Defecating on the Beach is Common for Residents in This Village. Why?
Some of you may be aware of how we should defecate at the toilet. However, there is something unique in Wailukum village, East Halmahera Regency. The people from this village defecate and also throw their garbage on the seashore. Their indifference to the environment and health makes this problem continues for years.
Wailukum village is one of many villages in the Kota Maba district which located in the seashore area. A survey has proven that 60 from overall 250 families do not have a clean latrine facility in this village.
Considering this fact, The East Halmahera Program Area Team of Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) conducts an awareness-raising activity in the hope to change people’s behavior not defecating just any way. As a result, from a total of 23 families, 8 of them made the commitment to build toilets at their own house.
Marlin (31) is one of the citizens who is motivated to build a hygiene toilet facility. She tried her best to be able to provide this for her family.
This mother of two labors all by herself to collect materials like sand and stones in order to provide a toilet for her family. And her labor was not in vain. Marlin was able to finish building the clean toilet facility in a period of 2 months.
“Even though I struggle financially, I wanted to try my best to build a toilet for my family. Thank you for the support and motivation from the WVI team and the Kota Maba Public health center who continually encourage me along the way. Now, my family and I have our own toilet at home and no longer need to be bothered to go somewhere to defecate” said Marlin happily.
Marlin can now be proud of her effort. Especially with the fact that her two kids no longer need to go to the public toilets or go to their neighbor's toilets, whenever they want to defecate.
Marlin, Alfino, and their family are one of several others who for the first time can enjoy their own toilet at home. There are still many kids and families who are unable to experience that. For those of you who wish to help these people enjoy for the first time what they have never had, you can help A World of First campaign by clicking on this link: https://wahanavisi.org/id/sponsor-anak/anak
#AWorldofFirst
Written by: Hosea Eko Aprianto, Field Facilitator of East Halmahera Program Area Wahana Visi Indonesia
Photo by: Kinanthi Linadi, TP Coordinator of East Halmahera Program Area Wahana Visi Indonesia
