David and the (giant) Latrine

WARNING.  This post is super gross,  it does have the word “latrine” in the title so I bet you can tell where I am going.

Have you ever wondered how to retrieve a cell phone from a pit latrine?  Well, wonder no longer my friends.

It is VERY common to bring your phone into the latrine with you because most Ugandan cell phones come equipped with a torch light (flashlight).  I have perfected a latrine-using-phone-holding technique myself but I’ll spare you the details.

We just spent a week in the village and we had a couple translators along with us and one of the guys dropped his phone down into the terrifying abyss of the latrine (seriously, don’t look down those things).  We laughed about him retrieving it before lunch only to realize after lunch that he FULLY intended on retrieving the phone…he needed his sim cards.

So, we rallied and thus began operation “pooper scooper”.  We gathered a long stick, a water bottle, a bandanna and gloves.  The stick and water bottle were crafted into a capture device and the bandanna and gloves became the (sort of) hazmat suit.  I think the pictures tell the rest of the story.  As you can tell, the operation “pooper scooper” was successful, but I guess that also depends on how you define “success” in this scenario.

All I can say is GROSS.  Seriously.

David and the latrine

David and the initial inspection

David going “all in”

David making minor adjustments

David and his prize

I also thought this was a good opportunity to show you the inside of a local latrine.  This isn’t your construction site “Honey Bucket”, people.  The local latrines are made without cement so they end up being more of a small hill that you stand on.  The pictures also reveal that what appears to be a “moon roof” has developed in this latrine.  So helpful.