Notes from

Sierra Leone

Starbucks

September 2003

I chased Richard through the pouring rain toward the docks. In thirty seconds we were soaked through. Not seeing the friends we were to meet, we retreated to the shelter of an empty street stall constructed of long sticks laid across an open culvert through which the rain flowed toward the ocean. A UNHCR tarp served as a roof. Perhaps the stalls on this street were empty because it was Sunday, or because it was early on a grey morning, or perhaps they had simply been abandoned. Half a dozen Sierra Leonean street traders were taking shelter in the stalls across the way. They waved and greeted us, and we responded in kind, all of us laughing through the wall of rain falling between us.

We tried ringing our friends on the cell phones, but Celtel seemed to be down again. As we were still twenty minutes early, I proposed searching for bread. We dashed back to the main road and found a man pushing a wooden cart filled with bread, the Le200 size, with the option of mayonnaise as condiment for an extra Le100. I bought one, stuffed it under my shirt, and raced with Richard down a side road to find shelter. Among the empty stalls on this street there was one manned stall.

We ducked into the 5 foot by 5 foot space and found ourselves in the Starbucks of Sierra Leone. I took a seat on the bench against the reed wall. Opposite me was a small table with a tin of Nescafe, a container of sugar, and a tin of powdered milk. Water boiled in a pot heating over open coals just in front of the stall.

The man spooned Nescafe, milk powder, and sugar (plus a few ants) into small metal cups and handed them to us. I stirred the brew to help the ants float to the top so I could lift them out.

A young man stopped in and sat at the other bench running along the back of the shelter. He bought a single cigarette and enjoyed a smoke, after which he evidently decided it was cold and he pulled a thick cotton sweater over his head (for my part, I was quite comfortable in my tank top).

Richard and I sat silently and slowly sipped our coffee as we watched the deluge from the shelter of the coffee stall. Instant coffee never tasted so good.

Operation Free Flow

Two weeks later Sierra Leone implemented ‘Operation Free Flow’ in an effort to keep the city streets clear so that traffic could pass. They flattened all the makeshift street stalls that touched the road, and even some that were set further back. I heard that rocks were thrown in town that day. I also heard that the street sellers were sent to Eastern Freetown, the poorest and most crowded quarters of town, where I can’t imagine they will get much business.

Eventually, some stalls were re-erected, but not my cozy Starbucks

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in the personal notes are my own. Facts presented are accurate to the best of my knowledge, but this site should not be taken as an authoritative resource.

Copyright © 2003 Julie Greene