'I bake because I love bread'- Sierra Leonean baker

Almost every household in Sierra Leone eat bread for breakfast and dinner, Bread is also given to children as part of a lunch pack. Sierra Leoneans just cannot go to bed without eating bread. For this Sierra Leonean baker, it was his love for bread that attracted him to become a baker in the first place.

This baker mould the dough for baking

 How many bags of flour do you bake per day?
Well because this is still a relatively small bakery, I bake between half and one bag per day, It all depends on the season and the sales level.

The happy Baker concentrate on his work

Why did you choose baking?
Hehehehe....I choose this job because I love bread. I am a man who have shown a love for bread since I was a child. Everyone around me knows that. I love the smell of it and I therefore decided to work in the bakery. I don't only love bread, I also love cakes, pies etc. I love baked food in general...

Bread are put on the oven tray for baking

How long have you been baking?

I have been baking for over five or six years now.

What are some of the challenges you face as a baker?

Some of the constraints include the lack of modernize oven and other machines for mixing the dough and for baking. We still use the local oven. There is also the lack of sufficient power and water supply.

Are you optimistic about the future of baking in Sierra Leone?

Absolutely. As long as we have life we have hopes and as long as Sierra Leoneans continue to eat bread we will continue baking. I believe with time there will be more improvements in this industry and we will be able to serve our customers better and efficiently.

Thank you

Life as a building construction worker in Sierra Leone

The aftermath of Sierra Leone's decade war has witnessed a rise in building and construction work in the country. There are also lots of these works all over the country as the country's middle class grows. However, for construction workers, life has not been that easy as most are not aware about the benefits of insurance as they involved in an everyday risks to provide a living for themselves and their families.

What is life like working in the construction industry?
Well Life in this industry can be difficult as it is sometimes hard to get a job and we are not on permanent jobs. We work on contract basis and when jobs are available.

Turning the concrete mixture at a building site in Freetown

How do you find it, enjoyable or hard?
The most enjoyable part of it is getting paid at the end of the day. It is easier when there are enough materials to work with. Sometimes it is very difficult as we work harder under the hot burning sun. Concreting slabs can be very hard as it is hard labour throughout.

Construction workers busy at work

How long have you been in construction?
Most of us here have been in this trade for over 15 years.

Busy construction worker offers to help as the rains gather atop the hills of Freetown

Is it a profitable job?
Yes it can be very profitable if one gets contract and on a continuous basis. My family depends on this job.

Construction worker in motion

Any achievements?
Personally I am thankful to this job as I am able to feed my family from this job which is really hard for some of my colleagues. Currently, I am building a three bedroom house with one master bedroom at Wellington, thanks to the job.

This hard working mason admires his work on the floor

What's your most memorable moment?
My most unforgettable moment will be when i fell off a scaffolding at Wellington. I was seriously injured but thanks to God all my bones are intact. There are good  and bad times in this industry but we are keeping the spirit.

A busy mason turns the concrete mixture on the floor

Are you insured for accidents at work?
Hahahaha.....There's nothing like that in the industry here. We are ought to deal with accidents on our own and if the construction company is really nice with us, they will incur the cost for any accident but for some others they will say that's why we are paid on contract.

A happy Sierra Leonean Carpenter

A happy Sierra Leonean Carpenter in Freetown is pleased with his profession.

What are you making?

A chair

How hard it is to be a carpenter?

No job is an easy job. But one has to enjoy whatever one does. I love this job and I hope to open my own workshop one day and teach young people who may be interested in the trade.

How long have you been doing this job?

For over five years now.

Is it profitable?

Well not much but it is better than sitting doing nothing. At least I am able to get my hand to mouth.....heheheheh.

Thank You

I enjoy what I do

Its the best job in the world

Good Friday celebrated in the traditional Sierra Leone way

Good Friday marked part of the end of the Christians lent season (The forty day of fasting) in observation of the fasting of Jesus Christ for forty days and forty nights. Good Friday remembers the day Jesus was killed after his betrayal and denial by one of his disciples Judas Iscariot. In Sierra Leone this day is marked by Christians going to church in the morning while mostly Catholics will refrain from eating meat and palm oil; representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

A caricature of Judas

After church and around mid day, it is common to see young children beating a caricature of Judas made with old and unwanted cloths. The children will hit the caricature until the whole made is shattered and could be seen on streets and corners. The children beat the caricature of Judas as a revenge for his betrayal of Jesus Christ as stated in the holy bible. Children will sing the song 'Judas hey! Juday hey! We will kill you today! We will bury you today!

Contestants line up at this year's Miss Fourah Bay College

The Madrugar Club Fourah Bay College on Friday 2nd May held the annual Miss FBC contest at the Miatta Conference hall, Brookfields, Freetown, Sierra Leone. The theme for the 2014 contest was 'Agenda to empower young women'. Aminatta Bangura emerged as winner of this year's contest.

Contestants lined up at this year's Miss FBC, waiting for their turns to answer questions from judges. 

A Contestant responding to questions from the judges.

Life at Madogbo Village, Koinadugu district, Northern Sierra Leone

Madogbo, a small northern village in Koinadugu district plays residence to about 50 or 60 people with about 75% children. The main source of income is farming which is usually halted during the dry season when the rains stopped. This period is usually the difficult time for the residents who are hardly able to eke out a living for their mainly young population.

A very useful cow of Madogbo village. The cows are use for ploughing the earth and makes farming easy for the villagers.

A youth sat on the railings of his family hut at Madogbo village

The hut on the far side hosts the fowls in the village of Madogbo

The bathroom and toilet at Madogbo village

Old people sit on this wooden slab to have their bath

The house of the karrmoko at Madogbo town

Madogbo like most of Sierra Leone is surrounded by hills, mountains and some hard rock like this one

.

The toilet pit at Madogbo village

Despite government's policy that puts the age for a child to be married at 18, child marriage is common here and it is usual for a girl to be married at a tender age of 9 or 10 years old. The celebration is long and big when a virgin is married and that is part responsible for girls being given as brides at such tender age. 

The Local mosque at Madogbo village

A village scene of Madogbo 

Another hut in the village of Madogbo

At night, children sit by the fire with their Karrmoko (Arabic teacher) as they learn verses from the quran written on their wala (a board locally carved with wood)

Residents are mainly muslim and give priority to Islamic education and bother little about Western education. 

This is one of the huts in hosting on average five members of a family at Madogbo village.

In the morning, the People of Madogbo are woken up by the adzan from the local mosque. It is common to see mostly old people with hands folded at their backs or holding water pots  and chewsticks as their form of toothbrush, heading towards the Masjid. Residents normally have a breakfast of cooked green bananas and or satti (Rice pudding). Residents do not normally have lunch but dinner of boiled rice, palm oil, maggie or salt and pepper.

The only voluntary teacher at the only primary school in the village is angry because for months parents have not earned enough from farming to say thanks to him for his efforts. 'Life is hard', he complained  

The village has only one primary school and no nursery and no secondary school.