As many people also know, I haven't had my own private latrine for the majority of my service.
I know, why wouldn't I just take some of that grant money and build my own latrine? Well, because other people needed it. I won't go into how or where I shit for the large amount of my service but I will say that it was NOT in the coffee forests. Because that would be wrong as I am educating others to not open deficate.
Anyway, as Peace Corps staff came to visit and reminded my community that their part of the deal is to give me a house, a fence, and place to shower and shit, and they give the community a volunteer for two years, some chatter began to happen.
It was like a house of matches set ablaze. They became afraid that after me there would be no other volunteer.My house was deemed "unsafe"because of a major leak in the roof that is weakening my rotting ceiling and that the walls were peeling back, making it easy to break in with a dull butter knife or a sharpened stick of sorts. So, peace corps sternly (I'm using that word lightly) told my community that things need to change. Their words exactly, "Kelsey might be use to these living conditions but the next person will not." An I'm thinking... Okay, thanks...?
So, I have the whole community come and check out my house, I didn't really enjoy this but I figured hey, better see it with their own eyes.
It was decided they would fix my roof.
And then, a day came when the adjoint to the mayor gave me a piece of paper with materials and prices to fix my house and build a latrine.
I've implemented the construction of many latrines, did these people think I was a moron with money to dish out? The answer was yes.
Although it wasn't my money, it was Peace Corps I felt disrespected as they are supposed to be supplying these amenities for free and now are over pricing me for them. Ha! Well here came masiaka Kelsey. But then I realized that the men had already begun digging the hole for the latrine and well when I see people taking action I'm not going to stop them- ever.
But then they stopped. They said they were done. I peaked down into the hole, only one meter deep. As my friend said upon me telling her the cost they demanded and the depth of the hole she said, "one meter? I can fill that in a week!" Well that might be an exaggeration but exactly!
For people that don't know, one meter would leave a splash factor in, I'd say three months time. Don't know what the splash factor is in a latrine, well just imagine it for awhile and if ya still don't know, we'll talk later.
So, I simply said "no, no, keep going".
They argued.
"The ground is too hard."
"This is deep enough."
"We agreed to this."
"We're tired."
Ok, gotcha. But no, no, keep going. Please.
I said, better we make it deep and strong this time and then five years down the road we build another. See here, a document saying that latrines should be at least two meters deep. Why build it poorly now and then have to build another in a few months?
So, they heard my voice raise, I said some things that surprised them, made them think. They probably thought I was going to straight up and leave I was so ticked off. But I stayed and just threatened to call Peace Corps on behalf of them being vetsivetsy (too tricky).
When I came back I noticed they were still digging. And they eventually made it a two meter hole and I paid them in full.
But there was still a problem, it was early afternoon and the hole was done. Great! However, since it's afternoon and no one has time to build the actual structure today well we needed something to cover the hole. It is nearing the raining season and by that I mean, it rains every night. Every night. Let me repeat, every night. So, I'm standing there arguing with the adjoint to the mayor about the weather forecast. I'm saying it will rain. He says no, not today. As he points to the sky he says, "see there, the clouds, the wind, the sun over there, no rain today."
What are you some kind of rain man?
I was also thinking, what's going on today? is this laziness or just the sake of arguing to argue?
Part of me, for a minute, felt bad about arguing the rain patterns with an elder, an African man, as he should know about the rain of his country the rain that nurtures his crops.
However, I wasn't backing down. I am no metereologist. However, when it has rained everyday for the last three weeks I think I have some authority in saying, it's gonna rain today.
I was played a fool too many times in one day. I walked home thinking about how I was going to make a banana leaf barricade for my hole so that no damn water was going to fill my newly dug two meter hole.
And as the clouds that had brought in my bad attitude all day started to clear in the time I was planning the real clouds started to roll in along with a little bit of thunder. And so the adjoint to the mayor returned to my house to grab his axe he left behind, he said he was going to cut down some banana leaves to cover the hole. As he walked by and scuffled that I had been right he had laughed a little too, a small chuckle. I couldn't help but laugh a little too, because I needed a little bit of recognition that day an a little bit of laughter too.
Pictures to come soon of my new latrine :)
