Waru is an impoverished neighborhood in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. In Waru, homes lack latrines, leading residents to use a community latrine outside or relieve themselves in the bush. The community also deals with high amounts of trash.
I met a woman with three children, none of them in school. Although the mother worked full time as a housekeeper, her eldest daughter had been out of school for 2 years because of the family’s inability to pay school fees. Her five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter were also out of school because of high school fees. Her children’s school fees totaled to 13500 naira ($36), much more than her 10000 naira monthly income ($27). While her husband is a car mechanic, he is frequently out of work. While she would like to send all four of her children to school, costly school fees prevent her from doing so.
