Details of the unmetionables

We are heading into a part of uor world that does not have of even need the creature comforts of the West. You may not think of some of these things until you arrive and nature calls for the first time on foreign soil. I like to think ahead because I like to have less surprises and more preparedness.

For most of us, when the urge comes to "get up" at night, we have a maximum of 20 steps to get to a beautiful bathroom. It has an elevated stool that holds fresh water and with the tug of a little handle, sends the unmentionables miles away through a series of pipes, never to be seen again. We hardly think about it as day after day, this convenience is offered to us in every place we visit, the mall, the movies and even grandmas house. But what about Sudan?

This is where the rubber hits the road (no pun intended). Sudan is void of flush toilets with it's access to sewer and sanitation. Sudan has some luxury latrines but it is all relative.

Fully functioning latrine

The best we could hope for is a building like this. A multi stall pit latrine...yes, I did say pit. It is more what you would expect from Newton Hills State Park without the stool.

The Pit

When you walk into the latrine, you see this modern architectural design, a step-by-step illustration, poured into the concrete lid. You put your feet where the feet are and you squat....yes, squat. No if you are like me, you might wonder if you could just not eat for two weeks and avoid this "opportunity", but when you do a little more research you might discover that this is more luxury than you realize.

Shallow Trench Latrine

Here is another popular option in the larger villages (we will be staying in a small village!). It's a shallow trench latrine. The squatting is the same, but the privacy lacks some walls and the "flow" goes from one end to the other. My mama always said to go upstream! Notice the water supply on the back side, or maybe that's the front? (note to self...always boil water)

Village Latrine

This is the most likely option for us in the village of Kalalayi. I'm not exactly sure how it works and I don't exactly know how user friendly it is or what your shoes look like afterwords but I'm sure it will work just fine.

Every one of the team members will have this little beauty along with them in thier bag. It's the personal temporary latrine builder. It works like this:

1. Sniff around until you find a private location
2. Pull out your handy personal latrine builder
3. Dig...dig...dig
4. Squat
5. Cover hole

So today when you use your fancy bathrooms, equipped with sinks, showers and plumbing, thank God you live in the US and shoot a prayer up for our team.

Doug Bartel