Barriers and enablers to becoming and staying open defecation free in remote Timor-Leste

The barriers and enablers to becoming and staying open-defecation-free (ODF) following interventions which include Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) are not well documented for remote communities in Manufahi District, Timor-Leste. This case study sought to address this gap in knowledge through a thematic analysis of interviews (which took place in 2014) with 21 participants affiliated with two communities which underwent the WaterAid program between 2012 and 2013. Whilst the cost and effort of constructing toilets was cited as a significant barrier, competing priorities for resources is likely to be more important. Trust in the implementing organisation as well as being able to acquire the household’s preferred toilet are important enablers to becoming and staying ODF. There is a perception among participants that vulnerable households face specific challenges to becoming and staying ODF. Including vulnerable households, especially those with people with disabilities, in both interventions and research remains challenging.