The Smol Haos Toilet Project was born in the rural villages of Vanuatu. Founders Chelsea (a professional WASH engineer) and Lance (our full-time Lead) served there as Peace Corps volunteers, learning the intimate rhythms of life in the South Pacific.
They didn’t start SHTP to change a world they didn’t know—they started it because they fell in love with a world they did. Today, they lead SHTP as stewards, working to ensure that their friends, neighbors, and “Vanuatu family” have the dignity of secure sanitation and the safety of modern healthcare.
In 2023, as the borders of Vanuatu finally reopened, Lance traveled back to the islands to assess the post-COVID reality. Amidst the beauty of Tanna, he was confronted with a heartbreaking account of a local clinic in ruins. This wasn’t just a report of disrepair; it was a human story of dignity denied. Hearing it was the catalyst that led to Chelsea and Lance launching the work of the Smol Haos Toilet Project.
