Zatiuna is a vibrant 70-year-old shopkeeper and a social woman. She shares her homestead with her husband and his two other wives.
In rural Ugandan communities—including Namunkanga 2 village, where Zatiuna lives—many community members do not have a bathroom or a pit latrine at home. For those who do, it’s often not in a good state.
Zatiuna and her co-wives were lucky enough to have a bathroom, however, they all had to share it. This made it harder to maintain good hygiene, and it compromised Zatiuna’s privacy, leading to health issues.
During one of UVP’s WASH sensitization visits, Zatiuna and her family learned about the importance of good hygiene and sanitation. And with UVP’s support, Zatiuna’s husband was able to construct a bathroom for each of his wives.
Zaituna is now free to bathe any time she feels like it, because there is no competition for the bathroom. She also no longer has to worry about the cleanliness of the space or the potential for infections, because the space belongs to her.
Zatiuna expressed a deep appreciation to the UVP staff and Village Health Teams for their efforts in improving the health of rural communities through educational initiatives.
Zatiuna’s story shows that age is no barrier to embracing change; she believes that sanitation is not only important for young people to learn about, but for everyone in her community.
[Zatiuna’s story is shared with her consent.]
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