A bathroom situation.

Written Aug. 6th, 2011

Maggie came to visit this morning. She is a frequent visitor. This time, only after a minute, she asked if she could go poopa (poop). I replied assumingly, you have a place at your house for that.

You see, this is our go to response for when the kids ask for water or something to drink because it is true, almost all families now have durotanks (holds rain water in a safe, clean place), thanks to the former grant work done by RPCVs David and Christine. This also is our go to response because you have to be wise with water here. During the rainy season, we have plenty for us and some to share. But I'm learning quickly if you go sharing the wealth as if you have endless running water, soon you'll lbe left with an empty durotank and no rain to fill it.

The durotank spouts are made so you can put a lock through them. I guess during the dry season we are to lock the durotanks because as the supply of rain goes down the demand for water and kids wanting to drink it goes up.

So, all of this explains why I applied the same reasoning to using the toilet to this 8 yr old girl. In her family's case however, it doesn't apply. They don't have a latrine. I inquired, so where do you go when you have to poop? The answer was the busi (jungle) or the liba (river). In my head I screamed, "the river...oooooh no!" Of course then I quickly changed my mind and permitted her to use the toilet.

This incidence left me heartsick, grateful, and motivated. Heartsick for Maggie and her family, grateful for the U.S.'s sophisticated and massive water and sanitation treatment systems as well as grateful for my indoor pour flush toilet/latrine system here in my Suriname osu (house). And lastly, motivated to find a solution for the families here without a safe, sanitary place to use the bathroom.

Despite later that day or maybe the following day, her sister came for the same reaso, I don't think we have to worry about Maggie making it a habit.