In the bustling streets of Kampala, amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, there exists silent heroines whose tireless efforts go unnoticed by many. These are the women who keep Kampala city clean.
Unilever Uganda has used this month of women to celebrate the unsung heroines and appreciated their efforts during an event held at Nakasero Primary School this Wednesday morning.
Unilever gave the ladies protective gear including gum boots, gloves and reflector jackets to help them during the course of their duties. They also gave them homecare and personal care items including Omo, Pepsodent, Geisha and Royco.
One of these close to 500 women who attended the event is Harriet Nansubuga, a 56-year-old lady who has cleaned the streets for the past 17 years and counting.
Nansubuga who hails from the Mulago ghettos treks to her work station, the leafy Phillip Road in upscale Kololo and is on the road by 6.30am every morning.
The mother of three says her children are all done with secondary school and they now do casual jobs. Luckily she is done with her work by 8am every morning and she walks back to Mulago to take care of her grandchildren.
The pay is meagre, only Shs150,000 a month, but for Nansubuga, being a street cleaning lady is more than just a job, it is what puts food on the table. Her work is not easy, but she keeps at it despite her advanced age.
She faces various challenges that affect her working conditions like reckless boda boda riders and taxi drivers who have knocked many of her colleagues. She says, perhaps the reflector jackets that Unilever has given them will help with their visibility as they clean the streets very early in the morning.
Despite the challenge she faces, Nansubuga remains optimistic that the conditions will change for the better. She dreams of a day when every street in Kampala is free of litter and debris. She urges people not to litter the streets, saying that clean streets begin with them.
As the sun sets on another day in Kampala, Harriet Nansubuga reflects on her journey with a sense of gratitude and fulfillment. For her, being a street cleaning lady is not just a job, it’s a calling, a testament to the power of perseverance and the beauty of making a difference, one sweep at a time.