The Reality of Our Streets: Litter, Disrespect, and Danger

 Sometimes I just sit and watch, and I get so frustrated. You see people spitting on the ground, throwing plastic bottles anywhere, or even relieving themselves in public and it’s not just disgusting, it’s dangerous. Every time I walk through my neighborhood or the streets of Kenya, I can’t help but think: “Do people even care about themselves or others?”

It’s not just about the smell or the dirt it’s about the real-life risks. That banana peel someone tossed carelessly? What if an elderly person steps on it and falls? What if that piece of glass, that puddle of waste, or that open drain causes someone to get seriously hurt? These are things that happen every day, yet people act like it’s normal. And it shouldn’t be.

Littering, spitting, and public urination aren’t small problems they’re symptoms of a bigger issue: lack of respect for others, lack of awareness, and a culture that sometimes ignores responsibility. These small actions, when combined, create an environment that’s unsafe, unhygienic, and demoralizing. It’s exhausting to see communities struggle not because of a lack of resources, but because of careless behavior that could easily be changed.

I get angry because I care. I care about my community, my streets, the children who play outside, and the elderly who deserve safety and dignity. I care because change starts with awareness, and if we continue ignoring these habits, we’re creating avoidable harm and that’s on all of us.

The truth is, small actions matter. Throw your trash in the bin. Respect public spaces. Think before you spit, pee, or litter. Because one careless action can turn into someone’s accident, someone’s hospital visit, or worse. We can have cleaner, safer streets but only if we actually care enough to act.