Breaking Taboos-World Toilet Edition
WaterAid Nigeria asked students in schools where we are implementing the PepsiCo Foundation-funded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Project to write a Poem or Essay around the theme of this year’s World Toilet Day.
Students were asked to write on the title 'Be the change you want to see in the world.'
Three schools emerged as winners and here is what they have to say.
1st Place- Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, Ikeja, Lagos
A Poem on Breaking Taboos
Toilets, water, menstruation
A trio that causes hesitation
Taboo subjects, hushed in shame
But it's time to break that game
A woman's cycle, a monthly change
Bleeding out what no longer remains
But without access to toilets and water
Her dignity, her health, it'll falter
Society says, keep it secret
From family, friends, let's delete it
But without proper sanitation
Her life becomes a constant frustration
It's time to break these taboos
To speak up and share news
Toilets and water, they're not a luxury
They're a necessity for women's hygiene
So let's talk about this critical connection
Between toilets, water, and menstruation
And let's ensure for every nation
Access to proper sanitation.
1. Lack of Access to Menstrual Products
2. Stigma around Menstruation
3. Limited Education on Menstruation
These are just some of the challenges faced by menstruating people around the world. Breaking taboos surrounding menstruation is not just about access to toilets and water, it's also about breaking down the stigma and shame associated with a natural bodily function.
Many girls miss school because they don't have access to menstrual products or proper sanitation facilities. This not only affects their education but also perpetuates gender inequality.
It's time for society to recognize that menstruation is a normal part of life and provide the necessary resources for people who menstruate. By breaking these taboos, we can promote gender equality and ensure that everyone has access to basic human rights such as proper sanitation.
2nd Place- Ariyo Ewaoluwa Racheal, a student of Ojodu Junior High School, Lagos State
Flush Safe
Firstly, we should be looking at the meaning of flush safe, it is defined as the precautions on how to safely flush the toilet and things to do while flushing precautions to take are; fixing leaking water and waste pipes, most people do not see fixing their leaking water and waste pipes and tanks as an important task but do we know that fixing leaking water tanks and pipes could prevent water pollution and waste leakage. Most illness are caused by water, water borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea which could result to death.
The second precaution is emptying septic tanks. This is very important.
Precaution on toilet hygiene because if septic tanks are not emptied and it keeps adding up it could cause Air pollution. It could cause the faeces to leak out and penetrate into other pipes and it could cause water pollution which could even result into faeces eruption.
The last precaution to ensure toilet hygiene is to discourage dumping of sludge. First we would love to know the meaning of sludge, this is a thick, wet industrial waste, it is a mixture of solid and liquid waste, it is a sewage waste. In this case sludge dumping should be reported because it is an exposure of sewage waste and it causes air borne disease and it is also harmful to the health of the people and society. Let us take these precautions seriously to start the change we want in the world and anywhere we find ourselves.
3rd Place- Kadri Emmanuel, a Student of Agidingbi Junior Grammar School, Ikeja, Lagos State
Stop Pollution
Our food waste, Oil, Medicine and chemical should not be flushed down in the toilet even if it is expired.
Pollution can be very harmful to the society and so our food waste should be disposed off properly and shouldn’t be flushed down in toilet because of its injurious effect to the society and it can block the toilet and the smell of the food waste could attract unwanted pest making the next person using the toilet exposed to dangers.
Oils shouldn’t be dumped in the toilet due to fact that some of the oil can be harmful and might have negative effect on the person using it.
Medicine is very important for the treatment and prevention of diseases in both man and animal but we should also be careful adding expines we should dispose it properly on no attempt should we dump it in the toilet.
Chemical pollution is a treat in our society and when not used properly could cause harm, so we should be conscious of the chemicals used in cleaning our toilet and drains to prevent any form of infection or accident.
In conclusion pollution can be very harmful to the society, most importantly when it comes to our hygiene, therefore we should take care because health is the most important thing and health is wealth.