Three Men on a Boat 
According to a 2011 report by UNICEF, 42% of people in rural communities in Zimbabwe practised open defecation.
Indeed some rural areas are still characterised by poor sanitation, this situation is made worse by unhygienic practises all which have resulted in some parts of the country being hit by a recurring spate of waterborne diseases.
We are not really sure about the accuracy of the high statistic in the report but some people still have the nasty habit of relieving themselves in the open. Such practises give rise to diseases like cholera which can spread very quickly and lead to death.
Yet such a situation can be avoided by the building of more Blair toilets. In the 1980s the health talk was all about Blair toilets. Government and NGOs and civic groups all collaborated to educate people on sanitary practises and build Blair toilets. At some point it was not cool not having one ekhaya or kumushaya.
Maybe its time a similar campaign was re-launched, after all, the Blair toilet was invented by the Blair Research Institute right here in Zimbabwe so we think we should use it more often instead of behind a bush.
Tell us what you think?
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