HORIZON INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS SITE

 WSSCC: Freddy the Fly

Meet Freddy the Fly, a video illustrating a community’s journey to open defecation free status – from the fly’s perspective!

Meet Freddy, a fat little fly who loves toilet fondue! Find out what happens to him when the village where he lives is 'triggered' into cleaning up their act to become open defecation free (ODF).

Freddy the Fly animation

Please share this video widely and use Freddy to illustrate how Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) methods work to help communities become healthier and more productive.

Illustration by Rocio Villa Belmonte, Animation by Hans Peter Schepp for the Global Sanitation Fund (c) WSSCC 2017 
‘Freddy the Grumpy Fly’ poem by Patrick England
Concept inspired by Oliver Jones and Clara Rudholm

Freddy the Grumpy Fly – by Patrick England

Freddy was once a fat little fly,
A delicious feast he would never deny.

But of all the mangos and rice and piping hot stew, His favorite of all was a fresh piece of poo.

You see Freddy always had plenty to eat, As the village he lived in was not very neat.

When the rumbling in their stomachs refused to subside,

The villagers didn’t use toilets, but instead pooped outside!

When outsiders came before, some villagers got a latrine,

But they were rarely ever used, and they were never very clean.

What Freddy adored were these open latrines full of poo,

He would call up his fly friends, and have a toilet fondue!

Freddy then flew into kitchens looking for desert to steal,

With his filthy six legs, he’d perch on top of their meal.

The villagers would shout: “Go away fly! Shoo!”

But it didn’t make a difference; they were still eating their poo.

Freddy’s appetite was huge, and the costs added up quick

Diseases were rampant, and their children were sick.

That was until one day, some visitors came for a meeting,

And after discussion, they realized it was poo they were eating!

“We don’t accept this! Let’s all use toilets!” they figured,

Everyone went back in a flurry – the village was triggered.

The villagers placed covers over each and every loo, Freddy was horrified! How could he gobble their poo?

Even when the floods rushed in and the cyclone winds raged,

The village rebuilt their toilets. Their behaviour had changed. 

Frustrated and angry, Freddy had a pout and a mope, “Everyone is even washing their hands with soap!”

With behavior changed, Freddy conceded defeat, After all, there was plenty of other food he could eat.

All of the mangos and rice and piping hot stew, But never again would Freddy eat poo.

Published on YouTube 14 June 2017.  Published on the Horizon International Solutions Site 20 June 2017.