My name is Mairakumi, and live in Fulanin Gidan Gona community in Mallam Madori Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Northern Nigeria I am about 82 years of age and cannot walk properly. I have to walk from my house every morning to a nearby bush to defecate. I always stumble and keep falling sometimes crawling before I reach the bush, where all the households in the community defecate.
I stay with my son Haruna and his wives in the house. All of us have to go to the bush to defecate, there are no latrines in the house.
I sometimes defecate in my dress before I reach the bush.
But one day a team from the Local Government Task Group on Sanitation visited our community. The team comprised Babandi Ibrahim, Hajia Mairo and Sadik from Mallam Madori visited all the people, male, female, and children in the community to meet in Maijamaa Alasan house (Community Leader).
Consequently, because of my age, I cannot attend the meeting. But my son attended but did not brief about what was discussed during the meeting.
About one week later, the team visited us again and sighted me going to the bush. They asked me what I am going to the bush for I told them that we don’t have a latrine and I have to go to the bush every day to defecate. They invited my son together with the community leader and talked to us for some time inside my house. They talked about the risk associated with open defecation, particularly the dignity of women. My son listened attentively and felt ashamed and disgusted which instantly prompted us to action. He called our neighbours, and with support from the community leader, they dug two latrines, one for me and one for him and his wife.
From that day my ordeal has stopped. I am very very happy because I now own a latrine and don’t have to continue with the unfortunate journey to defecate in the bush
I am grateful to them for saving me from that disgust and shame.
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