Little things, big disgrace
It has become customary of us these days to be so busy with social programmes at the weekends that we turn up at work on Monday morning even more tired than we left on Friday.
So there I was, at a wedding ceremony over the weekend instead of resting.
Advertisement
The wedding was going very well, the smiles, inspiring homily, the vibrant dancing of the young couple preceded by an even hotter dance by the bridal party. And for once, the programme had started quite on time with the 2.30p.m. scheduled time shifted to only 3.30 p.m. For most guests, this was a positive deviation from what we are used to and patrons could be heard commending the organisers.
Everything was moving smoothly until nature called and I had to visit the washroom! On my way, I had met a few people whose countenance hinted that all was not well but I ignored the warning signs until it hit me like a tornado.
The scene and stench, newspapers strewn on the floor, the water closet filled with “content”, neither handwashing soap nor toilet paper available and to top all that, no privacy because the door lock was spoilt! For the women I saw at the party wearing long dresses which swept the floor, I wondered how they would use this washroom!
Well, once I returned from the washroom, my afternoon was ruined, I could not eat anything served and even now as I write, I am yet to regain my otherwise healthy appetite.
Looking at the decor, the draped seats, golden curtains and the well-dressed couple and wedding guests, I have been wondering how on earth provision of a clean washroom could be overlooked. This is because it is very normal that once you stay at a place for some hours, especially with a good percentage of adults, using the washroom becomes a matter of course.
Even though the situation at this wedding may be considered an oversight, lack of proper washrooms seem to be a bane of most public places in Ghana.
One may assume that the hired hall will necessarily include a clean washroom, but unfortunately, that was not the case. Dirty washrooms have become common at many public places and even some homes. Ask to visit the washroom and it is as though you have made a weird request. In some homes, there is an initial panic, and a race to look into the bowl before you are let in.
Even though I reckon that the insanitary state of most washrooms could be attributed to the general lack of flowing water for flushing, how do we excuse the used papers strewn on the floor and dirt on the walls? What made the situation at the washroom during the wedding even more shameful was the fact that there were many guests who had flown in from foreign countries to attend. They will definitely leave with unpleasant memories about Ghanaians.
Visit the washrooms of some educational institutions and you wonder how such condition is allowed to persist. Not to talk about our banks, hotels, hospitals and other public places. Even at some hair dressing salons and eateries, there are either no washroom or it is so dirty that one would rather not use it. The question I keep asking myself is whether we think our washrooms should necessarily be in such state because we consider what comes out of us equally dirty?
If the education given by our medical and health workers is anything to go by, then it is certain that our insanitary washrooms are a major contribution to our health burden. Little wonder that many diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and hepatitis A and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIS) hardly leave us.
Definitely, our washrooms speak volumes about us. If we are failing in our quest to clear the filth that surround us everywhere by developing a proper waste management system, our washrooms which are in more controlled environments with people whose job it is to keep them clean should not also be a problem.
There will always be a few people who will squat on the seat out of ignorance, and a few who will not flush the toilet after using them, but the general insanitary condition in our washrooms are a big problem to our health and dignity. I can never forget my experience at the washroom of the wedding reception. Any experiences to share?
Writer’s E-mail:doreen.hammond@ graphic.com.gh/aamakai @rocketmail.com
