Hepatitis E and cholera have ravaged rural Namibia and informal settlements over the past two years. By 2019, it was recorded that 7 000 people in total were infected with the deadly hepatitis E virus, resulting in 59 deaths.
Most deaths from diarrhoea occur among children less than two years of age living in sub-Saharan Africa. Reports warned that lack of sanitation facilities was one of the primary causes of the epidemic. General hygiene and sanitation are the conditions and practices that help in maintaining health and prevent the spread of diseases.
The World Health Organisation defines sanitation as the provision of facilities and services for the safe management of human excreta from the toilet to containment and storage and treatment onsite or conveyance, treatment and eventual safe end use or disposal.
The Namibian government has identified the need to construct toilets for the poor especially those in rural areas. The importance of hygienic toilets lies in an effort to prevent diseases which can be transmitted through human waste.
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) undertook a week-long travel through the different constituencies of Oshikoto region to track down and speak to some of the villagers who received flush toilets from the government.
At Okangororosa village, an elderly disabled couple live alone. The husband, Toivo Shiwedha, is blind while his wife is paralysed and uses a wheelchair.
Shiwedha leads us to their flush toilet using a stick to find his way. “Going to the bush was very difficult for us because I am blind and my wife is paralysed. We tried to construct a toilet on our own, but it was hard for me to do it. We heard that people received toilets from the government and I went to enquire why we didn’t get one. The government quickly came and constructed a flush toilet,” Shiwedha said.
He added that they are grateful for the toilet, which is constructed inside their homestead and within reach of their sleeping room.
At Okatana village, another beneficiary Helvi Petrus sits on her wheelchair. She has suffered from diabetes and had her foot amputated due to the disease.
“Before the toilet I had to crawl out of the house, dig a little hole with my plough but today I am liberated. I do not have as much trouble as I had in the past.
My health has improved as I do not have to crawl in unhygienic places,” Petrus said.
She added that the construction of the pit latrine toilet has restored her dignity because in the past she would defecate in the open.
A vibrant Christian Shiteni welcomed us into his homestead at Ashimbamba village. As a beneficiary Shiteni believes that despite his many other complaints and dissatisfaction with the government, he is thankful he was assisted with the construction of the pit latrine toilet. “My family and I use the toilet and we do not even go to the bush anymore.
I want to say thank you to the government.”
Previously asked what the status of rural sanitation in the region was, chief regional officer Frans Enkali said that Oshikoto is one of the regions with a high rate of implementation of the rural sanitation programme.
“We have been able to construct various toilets in all eleven constituencies.
Many of our people who are able have taken it upon themselves by constructing their own toilets.
We have people with disabilities and the regional council has constructed toilets for these citizens.
Access to water also plays a role with regard to constructing toilets, but for those with no access to water, we assist them with pit latrines.” ◆