Sierra Leone News

Posts Tagged ‘light in sierra leone’

Hello again, I’ve been busy and mad! Mad with the lack of light that’s plaguing Freetown again. I remember last year this time when – we Freetownians – were all basking in the new found Bumbuna light and praising the government for doing the unprecedented. Children danced in the street – “Light don come” or something to that effect. Music blared around every street corner and there was a general positivity about progress in Sierra Leone. I will boast to our diaspora friends about how good things are happening….

One Year On….

Fast forward one year on and we’re back the darkness that prevailed when we came in 2008 not to mention the noisome generators. This started – for those of us that live in Lumley – in about February and it became so bad that around the 1st of May there was a big brouhaha as the fuel price was increased from Le17,500 per gallon to Le22,000 or so. In addition to this increase, fuel is now sold in litres instead of gallons.

There were queues at petrol stations as dealers refused to sell for one reason or the other. In the absence of electricity, the only reliable source of light is the generator which needs fuel. Fuel price increase is bad enough but scarcity compounds the problem.

Now I can say, fuel shortages only lasted for about 3 days at the beginning of May, now we do have more expensive fuel but no electricity.

There may be a myriad of reasons why and I’ve seen and heard as well as read Minister this or that say this or that…. quite frankly it doesn’t matter.

Bottom line is unless there’s 24/7 light no economy can grow to it’s fullest potential . Poverty will still be endemic and businesses will charge and arm and a leg for goods and services.

As I’m writing my generator is on… I wonder when I’ll switch it off for good….

Incoming search terms for the article:

• bumbuna dam sierra leone

Yes Salone is up and coming…. Well I feel much better and literally brighter – yes with the Bumbuna NPA light. Since two weeks now we’ve had light almost every night – sometimes it comes in at around 6.00pm, sometimes after we’ve gone to bed but never during the day. This is a much better situation and we’re all looking for more.

I heard from the grapevine that NPA made an announcement that they’re testing Bumbuna but apparently it’s only up to 20MegaWatts instead of the 50MW which is currently being worked on…

Needless to say, having brings about a “feel-good” atmosphere that only those of us who’ve experienced the lack of it can understand. I look forward to powering my laptop during the day with NPA and listening to the radio and doing all the frivolous things I can think of… simple things like storing ice cream in the freezer an eating it when I want.…

I also look forward to civilised quietness when all generators in the area including ours are off:

Here are some of the stuff I’ll save on each month

(current $ rate is about $4,000, you do the math)

40-60 gallons of diesel a month / @Le14,800 per gallon = Le592,000 – Le888,000

6 packets of giant candles /month – @ Le10,000 each = Le 60,000

Gosh… I can’t wait….Will update when more changes happen

Incoming search terms for the article:

• sierra leone geting better