In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared sanitation as a basic, universal human right.

Now, imagine yourself waking up every day in a home without a proper comfort room. Difficult, right?

But for Elvira Paras, this was a reality for her family for the past six years — the lack of a sanitary toilet forced them to defecate in the open.

Living in the mountainside of Toledo, Cebu, Elvira works at home as a seamstress. As part of her daily routine, she takes care of their vegetable garden and a few piglets in the backyard.

Together with her husband and five children, she said life moves at a slower pace in the province.

Elvira shared that her family struggled for years to find a decent toilet until recently she learned of the small, affordable loan offered by RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. (RMF) in collaboration with Water.org — a U.S. based non-government organization which helps families by providing access to sanitation facilities.

She said that she learned about the RMF’s Housing Improvement — WASH loan through a RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. trust staff.

“When I heard about it, I was really interested to avail. I grabbed the chance because at that time my family still don’t have a decent comfort room,” Elvira said in Cebuano.

In lieu of a toilet, they use the field, the bushes, and the river nearby. Elvira recalled how her family struggled, as they had no choice but to go outside — increasing the risk of being bitten by an insect, or worst, a snake. During heavy downpour, the river she said is definitely a dangerous option.

Elvira found herself frustrated with the fact that her home has no easy access to a clean toilet.

With only a few materials, her husband decided to build a makeshift comfort room made of plywood, corrugated iron sheet, and a sack; they were able to purchase a toilet bowl but they could no longer afford to build a roof — it was still not enough.

“It saved us temporarily but the situation was still difficult. When it rains, we would bring an umbrella while we sit in the toilet bowl. We don’t have a choice. We didn’t have enough money to finish it,” she said in vernacular.

After learning she could take a small loan, it did not take long for her to apply. In November of 2018, Elvira availed of the WASH loan and they started to work on the renovation of their own comfort room.

With a smile on her face, Elvira proudly showed her new toilet. The facility was finished in two months and is complete with a concrete wall, a new roof, and an operational toilet.

“I won’t have to worry anymore. We can use the toilet anytime we want,” she gladly said.

“I am very thankful to RMF because our dream of having our own comfort room was realized when I availed of the WASH loan. I was able to provide comfort for my family,” she added.

As RMF reached its 20th year of serving the micro-entrepreneurs, they have made a partnership with Water.org to provide the clients an additional financial services that they could avail in order for them to build a comfortable and decent bathrooms to protect their family’s health.

RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. (RMF) celebrates its 20 years of elevating the lives of Micro-entrepreneurs. RMF is a program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) that provides the vulnerable and disadvantaged with comprehensive financial services that enable them to have a stable and rewarding means of livelihood to elevate their quality of life.