In Pictures: The Beauty of Toilets
Desk Report
Published: 17 Dec 2020, 04:30 pm
Theresia's toilet, complete with a corrugated iron roof, was built for her by the community and her daughter. Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Domitria bought the mud bricks, her neighbors dug the hole and donated wood for the floor and metal sheeting for the roof. Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Jean-Pierre's toilet showcases his commitment to hygiene: it has a cement, rather than the wooden, floor, which is easier to keep clean, and it has a board over the top to keep flies out when not in use. Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Noely's toilet has a squash vine growing over it. She's pleased it's flowering and laughs "It's the first time I've grown a squash on the toilet." Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Marie Lydia's toilet was built when almost everyone else in the village already had one. Marie said: "We paid for our first ever toilet by ploughing other people's land." Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Athanasia's toilet, constructed under a eucalyptus tree, was built for her by the community. It has a view of Gitwa below, sandy paths and steeply terraced vegetable gardens. Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Agnes said: "I am very happy because I don't have to collect grass every morning to put on top of the roof." Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
Marie-Pierrette's toilet offers an opportunity for her to express herself, and every aspect is considered carefully. "I am most proud of its shape - it's quite small. I wash and clean it every day. I try to do my best." Photo: Elena Heatherwick/WATERAID
The dream for photographer Elena Heatherwick was to work for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), documenting lives and seeing the pictures she had made being used to effect change.
A recent commission from Water Aid gave her the opportunity to do just that, photographing remote communities in Rwanda and Madagascar, in the company of journalist Sally Williams.