Monday 11th October 2010

This morning we started out for a visit around the area to meet a number of different people living in various places.  The object of the day was to see how people living in different situations were able to have water and dispose of their waste water.

The first place we visited was a township. This was followed by a visit to a shanty town and a high status area.  Following this we visited a middle class area and had a look around the houses.

When looking at the upper and middle class the water supply and sanitation appears to be comparable to the European standard with proper water supply and flushing toilets.  However when you visit the less fortunate the situation is entirely different.  On visiting the shacks one realises that our standards should not be taken for granted.

There was a refreshing determination at the shack area.  The people had all settled there illegally and they had nowhere else to go.  However they had cleared areas for their houses, a park, an area to grow crops and a place for animals to live.  They had a borehole installed for their water supply and this pumped water to some tanks high on the hill.  It then flowed under gravity to some taps in the area.  There where pit latrines for most houses and they were in a clean condition.

The other township areas were also kept clean and tidy around the houses.  There was a problem with refuse though, and this was collected in big piles which were then set on fire.  This was not good for the environment and the waste blew into nearby rivers and streams.
The more expensive housing had more European type facilities and they appeared to have a refuse collection as their houses were better kept.  This was probably a function of financial status.

The rich community was visited by another part of the group. And, although they had swimming pools and better facilities, they were well aware of the problems encountered by others for their water supply and sanitation.