It is a part of my bathroom, and yours too. You can sometimes read on it (while my brother claims to meditate) and sing on it and yet not everyone has it. Some people think without it their life will not be complete and yet to others, life is fine without it. It has come to my attention that not a lot of people actually have one, but the question is, why? I know that if I took it away from you, because I said you don’t take care of it, you will regret not caring for it.

Did you know that a lot of people around the world don’t have toilets? For those of you that have one, do you appreciate your toilet? Did you know that the United Nations has designated November 19th as World Toilet Day? Did you know that more people have access to mobile phones than to toilets around the world?

My toilet is in my bathroom, where the shower and sink are located. It is where I do my other business while I can also enjoy reading some interesting books. Did you know that the toilet is my favorite reading spot? It is great and comfortable. That is just one of the things I love about my toilet. It is white, not too big and not too small. It is just right. It is right for any conditions. You know what I mean! Sometimes I need to plunge it because my number 2 is a little too big and so it clogs the toilet.

Some people don’t have toilets and I feel sad. We should be thankful for what we have. I have learned that in some countries people do their number 2 in a plastic bag. They have to keep it with them for the rest of the day, and then at night they throw it just about anywhere when no one is watching. They call it “Flying toilet”. It sounds funny but it is not funny to me. I think that people should have everything that we have, but what can I do?

When I went to Tanzania and Uganda in 2011 and 2013, I discovered that sometimes you have to squat on a little hole that leads to a deep pit called “pit latrine”, when you want to do number 2. Imagine if your leg slips into the hole, you might end up at the bottom of the pit with those worms eating the decomposing number 2, yurks!!! , I don’t even want to imagine that it could happen.

Finally, I would like to write a short poem to show my appreciation to my toilet

“You are always there, you never leave
You are always ready for me
When I come small or when I come big
You never say a word
You don’t get mad, when it’s a lot
You are the friend that everyone would want to have
I wonder why you are not everywhere”

I appreciate my toilet and I think that someone should do something about making more toilets for the rest of the world.

Angela-Acaye