A Human Interest Story on Sanitation by an Elder in Frimponso-Ghana

I came to settle in Frimponso on 14th October, 2010. The house was sold to me by a teacher but it did not have toilet. All these years, I have had to use the toilet of Mr. Asare Martin whose house is near to mine. I always felt bad about it especially when I have diarrhoea and needed to visit the toilet several times in a day. It becomes difficult for me to use their toilet again and again as a result of the diarrhoea especially after the second or third visit out of guilty. Also, when they are eating and I feel like using their toilet, I am unable to do so. I had to wait till they finish eating before I go to the toilet and this can be quite uncomfortable for me. Furthermore, anytime I get visitors I have to go and beg Mr. Asare to allow them (the visitors) use his toilet. Again, because I did not have toilet, whenever someone defecates around the neighbourhood, my children became the first suspects simply because they know that I did not have a toilet at home hence my children were more likely to be the culprits. Now that I have my own toilet, which I constructed in June 2018 through the support of Centre for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, all these problems are no more. Other people who do not have a toilet in their houses are now coming to use my toilet. I am now very relieved and free, as I can use my toilet anytime even at midnight. People can no longer accuse my children when they see any faeces in or around their houses.