Being in those villages just made me realise I've got to be more grateful to God for where He has placed me. As I carried out a baseline survey on issues of water and sanitation with my team mates, I kept asking myself questions like: What did these people do to find themselves in such a situation in the 21st century? People still drink water directly from rivers, and only after they walk for about 5miles or more to access it. People defecate (excuse my choice of words here but I dont know any other synonyms for this) in the open, because they cannot afford to put a simple superstructure over the holes they dig to use as toilets.
Those of us living in much better conditions have to be grateful each and every time we press a handle to flush the toilet before using it just because someone peed (this word looks wrong here, but you know what I mean.) in it before us.
As one of the opninion leaders in one of the villages we went to took us to the communal latrine (which by the way was just a dug out with logs serving as footstools) I was wondering where was the dignity that each and everyone of us as human beings are entitled to. I tried imagining what happens if the Chief of the community has to use the place. I know he also uses that facility because we were made aware there were no household toilets in the whole community.
Indeed, life is not fair, and I believe it never would be fair.
The next time you're tempted to complain about the taps in your home not flowing for a week, remember that someone walks for close to 5km just to get a bucket of water for use. (i'm in no way condoning the poor services offered by our utilities though).
