DriButts diaper was an idea that came from a need that Michael Wahl, founder of DriButts, when he was working in a local Haitian village repairing wells and building latrines. While he was working, he noticed the babies were naked. He saw the babies defecating in their homes, on their caretakers, by the food source, and by the water source. He knew the leading cause of sickness, disease, and death in third world countries is fecal matter. He had just built latrines for the adults and older children, but the babies could not use the latrines.
He returned to the US with the idea to take diapers to Haiti. He did some research on diapers and learned that regular cloth diapers would not work because they were made of heavy materials such as fleece, cotton, and hemp. They would be too hot and hold onto bacteria. Disposable diapers would not work because of expense and he knew of Haitians washing and reusing disposable diapers until they fell apart. Disposable diapers also create a sanitation issue because they have no place to properly dispose of them.
Michael talked with his wife and asked her for some ideas. After some brainstorming, they came up with the idea to try a dri-fit wicking material that is breathable. They had a family friend who was happy to help and developed a pattern for DriButts. She also made the first sets of diapers. When she got too busy with her business, she taught Starla, Michael’s wife, how to sew the diapers. Then Starla recruited some volunteers and together they learned how to make the diapers. In total, they made over 700 diapers. Thankfully, Dributts found a manufacturer which has been a great help.
"This diaper was created to work in extreme environments with hot climates and where there is no running water or electricity. Our main focus is to prevent sickness and disease caused by uncontrolled fecal matter. The diaper is made to wash in a bucket with soap and water and hang up to dry quickly. The diaper is made of two parts, the outer shell and the insert. The outer shell is made of dri-fit material, which is breathable. The insert is made of bamboo and another highly-absorbent material. It is folded in thirds and inserted into the pocket of the diaper. The diaper is not waterproof because in the extreme heat a waterproof diaper made of non-breathable plastics would trap the moisture inside. If not changed right away, it could cause diaper rash, chaffing, or infection. To avoid this, we do not waterproof the diaper. However, the bamboo insert will absorb urine. Because the shell of the diaper is made of dri-fit wicking material, if it becomes wet but is not changed right away, the urine will be wicked away onto the dri-fit shell and evaporate the same as a dri-fit t-shirt would when one sweats. "