How toilets bring dignity

Albert shows off his new toilet, which will help him keep his family healthy.

“My name is Albert. I live in Democratic Republic of Congo and I’m a father of three children, including two girls. I live in a shared plot of land with two other tenants and we had to use the same inadequate sanitary facilities. The latrines were exposed and poorly maintained because each tenant blamed the other for problems, despite our established schedule of tasks.

I used to wake up early in the morning to wash and relieve myself, and waited until late at night for my evening sanitary needs. I was afraid of being seen by my neighbours and people passing by. If I needed to relieve myself during the day, I went over to the neighbours’ plots, and they would sometimes fling nasty words at me. This created conflict with my neighbours and even led to quarrels and cold moments between us.

One of my children is sponsored through World Vision, and they supported my family with a toilet and metal sheets to build a latrine. I had struggled in the past to not be dependent on my neighbours and secure the health of me and my family. But now I no longer have to worry about relieving or washing myself because my dignity is covered. I thank World Vision for their support.”