changing transformation would not be possible without the profound commitment of our valuable partners — Old Mutual Insure, WeSolve4X and Amalooloo.

We extend our deepest gratitude to them for stepping forward to protect Jira Crèche, delivering a future of safety, health, and dignity to these resilient learners and dedicated carers—because to the children and teachers who endured this for so long, we see you, and your dignity matters.

If you'd like to get involved with our Out the Blue Programs click here

Mrs Mzaza - Jira Crèche / ECD Centre Manager

“Seeing the transformation at Jira Creche, since the new sanitation unit has been installed, has been incredibly inspiring.

What started as a small centre, with big dreams, is now a place where children can learn and play safely every day. It’s a powerful reminder of what’s possible, when passionate people like our Janitress, Ms Lebitsa, are supported with the right resources and when communities, partners, and organisations work together to give children a stronger start in life.”