Explanation of Diagram 2. This diagram presents the effects of the latrine training mat in two main categories: the ways in which the LTM has been effective, and the ways in which it was used incorrectly and/or perceived negatively. As listed in the blue bubbles under the heading “Areas of Effectiveness,”and then explained in more detail in the corresponding yellow boxes, the LTM was effective in three main ways. First, it successfully addressed and removed the key barriers to latrine use that existed for young children in this context (namely, the child’s fear of using the large latrine hole, the mother’s fear of the child falling into the latrine hole, and the mother’s fear of the child coming into contact with unsanitary conditions inside the latrine). Next, it was able to facilitate children’s use of the latrine at an earlier age, even as young as two years old, by removing the need for designated dfefecation spots outside of the latrine. Third, it also reduced the mother’s workload by diminishing her time and effort spent on assisting her child with defecation, removing the feces, and cleaning the area. The column on the right of the diagram identifies some key issues that need to be addressed in order for the latrine training mat to achieve greater effectiveness. These three areas of necessary improvement are summarized in blue bubbles and then further unpacked in the corresponding yellow boxes. First, the size of the LTM hole – particularly on the #1 slab prototype will need to be addressed. The hole on this slab was perceived by mothers to be too big for children under five, but was still positively perceived because it could be used by adults as well as children. This could potentially be addressed through improving the behavior messaging to include a more effective way of communicating the safety of the slab for young children. In addition, there is a need for improved messaging regarding other issues such as proper LTM cleaning, hand-washing, storage, etc. Finally, the issue of the mat’s permanence in the latrine must be addressed by either finding a way to ensure that it cannot physically leave the latrine, dealing with the issue of latrine security, or re-structuring behavior messaging to strengthen mothers’ understanding of the importance of latrine storage to reduce contamination. Storing the mats exclusively in the latrine will not only further reduce mothers’ workload (by removing the need for her to carry the LTM to and from the latrine each day), it will also h...
