Hi everyone, 

We're delighted to share our third practitioner voice story by Mohammed Yakubu Abdulkadir, Mohaysa Educational Services, Kureke, Kano State, Nigeria. 

Kureke is a fast-growing village near Kano City in Kano state, Nigeria. Mohammed Yakubu Abdulkadir's story focuses on the artificial lakes in Kureke that are illegally used as dumping sites by commercial solid waste disposers and faecal dislodging workers.

Faecal dislodgement in the lakes has led to the contamination of the water which is used by people of Kureke for domestic purposes. Vector-bourne diseases have increased as a result. 

Mohammed Yakubu Abdulkadir's recommendations include the government providing a proper dislodgement site far away from human habitations where the faecal dislodgement can be treated before final dumping.

You can read the full story here:  Environmental and sanitation challenges in Kureke, Nigeria - Sanitation Learning Hub

If you have any comments, or found it useful, please do let us know. 

Many thanks,

Elaine

Dear Eliane,
This story clearly highlights the environmental issues arising from the lack of FSM services. Also, an example of how unregulated economic activities along or near water bodies (very common in the global South) only exacerbate the situation. I completely agree with the author that the government needs to step up and provide/facilitate FSM services and monitor them as well as ensure economic activities that pollute water bodies do not take place nearby. However, it is easier said than done, in my humble opinion. A couple of questions that arise for example

1. Whether the level of government responsible has the human and financial resources to perform the task? 
2. Even if they have the resources, what is the incentive for political leadership to act (the possibility of their involvement in the economic activity cannot be denied)?

Regards
paresh