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Fadzayi Maposah-Correspondent

Have you ever been somewhere or eaten something and wished that someone that you love or value was there with you to experience the same? 

The first time I went to Nyanga, I was in awe.  I was young and had just started working for a Government ministry that nurtured me in so many ways. 

I was assigned together with other officers to attend a week-long workshop in the Eastern Highlands. While I looked forward to the opportunity to learn from the workshop, I was also excited by the opportunity to be in a place that I had never been. 

That my colleagues and I would be booked in a hotel that I had only read about then was even more appealing. That alone was more than just a motivating factor. 

So, prior to travelling to Nyanga, we had a briefing that was called by our boss, who is now deceased.

 He informed us of the department’s expectations and each one of us was allocated a role to play for the duration of the time that we would be away. 

Each individual was expected to run in their own lane and compliment the other colleagues. 

At times I am rather unpopular when I say that working in Government should be done by everyone, because there are lessons that one learns in the civil service that cannot be learnt elsewhere. 

The Public Service Commission, I have your back!

Our boss then told us that our rooms would be very simple, the more elaborate rooms would be for the esteemed invited delegates.  I did not care about the rating of the room; I just was happy to be going and working in Nyanga. 

I have been to Nyanga so many times now, and the same hotel too, but each time I am there the memories come like a flood. This was way before social media, so I did not get a chance to flood my status with pictures of the awesome surroundings and me out and about the hotel and the area.

Now much older, I have had opportunities to travel and work with some young people who just complain and seem to be in the “know it all” league and fail to create memories.  It is sad.

When I was in Nyanga then, how I wished that the ones I love could have also been there to experience what I had a chance to see and live through.

When I drew the curtains in the morning, my breath would be taken away. 

What fascinated me the most was that I seemed to be way up in the mountains, getting closer to the sky! The whole time I was away there I just hoped and prayed that my loved ones would at some point in their lives get to be in Nyanga. 

I had a similar experience this week of wishing that someone close to me should have been where I was because what I went through was amazing and they too could have really benefitted. 

The advantage now is that with a smart phone and social media, one can share updates. I was a trainer at a workshop to empower young people on comprehensive sexuality education.

Young people, their youth, their energy are wonderful working with.

The group that I was interacting with has to be among the very best groups that I have ever worked with. The team of trainers were an incredible gel of skills and knowledge!

 I really enjoyed each day of the training that ended yesterday and each morning I looked forward to the training with a lot of enthusiasm. 

On the first day on the training, just before we started, I went to the rest room.

 The door to the restroom, very simple with just a sign of a female and the word ‘Ladies’.

 As I opened the door, it was like I had been transported to a different world.

The child in me surfaced. I closed the door and relooked at the simplicity that it had and then opened again. 

The restroom is beautiful, very beautiful. Whoever designed it really knows and understands women because as you enter there is mirror that covers a great part of the beautiful earthly wall.  There is beauty in the simplicity of the restroom.

 I got into the first cubicle (which is what I have realised, I always do when I go to a compartmentalised toilet!) 

The cubicle size is just on point. 

During the course of my training at this facility there was always ample toilet paper, properly assembled, not in those tricky and complicated gadgets that affect how you had planned to use the toilet.

 There was a very nice pedal sanitary bin. 

You guessed right, I did a test run. 

I gently put my foot on the pedal and it worked! There are some pedal bins that do not work and are probably just put there for display and to fulfil a requirement. Sad. 

There were sanitary packets to put in soiled sanitary ware before placing them in the bin. 

These were well-placed and not bunched together such that they stick together and give you unnecessary work separating them.

When I was done, I did an inspection of all the other toilet cubicles. They were the same and fully functional. 

How I wished my menstrual period was there with me this week so that the experience would have been a great one. Lack of sanitary support makes the period a huge burden. When the toilet is in a bad state, the frequent visits required to change sanitary ware are a huge pain. 

My period experience at this facility would have been very pleasant without having to dread each sanitary ware change. The facility needs to be commended for being great partners for women and their reproductive health needs. 

As I always say hormones have no manners, help women to have pleasant menstrual experiences by having proper facilities.