Despite staying in the most developed part of the islands of Buvuma, Robert Mbagulire Wajja, 40, a resident of Kitamiro village, the central business area of the entire district has spent most part of his life without a pit latrine.

Katamiro village has the most planned infrastructure besides comprising the district administrative headquarters and the health facilities. According to Wajja, the community swiftly evolved but most of them (residents) maintained their primitive behavour of living. “Save the few people who came to the islands to work, specifically the civil servants and the few who have managed to go to school on the mainland, the majority of residents who are born here find it hard to dig latrines and also adapt to the practice of using them.” He reveals.

Wajja constructed a latrine now roughly two years after embracing the mentorship programme introduced by the government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). For the rest of his life together with the family members, they used to ease themselves in bushes locally termed as ‘kumabanga’.

He as well realized the importance of having a garbage pit, an outside rack for utensils, and a bathroom. Bathing from outside was so easy, especially for a man like him, who grew up around the lake. He was used to seeing men of advanced age bathing naked without caring about who watching them.

Besides, improving the sanitation and hygiene standards at home, Wajja realized that he was so lazy, weak, and ignorant about obtaining wealth using the available resources. “I have close to two acres of land but bushes started in my backyard and spread to the last corner of the boundary. Despite stringent measures on