“As vendors frustrated over lack of toilet facilities”
By Maria Lopes & Sariba Manneh
A cross- section of people at the Serekunda Market have recently expressed their frustration over closure of toilet in the market due to lack of water supply.
“The toilets were closed on Monday January 7, due to lack of sufficient water supply which have affected vendors and shop owners within the market,” Ebrima Keita, Supervisor of the toilets told The Voice in an exclusive interview at the Serekunda Market on Tuesday.
He explained that the toilets’ tanks normally used to be filled with water in the night when the water pressure is higher so that the vendors will use it the following morning, adding that the toilets were purposely built for the markets’ vendors.
He added: “Every day the toilets used to be close, especially when we experience water shortage but whenever the water resume we will open them [toilets] immediately.”
“We face a lot of challenges with the vendors whenever there is water shortage, considering the magnitude of the market we deal with different kind of people some of them will use the toilet haphazardly. When this happens it will result to bad odor to the entire environment,” he expressed.
Mr. Keita called on government, philanthropists and non-governmental organizations to come to their aid so as to improve the standard of the public toilets to ensure the wellbeing of the vendors in the market.
He suggested that anyone whosoever want to support them on this issue should provide mechanisms that will ensure sufficient water supply in the market so that when NAWEC electric power goes off the vendors will still have enough water at the toilets and entire market.