Uncle Ola

FIVE YEARS OF BATTLING HOUSEHOLD MOULD: MY EXPERIENCE, DISCOVERY AND ATTEMPTED SOLUTIONS. For five years, I struggled with recurring health problems that I couldn’t fully understand. I moved between different apartments, changed locations and tried different environments, hoping to find somewhere I could live comfortably. Unfortunately, the health challenges continued. I experienced recurring illnesses, including malaria and typhoid diagnoses, indigestion, shortness of breath and itchy skin, particularly after bathing. I underwent several medical tests and visited different hospitals, but I struggled to understand what was responsible for my recurring health problems. It was a terrible experience. The Apartment Where I Enjoyed a Year of Better Health. Interestingly, there was one apartment I lived in in Kuje where I spent an entire year without experiencing the recurring health problems I had become accustomed to. It was a newly completed apartment, and I was the first occupant. The environment was dry, clean and well-ventilated. There were no unnecessary tall buildings obstructing airflow around the property. For that entire year, I enjoyed a significant improvement in my general well-being. Unfortunately, the apartment had other problems. The landlady had collected money for a prepaid electricity meter but failed to provide one. At some point, I spent an entire month without electricity. I tried to be understanding because she explained that she was financially constrained due to her daughter’s upcoming wedding. However, when other tenants moved in, the situation became increasingly difficult.  I eventually decided to visit the electricity distribution office to understand the process of obtaining prepaid meters. I made enquiries, initiated applications for three meters and kept the landlady informed about the process and associated costs. Despite these efforts, she later brought an old electricity meter that had previously been registered to another property. An electrician installed it temporarily while we waited for the new meters. Unfortunately, we discovered that the old meter had accumulated a substantial debt. The landlady promised to pay the outstanding amount in installments, but she repeatedly failed to fulfill that promise. Whenever other tenants contacted her, she directed them to me, creating the impression that she had already settled the matter with me. Eventually, I had to distance myself from the entire electricity arrangement. I explained the situation to the other occupants and even called the landlady in their presence so they could hear directly from her that she had not given me any money. There were also unresolved water issues. A water tank that was supposed to be mounted remained on the ground, leaving us dependent largely on the well water available within the compound. The landlady eventually returned for her daughter’s wedding and promised to resolve the electricity and water problems before travelling back to Sokoto. To our disappointment, she left the following day without resolving anything. Our subsequent calls went unanswered. I eventually accepted that I had made a bad rental decision and moved on. Despite all the problems associated with that apartment, there was one thing I couldn’t ignore: I had spent an entire year there without experiencing the recurring health problems that had troubled me for years. When The Health Problems Returned. After leaving that apartment and moving into another property, my health challenges returned. I found myself visiting hospitals repeatedly and searching for answers.  During my personal research, I came across information about household mould and its potential effects on indoor air quality and respiratory health. That discovery made me reconsider the environments I had lived in over the years.  I began paying closer attention to the walls, ventilation, dampness and general condition of my apartments. I noticed that mould kept appearing in