As the first rays of dawn illuminated the cluttered and dirty landscape, the sounds of brooms, shovels, pick axes and hoes rang across Freetown, and the nation, announcing the first national cleaning day under the auspices of the newly elected SLPP government. On Saturday 5 May 2018, Sierra Leone hosted and hoisted a day of cleaning, tidying, spraying, shoveling and sweeping. Across every neighbourhood, community and compound, the ting of scraping shovels called patriotic Sierra Leoneans from their beds and into the streets.
Mary Kamara, of Aberdeen, said, “Today, we cleaned and cleaned. All of our household were awake early. We tipped garbage, moved stones, lifted cans and cleaned our entire area.” By 1:00 p.m., she was tired and moved indoors to rest. But, the feeling of accomplishment and orderliness permeated the neighbourhood.
Aunty Jestina, a nearby neighbour, said, “We cleaned for our President. Today was for the President and we are very happy to get things clean. Freetown is one big dump so we hope today will end that tradition.” On the whole, Sierra Leoneans looked forward to and planned accordingly for the day of shop closures, traffic restrictions and enforced cleaning. Despite rumours of arrests and detentions, the streets were peaceful and appeared as a beehive of tidying activity.
The cleaning day was scheduled in President Bio’s first Executive Order and was to run from 7:00 a.m. to noon. After some confusion about the timing of the day’s activities, cleaning duties continued until after 4:00 p.m. Mohamed Swarray, the Minister of Information, cleared the air and announced the resumption of “normal activities” after 12-noon, alongside the cleaning and removing of garbage.
Aloyisius Bangura, rounded up a group of men along Aberdeen Road to haul garbage, branches of trees, dirt and bags of refuge. He said, “We didn’t think there would be so much ‘dirty’ (garbage). So obviously, the government should extend the time and we might be working even on Sunday.”
Along Bai Bureh Road, in the east of Freetown, traffic was blocked and restricted to service vehicles, military trucks and journalists. The piles of garbage, waste and refuge were up to 3-metres high in some spots creating traffic hazards and an overpowering stench. The police and military set up roadblocks to limit the traffic entering and leaving downtown Freetown.
Jestina Dumbuya, living near downtown Freetown, said, “I’m amazed at the huge piles of ‘dirty’ that people have brought out onto the streets. It shows you how dirty the city was.”
Young men and women continued to shovel, accompanied by large dump trucks and Caterpillar loaders, until the orange light of dusk settled across Freetown. Downtown, groups of tired young men expressed their pride at being part of the cleaning process. Meadow, in the central business district, said, “I helped today. I shoveled out the gutters and hauled garbage.”
Sierra Leone’s cleaning days may have had their start under the military regime of the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) but the monthly tradition has received a new lease on life under the new SLPP government. And generally, it seems, Sierra Leoneans have embraced the idea and the activity.
5/5/18
Monday May 7, 2018.
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