Residents of Kanikay, a slum community in the east of Freetown, has complaint that lack of toilet facilities have exposed them to malaria and Typhoid, Diarrhea, among other sicknesses, so causing them to spend a lot on medication to treat the illnesses.
According to Mohamed Lamin Kamara, one of the elders of the community, because they habitually defecate at the wharf, flies that usually settle on the feces from the wharf used to settle on their foods so causing them to contact Malaria and Typhoid and other diseases.
He said that only 2 hanging toilets and one public toilet were available for over 4000 people in that community.
According to him, that had forced the residents to always defecate in the open space in the wharf. “Toilet facility is one of most basic things every community must have, but sadly enough, we don’t have one. Feces, which do not need to be exposed, are seen all over the places in this community. We are eating, walking and sleeping together with feces we excrete. We are living here like animals. It is so sad to see mother and children sitting together in the open space at the wharf defecating,” he said.
He further explained that they don’t have health facility in the community, so they hardly access one when they have patients who need medical attention mostly at night. “Sometimes, due to the distance which we usually cover to get to the health centre, situation for our patients has get worsen and may even lead to the death some of them on the road,” he said.
Kamara also explained that lack of pipe borne water had been another factor affecting them, mostly their children.
He said that their children used to cover miles before they could access water for drinking and for domestic uses. “Sometimes our children will not have time to study due to the time they always spend in the neighboring communities to fetch water. Before they could get home, no energy will be left for them to study. Also, men in those communities used to sexually assault our girl children during their stay in those communities for water. We have been frequently receiving pregnancy and rape cases in this community over the years. Again, some of these girls used to use fetching water as an excuse to visit their boyfriends. If we have pipe borne water in the community, all of these will not occur,” Kamara emphasized.
Kamara on behalf of the community appealed to the government and Non-governmental Organizations to support the community with toilet facilities, health centre, pipe borne water and schools.
According to Sorie Kamara, the Environment and Sanitation Officer of Freetown City Council, recently, the council had constructed one public toilet in the community. He said, “We know the constraints which the residents of Kanikay are encountering. That is why the council is not neglecting them. We usually visit the community so as to identify some of their problems. We are closely working with them,” he said.
