Elders in the Karamoja sub-region have expressed alarm over the continued practice of open defecation, despite interventions by partners aimed at addressing the issue through mindset change and provision of facilities.
A report from the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit reveals that a total of 1,181, accounting for 64.3 percent of the households in the Karamoja region lacked latrines.
The report ranks Amudat district as the worst with low latrine coverage of only percent, while Kaabong leads with 70 percent latrine coverage.
Joseph Angolere, a member of the Karamoja Elders Association from Kangole town council, attributed the lack of toilet facilities in the community to the poor texture of the soil, explaining that the soil is too loose, and only those with money can manage to construct proper toilet facilities.
He noted that the ones that are temporarily constructed often collapse, especially during the rainy season, due to the loose soil, adding that the negative attitude among community members has discouraged people from using toilets.
“The community has a myth of fearing to pile their waste in the same latrine with other family members, especially the in-laws. This myth forced the community to revert to easing themselves in bushes”, said Angolere.
Angolere recalled that some partners had constructed toilets for the community in Naitakwae Parish, in Nadunget sub-county, but the community later turned them into shelters for themselves and goats during the rainy season.
He noted that despite the primitivity of the community, health programs have played a great role in creating community awareness, and they are slowly adopting the use of the facilities.
According to Angoler, they are now intensifying efforts to persuade communities to abandon open defecation and adopt toilet use to improve household hygiene.
Timothy Adiaka, another elder, observed that the trend of open defecation has changed, as community members are no longer defecating within the gates but instead outside the home.
He explained that during those days, the community members used to dump the feces everywhere, but now, with the ongoing sensitization, they have learned to ensure that the compound is clean from “such dirty things”.
Adiaka is optimistic that the open defecation practice will gradually phase out as the community gets enlightened and more children go to school.
Anna Mary Namer, a resident of Lolain cell in Nadunget town council, said that women fear using the toilet because of the myth that the bad smell of the toilet can enter their reproductive system, while pregnant mothers risk losing a baby in the process of pushing the feaces.
Joyce Akiteng, a youth from Nadunget town council, stressed that people have not been well sensitized on the proper management of toilets.
She said that the community does not know how to use the toilet and, instead of dropping the feces inside, they smear them all over the floor, making it more dangerous.
SOURCE: URN
