02/11/2025
*Here's a Brief Piece on A Few Encounters with Minors in the Streets... Destiny Traders if you ask me...*
The problem is almost now very much national. This is not the first time I am writing about kid traders. It is actually worrying. As someone that does things in almost all parts of Sierra Leone, I am always inclined to buy from people in the streets. Let's start in Freetown, where I do most of my jobs. So, I saw this kid the other day; probably an obvious teenager even with the perceived stunted looks. I had a few bad Nle 10 and Nle 5 notes. He was doing 'the Cherr Money, Pwel Money Stuff.' I took out one bad Nle 10 note and he told me that he would change it for Nle 4. I said okay..., but I looked at his condition and decided to hand him all the rough notes (about Nle 45). He wanted to give me the calculations, but I asked him to keep everything. He actually needed it more than I do. You'd need to see his torn clothes etc. Maybe banks should be helping some of us that do not check notes TO NOT STUFF our sums with torn notes? I left the scene and moved somewhere else, and like the number of people I encounter each day, those prayers keep me moving, among other things?😊. That's just one Freetown scenario...you know...
Let me move to my hometown of Lungi, Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom where I saw these two kids selling bananas and groundnuts. As expected, I called them. Apparently, they had not sold anything and the whole (both markets) do not even cost Nle 100. It's that bad and this is not just in Lungi. It's a national problem. I gave them Nle 120 and took a few bananas and groundnuts and asked them to go home. Like their compatriots will do, they marvelled at the gesture and they were almost dumbfounded. I left and as expected, asked them to leave too. They did, but I just hoped they would have gone home to rest. No kid deserves to be in the scotching sun all in the name of selling anything that is way below Nle 100 if you ask me, but these things do happen in this part of the world. Poverty is a bad thing, but the mindsets too???
And then to Bo and Kenema... I had encountered a few kids selling either pure water or maybe some potatoes or cassava and in most cases, the products will not cost more than Nle 50. I will also always try to get that stuff and ask the kids to leave. I will also always prefer kids to study and or relax...or just play. Let them be kids. I cannot imagine my 12 year old, soon to be 13 (teenager) DOING those things. Situations may be rough and tougher, but the other day, I had suggested to parents and guardians to be in charge of these businesses and not give and leave the burden to the poor kids.
I hope I have not written a longer narrative, but let us all continue to do those right and fine things in the best interest of this country.
Sincerely,
©️Sheku Putka Kamara-Sierra Leone