Rookie Newland, an expert in Gara Tie-Dyeing has been engaged in the local Gara industry for over 60 years, but she and her team are constrained as they do not have access to market due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that has eventually rendered them bankrupt. “I used to move from one hotel or office to another with my Gara fabrics to sell but that is not happening now. Immediately I get to those places my fabrics will be sold instantly but now when we go to offices they are also complaining. The guests at the hotels like Bintumani, Lagoonda, Hotel Bamoi, they are fond of the T-shirt and ‘Lappa’ design as the ladies mostly use it to sun bathe” she said smiling.
An economic attack sponsored by the coronavirus pandemic is staring at the face of Gara traders in the Maraka Yard within the Fourah Bay Community, which is one of the oldest set of families in Freetown that have engaged in this trade for over 50 years.
Gara, the generic name given to fabrics produced using the techniques of batik, block-printing, and tie- dyeing, is derived from the indigo leaf used to make the dark blue gara dye. Traditionally, gara was pre-pared from a mixture of boiled indigo leaves, caustic soda, and tree roots. “The virus has slowed down our trade. For me I have to go out and sell Couscous – even though I do not earn much – so that my kids will be able to eat,” said Fanta Sissoko, who was dealing with Gara fabrics in large quantities. She used to have a thriving business when foreigners come to Big Market to get locally made fabrics.
“Everything has changed” she said “The customers are afraid and can no longer travel. For those who are locals they pass by wearing their protective masks and do not talk to us. They barely stop to look at the merchandise. There is a scarcity in the market,” she said. Getting the materials to do the work she added is a challenge, “before now we used to obtain credit and we pay as we go along with our sales, but since the COVID struck they have refused to give us anything on credit as they also complain of lack of sales. When I go to sell my Couscous in some offices where I used to sell fabric before they jokingly quizzed how Gara has changed to food.”
They all agreed that they encountered a bad business unlike before when there was no obstacle and they have items at moderate prices, but the prices have skyrocketed to procure items like soda, coloured ink, Brillion , Satin and worst of it the thread is in short supply as the importers have reduced their imports of Gara dyeing materials. Like Fanta, so is Mohamed Sissoko who also has lost his clientele. He said they have huge sales when Ramadan or Christian holidays are approaching also with weddings, but there was drastic reduction in the demand for Gara fabric during this COVID-19 period.
The restrictions of religious gatherings and other activities was a serious setback according to Mohamed. “People used to wear it for Friday Prayers and for Sunday Service, but our main challenge is the finance. What little we have we have used it, but if we have the finance the Gara will be in the market. We have new designs but we cannot do anything now. We have our younger ones going to school and survive through the sales of Gara but now it is a difficult situation” he said. “We do not have customers these days even those boys that used to come here to ink old jeans or change their colours are no longer coming. It has dipped my savings,” he said. He is counting that the government may announce some support to stabilize the situation.
Rookie as the head of the Gara Yard is still relying on the government’s push for access to financial support as she says no one has spoken to them as they are the biggest Gara industry in Freetown. She said they all have to cut their daily expenses considerably.
The restrictions on travel have also led to a steep decline in their activity. Before COVID-19 we were managing but it has worsened our situation, the restrictions affected us greatly, she said her market at the airport is no more as the visitors are the ones that used to help them.
“People send from Europe and USA their designs through phone and we prepare their fabric, they too have also stopped sending because they are battling their own health crisis and can no longer have access to the market they have out there . Rookie said that they heard about the safety net being offered by NaCSA but revealed that no one contacted them at their Yard taking into consideration their activity. “We were expecting them to support us, we are also doing business and it affected us greatly, we need finance. Look at the Gara pot it is so dry, before we used to work for 24 hours but now all that has ended. We did not receive a single cent from the government” she said.
She explained that even the institutions that send their students to them for training no longer come. Institutions such as Milton Margai College of Education and YWCA have all stopped sending their students. The Yard she said hosts more than 50 people when everything is normal and they train people from all over Freetown. “Some of our children have dropped out of school because you cannot go and lend to someone because that individual also doesn’t have like me. If you see anyone doing Gara here, it means that someone might have given that individual a contract to produce something” she said.
With the introduction of the lookalike fabric commonly called “PRSP” she said that it didn’t deter them from continuing their trade because the material used is plastic and there is of a more higher quality and lasts longer “PRSP cannot take us out of market, our designs are unique, some white people were coming here to take snapshots of our designs we were happy to give it to them but they couldn’t match up with us because theirs is plastic, that is what helped us if they were able to do it would have been a problem “ she said. She went further to say that even though Mali and Guinea have Gara fabrics they still have customers who come to secure the fabric from them so we are pleading with government and non-governmental organisation to support us as those who are also engaged in this trade in Guinea were supported by their Government 100% to improve on their business. “We are scared of taking micro credit we are afraid of going to jail” she said.
By Zainab Iyamide Joaque