UK Bathrooms began supporting Toilet Twinning in March this year. Each month we sponsor (twin) 10 toilets in different 10 countries that are in extreme poverty. This funding helps to improve the hygiene situation and also provide people with a proper latrine.

Bawili Hamisi and daughter Ebinda, Mwandiga 3 Community, Eastern DRC.

Bawili’s story

This month we are sharing Bawili’s story. Bawii is a widow from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she raised her family on her own. Bawii’s husband was killed during a civil war in DMC. After the civil war, the rest of the family escaped to Tanzania and stayed in a refugee camp. After 10 years, they were forcibly returned to their home country where they had no home, no clean water and no toilet.

Bawii’s daughter, Ebinda had to walk for 90 minutes, three times a day to gather water from Lake Tanganyika. However, the water source was dirty and many people became ill with cholera. One day when Ebinda was still a teenager, she was attacked and raped by several men when she went to the toilet in the bush. As the consequence of the assault, she was pregnant.

Determined not to let other families suffer as hers did, Ebinda’s Mother, Bawili, joined a Community Health Club which was set up by Toilet Twinning’s support. It educates local people about hygiene and encourages them to build toilets. She devoted herself to the group and is now the Club President.

Bawili was unable to undertake the building work involved to construct her own toilet, so health club members worked together and built her a toilet recently. As villagers construct toilets together, they also develop a stronger sense of community and help one another. ‘We’re learning to work together… to love each other,’ says Bawili. ‘If there is no love, we cannot build a good society. We used to be ashamed when people shouted abuse as we walked to the bush. I’m so happy to have a toilet next to the house now.’

If you would like to learn more about Bawili family’s story please watch the following video about their journey.

We are proud to have received UK Bathrooms sponsors certificate for April.

These are the countries that we supported this month!

If you would like to support a family like Bawili, you can support through Toilet Twining.