Oyungerel Tsedevdamba

Founder: Local Solutions

Oyungerel (Oyuna) grew up in a small rural town in Mongolia, that was influenced by the communist past of the Soviet Union. After studying planned economics at Moscow University, she would become an activist promoting democracy in Mongolia after the Soviet Union collapsed. She has served as a member of parliament and Minister of Culture and Tourism, where she worked towards the country’s sustainable development.

Mongolia faces significant challenges in terms of water and sanitation. More than 60% of toilets in Mongolia are open-pit latrine toilets, which are highly unsanitary, a health hazard, and even life-threatening. To an extent where, the entire country considers the word ‘toilet’ a taboo.

In order to address this, Oyuna initiated the campaign “Let’s Change Our Toilets” with the aim of changing people’s attitudes and behaviors towards toilets. The mission focuses on improving overall hygiene, and the environment, through widespread adoption of safe, sanitary, and eco-friendly toilets. She mainly focused on remote areas without access to water, and Ger districts (nomadic settlements) in urban areas. Oyuna’s campaign involves introducing alternative toilet options, conducting training and awareness programs in communities, and promoting collaborations with the business sector

Organization

Local Solutions

Active In

Mongolia

Cause

Public Health

SDGs

Support Starts

2023

Support Ongoing

THE MISSION

"Towards a Mongolia where everyone has access to safe and secure toilets"

600,000

households use open-pit latrine toilets in Mongolia

200-270

deaths by toilet-borne diseases each year (diahrrea and hepatitis)

5-8

children fall into pit-latrines each year

88%

of land in Ulaanbatar are polluted due to open-pit toilets

WHAT THEY DO

Changing Attitudes, Changing Toilets

Breaking the taboo and induce change

The word Jorlon in Mongolian, meaning “toilet,” strongly carries negative social and cultural connotations. Due to the strong associations with its negative outcomes, it is rarely used in daily conversations, and even in official documents and advertisements. In order to break the taboo Oyuna launched the “Let’s Change Our Toilets” campaign in 2017. The campaign consisted of: publishing a book showcasing toilet technologies suitable for Mongolia, toilet businesses, and examples of civil involvement in sanitation policies; as well as a nationwide workshop to emphasize the necessity of embracing discussions and actions concerning toilets to transform people’s awareness and behavior.

Providing an affordable and sustainable solution

As a result of the nationwide tour, 99.9% of participants voted to use dry toilets. Through extensive research on design, affordability, and effectiveness to change household toilets, urine diverting Biolan Simplett toilet was determined to be the most optimal solution. It is waterless, energy efficient*, odorless, and considerably cheaper than alternative options in the market.

*A dry toilet is energy efficient as it does not require a pipe to connect to the grid, and any parallel heating pipe to keep the urine and blackwater from freezing during winter.

OUR SUPPORT

Changing Lives by Changing Toilets

Crowdfunding

Japan Trip

2025

With the collective support of our community, Earth Company helped raise over US$61,000 from 212 donors to turn Oyuna’s bold vision into reality: Mongolia’s first-ever Toilet Education Center, whose construction is already underway. Oyuna has already introduced more than 1,000 safe dry toilets where even major agencies have struggled—now has the platform to spark a generational mindset shift in a country where sanitation remains taboo and largely invisible. This campaign was about more than fundraising; it was about breaking silence, inspiring dignity, and planting the seeds of lasting change for Mongolian families.

2025

In October 2025, we will be inviting Oyuna to Japan for a week-long trip where we will be introducing her to the donors who have supporter her crowdfunding campaign, as well as build opportunities for support and collaboration among our network.