2025 Lily Magazine Homemade finalist Delilah Kamila is a technical officer with a non-government organisation based near Massy village outside Goroka, in the Eastern Highlands Province.
Delilah and her team at Appropriate Technology for Development are behind the VIP or Ventilated Improved Pit toilet system; which makes accessing the latrine cleaner, safer and more durable.
Made from moulded fibreglass, the VIP toilet can be attached with bolts, timber or plaster to the floor of a latrine and easily removed to a new site once the pit is full.
“Having access to clean toilets is a basic human right for your health and hygiene, and also for your dignity,” said Delilah.
“We take our product quality very seriously because we know it will directly affect the users. These are made with fiberglass that can last for a long time,” she further added.
Despite the technical success of the VIP toilet, which also includes specialised designs for children with disabilities, scaling these solutions to reach underserved communities requires more than just engineering expertise.
Part of Delilah’s prize as a Lily Magazine Homemade finalist was enrolment in an intensive Business Skills Training program together with eight weeks of tailored mentoring that helped her bridge the gap between technical engineering and sustainable business growth.
Supported by the PNG-Australia Partnership, the Business Skills Training provided Delilah with the commercial skills necessary to ensure business sustainability.
“Coming from an engineering background, this training was a necessary experience,” Delilah said. “I learned a lot acquiring key skills in marketing, profit analysis, and building an online presence.”
Today, Delilah and fibreglass specialist Peter Umba are using these new business insights to partner with local government and churches, helping improve water and sanitation for women, girls, men and boys across the highlands and beyond – one VIP toilet at a time.
ENDS
(L-R) Engineer and Lily Magazine Homemade Competition finalist Delilah Kamila and fibreglass specialist Peter Umba with a finished version of the Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) toilet. The VIP toilet is bringing privacy, safety and improved sanitation to women and girls across the Highlands.
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