In Ghana, it is perfectly ok to use this line. Actually, I found myself saying it quite often at the houses where I stayed not just because people are interested in where I’m going in general, but because there’s no point in hiding the obvious fact that I’m walking to the latrine or the public toilet with my “t-roll” in hand.
I think by now I’ve seen almost everything: toilets that need to be flushed with a bucket because there is no running water, smelly public urinals, holes on the ground, “free ranging” and my personal favourite, a hole with an army of cockroaches that make their appearance every evening! It only takes some squatting and balancing on top of a hole on a cement block for you to realize how many things we take for granted, especially having a nice toilet.
A pretty sophisticated and clean latrine – except at night when the cockroaches make their appearance
In one of the families where I stayed, the latrine was shared between different houses and compounds – I’m guessing at least 25 people or so? Just recently I heard that the indicator for access to clean sanitation in Ghana no longer counts using shared latrines as appropriate sanitation because the ratio from people to latrine is so high that you can never be sure whether the place is actually clean and the risk of diseases is just as high as not having a latrine at all. That means that we’ve gone from 60% of the population having access to somewhat hygienic toilet situations to only 10%. Having the latrine itself does not guarantee that people will use it either, but at least it increases the chances that people will be less exposed to diseases than if they were using a spot close to their favourite tree.
Apart from feeling uneasy every time I see a small girl carry a huge bucket of water, I can’t say that I can complain about the water or toilet situation. Really, I've had it pretty good. Most houses where I’ve stayed have access to at least a close borehole and the water is safe so there is no walking to the nearest stream to fetch water and that sort of thing. Even when I try to convince people to let me carry the bucket of water that I will use for my shower, they don’t let me. But what about the 90% of Ghanaians- and many many more people in the world - for who this is not a problem they need to deal with for 3 months, but a part of everyday life?
I think by now I’ve seen almost everything: toilets that need to be flushed with a bucket because there is no running water, smelly public urinals, holes on the ground, “free ranging” and my personal favourite, a hole with an army of cockroaches that make their appearance every evening! It only takes some squatting and balancing on top of a hole on a cement block for you to realize how many things we take for granted, especially having a nice toilet.
A pretty sophisticated and clean latrine – except at night when the cockroaches make their appearance
In one of the families where I stayed, the latrine was shared between different houses and compounds – I’m guessing at least 25 people or so? Just recently I heard that the indicator for access to clean sanitation in Ghana no longer counts using shared latrines as appropriate sanitation because the ratio from people to latrine is so high that you can never be sure whether the place is actually clean and the risk of diseases is just as high as not having a latrine at all. That means that we’ve gone from 60% of the population having access to somewhat hygienic toilet situations to only 10%. Having the latrine itself does not guarantee that people will use it either, but at least it increases the chances that people will be less exposed to diseases than if they were using a spot close to their favourite tree.
Apart from feeling uneasy every time I see a small girl carry a huge bucket of water, I can’t say that I can complain about the water or toilet situation. Really, I've had it pretty good. Most houses where I’ve stayed have access to at least a close borehole and the water is safe so there is no walking to the nearest stream to fetch water and that sort of thing. Even when I try to convince people to let me carry the bucket of water that I will use for my shower, they don’t let me. But what about the 90% of Ghanaians- and many many more people in the world - for who this is not a problem they need to deal with for 3 months, but a part of everyday life?
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