Community Health workers across Uganda are boosting their income by selling SATO products to customers in their communities. For many, the SATO business has become a full-time job, a testament that moving progress for SDG 6.2 and achieving economic growth can go hand in hand. In this article, we highlight the stories of four community health workers, three of them women, who tell their personal experiences about how SATO is benefiting them and their communities.

Mary Nalugoda, Community Health Worker in Buikwe District, Uganda

In Buikwe district is a small village with 143 households. Here lives Mary Nalugoda, a resident and village councilor who played a significant role in improving access to sanitation. Mary started by getting a loan from BRAC to become a Community Health Promoter (CHP). Together with the loan, she was invited to training about SATO toilets.

Already suffering from bad knees, she decided that a sitting toilet was appealing and bought a SATO stool. Finding a new level of comfort when using the toilet, she spread the news of the product to everyone in her village, starting with those who had similar health problems. The response was astounding, and she realized that promoting SATO products was a great business opportunity for her to pursue.

Mary has sold a total of 143 SATO toilets in two months, thus covering her entire village. This was possible due to hard work and her familiarity with the financial needs of her neighbors, who she allowed to pay her in installments.

“Before I come to sell a SATO to you, I already know your capability, and I have a solution for you. This is a small village. We know each other so well, and I have the trust of most people here. So, when someone doesn’t have money, I insist and sell to them on credit and allow them to pay me in installments. I can assure you that nobody owes me any money,” she shared.

Amina Nabanji, Community Health Worker in Nakanyonyi Village, Uganda

Amina is a 39-year-old mother of six, a Community Health Promoter for BRAC and a subcontractor for USAID’s Sanitation for health Activity. By selling 108 SATO pans in two months, she was dedicated to bringing access to sanitation to her community, full time.

When selling SATO products to others, Amina emphasized the importance of getting to know people first. While the door-to-door method is effective, she found that experience sells more. By installing SATO products in her own home, she convinced others to do the same. She shared that she had been trying to convince her friend to buy a SATO pan, in vain. It wasn’t until the same friend had the chance to try using the SATO pan at Amina’s house that she became convinced that she needed one of her own.

“The SATO business has boosted my income so much, I am now in a position to assist my husband with a few home bills.” Amina confessed. “I don’t wait for him to come back and buy such small things. I can at least afford those now.”

She also added that her community appreciated the benefits of having a SATO product especially because it eliminates bad smells and flies, instantly.

James Ssekitoleko, Lwamadiba, Gomba District

The residents of Lwamadiba village used to suffer from various diseases due to poor sanitation.

James is a health assistant at Lwamadiba health center, and his dream was always to see a healthy and disease-free community. He started to buy and sell SATO products with the goal of turning his community into a model village to look up to for sanitation progress. He has since sold over 240 units and is awaiting stock to meet pending orders.

Working with James is Mr. Obbo Henry, the head teacher at St. Joseph Secondary School in the Gomba district. Together, they have improved sanitation coverage, which has reduced sanitation related diseases in the village. James has also championed water recycling (from laundry and dishwashing) for flushing. This, he says, helped more people convert to the use of SATO pans in the community.

Sarah Namwanje, Lwengo District, Uganda

Sarah is a district councilor and common figure in the community. She uses her leadership skills to sell SATO products in her village, selling an average of five to seven SATO units per day. She sells not only to households but to institutions such as schools, petrol stations, and a mosque, to which she donated SATO pans as her contribution.

Sarah’s passion to sell SATO as a sanitation product is a personal choice, as the Lwengo district has been teased for not having toilets. She felt that SATO products could help erase the stereotypes regarding their sanitation situation. She stresses that their village has been put to shame for too long, it is time to clear their name simply by improving sanitation. She also monitors her customers to ensure that the SATO products are used appropriately.

Following the success of her business, Sarah saved enough to invest in chicken keeping, a dream she has had for a long time. “Besides the SATO business, I am a passionate farmer. Now that I have a very serious business, I am able to save enough money. Any time now, I will be adding chicken to my animal farm. This is a dream come true,” she said.

Sarah calls upon other Community Health Promoters and explains to them in detail the proper use and maintenance of SATO products. With this approach, she believes that the long-lost pride of the Lwengo district can be restored, and people will stop mocking the village. Instead, they can say, “abantu ba Lwengo kati balina toyi!” (Lwengo people now have toilets).

Do these stories inspire you to bring SATO to communities near you? Reach out to us on sato@lixil.com to collaborate.