By: Aminata Sameena Sesay
Residents along the Aberdeen Creek Slum Community in Freetown have expressed concerns over the deplorable condition they are living in.
In an interview with Politico, Kadija Sesay, a resident at the Creek highlighted some key challenges she is facing while living in the depressed community. She pointed out that majority of women living in most slum communities are single mothers and widows whom she said strive every day to make ends meet.
She mentioned the inflation of rent by home owners forced them to reside in slum areas where she said it is cheaper to secure a room or an apartment. She added that the property owners charge people in dollars or huge amount of Leones for their houses which she said they could not afford.
Sesay urged the government to come out with a uniform pricing for renting a room or an apartment to ease the burden on people like her that cannot earn much.
She also admonished Government to establish a Plastic Recycle Factory saying huge piles of plastics contribute a lot to flooding in coastal the slums communities like Aberdeen Creek during the rainy season.
In an innovative mindset she said those plastics could be transformed into water tanks, kitchen utensils and footwear and employment provided for Sierra Leoneans.
Lahai Koroma, another resident of the Creek and businessman in the same Aberdeen Community said they are not happy living in such an appalling condition as they also want a better standard of living for themselves and their children, but said they have no better alternative.
He also stressed the non-availability of water as a key challenge faced in the area.
He narrated how they would sometimes have to wake up their kids in the middle of the night to fetch water, and on many occasions could not access water for some days.
Koroma expressed dismay that the kids would have to stay up late searching for water, even though they may have to go to school the following morning. Water wells are in many instances their source of water for home use.
Koroma emphasized that joblessness has prompted youths in their community to engage in robbery and other anti-social activities. He claimed they use the cover of darkness due to the frequent power outage in their community to rob people. He urged the Electricity Distribution and Supply Agency (EDSA) to solve the rampant blackout in the city.
When asked about the health challenges, associated with living in such deplorable condition, he said that is what he has to put up with over the last 20 years as there is no other way out.
Slums communities have seen population explosion over the years as a result of people wanting to relocate to the urban areas particularly the capital Freetown, for perceived better living conditions..
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (26/10/22)
