When I first heard that the Youths were planning to build water borne toilets at one of the most crowded clinics in Lusaka, I was taken aback because I just could not imagine how the youths came up with such a crazy idea until, out of curiosity, I took a tour of Kanyama Clinic.What I saw made me realize that the youths indeed have the passion to improve the livelihood of the people in their communities. Kanyama Clinic, the only public clinic in the area caters for Kanyama and Chibolya including several other shanty compounds were CI does not operate from. The clinic offers services to over 200,000 people. 

When I arrived, I immediately asked to see what types of restrooms were available for the patients and those who were nursing patients. I was shown two small pit latrines, one for the men and the other for the women including children. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I just could not understand why a clinic that caters for so many people had no proper ablution facilities. The clinic itself is a health hazard; it is easy for the patients and those who are nursing them to contract diseases from the pit latrines.

Within the grounds of the clinic was an isolated area with a lot of small tents. I could see many beds with people on intravenous fluids. It then dawned on me that that was actually the cholera center and that those were patients with cholera. I felt so scared for my life.Establishing a cholera center within the grounds of the clinic would not help the situation because the clinic was so congested that it was difficult to walk through the corridors. Congestion is a catalyst for cholera especially when hundreds of sick people share one bathroom. With so many cholera patients at the clinic, I realized that the initiative by the CI Youths to use their Youth Fund to construct six water borne toilets will prevent the spread of diseases and save a lot of lives in the communities. I couldn’t help putting my thumbs up to the two sponsored youths who accompanied me to the clinic.