Rain, rain

We are all anticipating some heavy rains over the next few months. For us, this will just mean coats on and a few slips in the mud, but for many in the slum communities it means flooded homes, cold nights and sick children.

It's not something that can change overnight, but it is something that we can work with the communities on; helping them to adapt their housing and run off trenches as well as trying to get in touch with the local council so that they can do their bit too.

I made this little video to show the impact of just one mornings' rain so that if I do meet up with a local political bod, I can whip my phone out and show them this...

Where there's muck...

Here's an example of what we'd love to get into the Kampala slums.
Not the most appetising of subjects, but the toilet is something we take for granted - I spend a good deal of my life on one. But in slums a loo is not always an option and either a patch of grass or a small plastic bag has to suffice. This obviously causes a lot of problems - no-one wants to dodge turds every day and the health implications are obvious.
So, these guys (Sanergy) have a smart solution. Recruit an entrepreneur from the local community, set up a loo (that blue box above), charge a little to spend a penny, then remove all the poo, process it and turn it into compost... to sell. Smelly, but clever eh?
Apparently people like using it partly because it has a mirror, nice soap and makes them seem 'modern'. I'd go along with that.