Feliciano dos Santos, lead singer of the band Massuko, is an infl uential environmentalist who
worked to provide clean water to the village of Niassa, Mozambique.
. . . In 2000, Santos founded a nonprofi t organization called Estamos, with the mission
of providing clean water throughout Niassa by installing water pumps plus low-cost,
sustainable sanitation facilities.
The project is succeeding. Villagers have installed thousands of “EcoSan” portable
bathrooms. These facilities are brick-lined to keep bacteria from infi ltrating the
groundwater supply. After six months of composting, the contents become fertilizer that
farmers can safely use in their fi elds. For the fi rst time, Niassa has a rudimentary [basic]
sanitation system.
In addition, Santos is using music to teach people better hygiene, or the practice of
keeping clean to prevent disease. One of Massukos’s greatest hits is called “Tissambe
Manja,” meaning “Wash Our Hands.” “Clean water is a basic human right, yet so many
people don’t have it,” says Santos. “I’m using my music to be the voice of people who
have no voice.” central idea