Kicking dirty habits in Kampala's slums
21 January 2009
Busy enough trying to find work and feed their families, the people of Kawempe have little time left to think about good hygiene. What's worse, many living in this slum area of Uganda's capital Kampala aren't even aware that bad sanitation is a serious threat to their families' health.
But to any Western visitor used to effective sewage systems and widely available public conveniences, bad sanitation is one of the features of Kawempe that is hardest to ignore.
The open drains that run between the settlement's tiny huts are clogged with waste material, while close by, clothes hang out to dry and children play among piles of rubbish. Many of the locals in this densely populated community still practice open defecation, and when heavy rains come, homes are deluged by contaminated water and sewage.
It is clear that, unless radical improvements are made to sanitation in Kawempe, the health of its people will suffer, and lives will be lost. Supported by DFID funding, the charity WaterAid and its local partners are building communal latrines to see that this doesn't happen. Already, local behaviour is starting to change.
Latrines a hit with locals
Malissa Nagujja Namukasa, 82, is the attendant at a new latrine block in the Jambula area of the slum. A small fee is charged to use the toilets, which it is Malissa's job to collect. Those who can't afford to pay immediately arrange to pay later, but on some occasions, they climb over the gates during the night to make use of the facilities. This may be frowned upon, but as Malissa herself admits, it does indicate that open defecation is a habit going out of fashion. It makes Malissa proud when she points out that at least half the area's residents are now using the latrines.
A challenge is presented, however, by the newcomers always arriving in the community. "New people bring new behaviours," says Malissa, adding that, although the situation in Kawempe is improving gradually, it is vital that everyone who lives here understands the link between bad sanitation and ill-health.
From sawdust to briquettes - and beyond
To
ensure that local people are provided with the knowledge and materials they need
to lead sanitary lives, a community "sanitation centre" has been set up in Kawempe's
Mulago III area.
Here, a range of affordable, locally built latrines - from cheap, basic models to more sophisticated designs - are available to buy. Also on offer are recycling classes, in which residents are taught how to convert waste products into new, in-demand items.
Among the most popular recycles are women's handbags from old polythene bags, cooking briquettes from sawdust and roofing tiles from waste plastics. The cash made from selling these is often used to pay for household latrines. If a latrine still proves too costly, though, loans are available to ensure that decent sanitation is not missed out on.
Kawempe's people have already seen the immediate health benefits of having functioning toilets within easy access, but there are other effects, linked to better health, that may further improve their lives. For example, fewer sick children means an increase in school attendance, which in the longer term leads to more people equipped with an education and therefore the chance to escape poverty. For the sake of the slum's present and its people's future, it is crucial that the momentum created by the project continues to grow.
Facts and stats
- WaterAid first received a Partnership Programme Arrangement (PPA) in 2002. The current PPA runs from 1 April 2008 until 31 March 2011 and is worth £3.99 million.
- WaterAid's local partners in Kawempe include Africa Evangelistic Enterprises (AEE) and Sustainable Sanitation and Water Renewal Systems (SSWARS).
