26/04: "The Three Latrines Are Built"
Ron talks to our field manager Yel often, and e-mails the other directors a summary. "The three latrines are built," a one-sentence paragraph in his last message, made me leap out of my seat with joy.
When we were in Africa, Ron and I talked about posting a blog called "Adventures in Elimination." We didn't, partly because toilet humor is funny (except for those perpetual middle-schoolers) only in the moment, but mainly because it seemed an affront to our hosts, who keep their dignity and privacy in conditions that boggle our minds.
But there's no place to go. I don't mind going in the bushes, but there are no bushes. Wunlang does not have the thick cover of the New England deciduous forest. And for a remote area, Wunlang has a lot of paths coursing through it. There's not much cover between the paths.
Ron and I only had about four days to figure out what to do. We left just as I was getting the hang of things. And I must say that women have a more difficult time of this. Men may take a "short call" just about where they are standing. Women don't. I was led out at night by Franco's female relatives to an open place where there was no cover, but where my companion served as a lookout.
This year, 2008, is the UN's International Year of Santation. Having good sanitary facilities matters, especially to women and girls. As the UN reports:
Sanitation enhances dignity, privacy and safety, especially for women and girls. It improves convenience and social status. Sanitation in schools enables children, especially girls reaching puberty, to remain in the educational system. Restricted toilet opportunities increase the chance of chronic constipation and is making women vulnerable to violence if they are forced to defecate during nightfall and in secluded areas. Providing improved sanitation facilities is a liberating development for women and girls and is providing substantial benefits for the whole community.
Our latrines are brick; one for boys, one for girls, and one for teachers. There are no seats; there is most likely a concrete floor and a rectangular opening. It's daunting for Americans at first (I first used one in 2004), but, with practice, it's easy to use and easy to clean.
We have plans beyond the simple latrine. We'd like to build composting toilets that produce usable, agricultural-grade compost for our school gardens. But I'm really ready to go back to Wunlang now. We have the only latrines for miles around.
When we were in Africa, Ron and I talked about posting a blog called "Adventures in Elimination." We didn't, partly because toilet humor is funny (except for those perpetual middle-schoolers) only in the moment, but mainly because it seemed an affront to our hosts, who keep their dignity and privacy in conditions that boggle our minds.
But there's no place to go. I don't mind going in the bushes, but there are no bushes. Wunlang does not have the thick cover of the New England deciduous forest. And for a remote area, Wunlang has a lot of paths coursing through it. There's not much cover between the paths.
Ron and I only had about four days to figure out what to do. We left just as I was getting the hang of things. And I must say that women have a more difficult time of this. Men may take a "short call" just about where they are standing. Women don't. I was led out at night by Franco's female relatives to an open place where there was no cover, but where my companion served as a lookout.
This year, 2008, is the UN's International Year of Santation. Having good sanitary facilities matters, especially to women and girls. As the UN reports:
Sanitation enhances dignity, privacy and safety, especially for women and girls. It improves convenience and social status. Sanitation in schools enables children, especially girls reaching puberty, to remain in the educational system. Restricted toilet opportunities increase the chance of chronic constipation and is making women vulnerable to violence if they are forced to defecate during nightfall and in secluded areas. Providing improved sanitation facilities is a liberating development for women and girls and is providing substantial benefits for the whole community.
Our latrines are brick; one for boys, one for girls, and one for teachers. There are no seats; there is most likely a concrete floor and a rectangular opening. It's daunting for Americans at first (I first used one in 2004), but, with practice, it's easy to use and easy to clean.
We have plans beyond the simple latrine. We'd like to build composting toilets that produce usable, agricultural-grade compost for our school gardens. But I'm really ready to go back to Wunlang now. We have the only latrines for miles around.
