Taking a seat to address hygiene issues

Business

A local entrepreneur in Lae produces comfortable toilet seats for villages, rural schools and health facilities.
PNG Small Informal Business Clinic (PNGSIBC) uses fibreglass waste to build toilet seats, coolers, shower trays, water tanks and airstrip cone markers.
It also repairs banana boats.
PNGSIBC operations manager, Haro Mitaharo, said during six years in Milne Bay, it had built more than 700 toilets seats for rural people, schools and health facilities as well as repaired boats. The company moved to Lae and started on January 1.
“Healthy toilet seats are crucial to minimise health and sanitation problems in rural schools and health centres,” Mitaharo said.
“Our product is suitable and comfortable to address this issue.
“Many young girls feel unsafe to attend school during menstrual cycles.
“We’ve designed the product to minimise this problem in schools and health facilities.”
He said the product also suited local guesthouse owners.
Mitaharo said the fibreglass toilet seats could last 15 years, were durable and movable to new pits.
“I appeal to big companies like Oil Search, Wafi-Golpu and PNG Biomass to engage us implement some of their health and sanitation community projects,” he said.
Mitaharo said PNGSIBC’s aim was to promote healthy lives in rural areas.
It also aims to venture into fibre glass manufacturing.