Photo by World vision- Newly Built toilet in Ameyi Mandera County
Story by: Mohamed Happi and Abdulaziz Barre
Ameyi is located in a remote area in Mandera County. Ameyi village faces numerous challenges. The main challenge is poor sanitation because of unsafe disposal of human waste resulting from fewer toilets in the area. This practice exposes the community to diseases especially children after consuming contaminated water. The situation is worse during the rainy season because poorly disposed human and animals waste is washed into shallow wells, earth pans, underground tanks and natural depressions. Water facilities in villages are not well protected, especially pans. These facilities are the only reliable source of water for domestic use for people and animals.
According to a community focus group, there is high prevalence of typhoid in the community attributed to fecal contamination especially in rural areas of Banisa, more that 220km west of Mandera. Other than spreading diseases, open defecation is an undignified and a dehumanizing practice.
The absence of toilets affects girls and women the most for they are stigmatized in many ways. Women are shamed and humiliated if seen defecating outside, so, they wait until nightfall. After assessment and consultation with community disaster risk reduction committees’ representatives and locals authorities, World vision constructed latrines in schools and social places like mosques, markets, water points and social gathering places.
The organization continues to prioritize sanitation and hygiene promotion awareness training to educate the community on importance of using latrines, thus reducing the health risk on their lives and animals.
‘I had no latrines in my residence, my family used to get sick from consuming contaminated water. Sometimes we used to treat water using traditional herbs but it was not effective, but after World Vision constructed latrines for us and trained me on the importance of using latrines, diseases have reduced. We are now grateful, we have good latrines which can be shared by all of our community members. Says Ada.