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elix Veto, 34, and his family live in their humble but attractive bamboo-built home in Nirmala village, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Their house looks pretty with its proud display of various decorative tropical plants in the front yard.

However, upon entering into the house, the foul smell from the nearby latrine immediately strikes the nostrils. Flies buzz noisily in the kitchen.

The latrine comprises a basic water closet in which is visible human excrement. Next to the kitchen are a chicken coop and a muddy, malodorous duck enclosure.

Felix says the conditions are normal for his family and they are used to the foul smell. However, they often go to the community health center (Puskesmas) in Nirmala village complaining of malaria and diarrhea, especially Felix'€™s elderly mother-in-law, Teresia Din, 65.

The family members are also only barely aware of personal-hygiene procedures. Teresia, for example, says she uses a spoon to eat, so she does not feel the need to wash her hands.

'€œI'€™m used to it,'€ she said briefly.

A month ago, Felix joined the Community-based Total Sanitation (STBM) counseling program conducted by the Plan Indonesia NGO in his regency.

However, he has yet to apply the knowledge learned to improving the sanitation at home. '€œI regret that I haven'€™t built a proper toilet. I will try to pay more attention and make a healthier living place,'€ he said.

Many other residents living in remote villages in Flores still pay little attention to sanitation.

Theresia Daiman, a village midwife in Lenggur Lai village, Elar district, East Manggarai regency, said the diarrhea attacks that frequently afflicted residents were caused by unsanitary surroundings, the poor condition of latrines and animals roaming around the house.

Daiman said changing people'€™s lifestyles among the community in Lenggur Lai village would be a lengthy process and involve intensive counseling.

Separately, Ranakolong village chief Eduardus Ndu, said villagers still defecated anywhere, so the health and sanitary conditions in the village remained poor.

'€œMost of the latrines were built in a makeshift manner and don'€™t meet healthy bathroom standards,'€
he said.

Eduardus added that the Kota Komba district administration and the NGO had tried to approach residents to change their daily routines by campaigning not to defecate as and where they felt like, to wash both hands with soap, and to safely manage drinking water and food, as well as properly treating garbage and domestic liquid waste.

East Manggarai Development Planning Board'€™s Environmental Health and Drinking Water Working Group member Siprianus Pamput said around 50,000 of the total of 60,549 families in 176 villages and nine districts in East Manggarai, did not have access to sanitary and proper latrines.

'€œResidents often ignore health and environmental cleanliness and always wait for programs from the government,'€ said Siprianus.