Last night, I had a dream that I rinsed my toothbrush with clean water from the sink. Why was I dreaming of toothpaste flowing from my toothbrush and down the sink in a smooth and effortless motion? Perhaps it was the malaria medication - vivid dreams are a common side effect. But perhaps my subconciousness was reflecting on my newly developed habit of rinsing my toothbrush with bottled water for the last three weeks. The water in Sierra Leone is unsafe and commonly causes illness, such as typhoid.
I have found that spending three weeks in Sierra Leone has changed the way I think about luxury. I am ecstatic when I come home to find the electricity on (and therefore the air conditioner). I am thrilled when the Wi-Fi is strong enough to allow me to watch Netflix at night before I go to sleep. Whenever I spot a new bakery or supermarket, I am like a kid in a candy shop checking out what they sell to see if they have something familiar. I am grateful to the cockroaches in the kitchen if they respectfully stay away from my food. Even small and silly things, such as being able to rinse a toothbrush properly, can start to feel like a luxury here.
Reading this, you may think that my summer in Freetown is difficult. As a matter of fact, some governments and organizations classify jobs in Sierra Leone as “hardship” positions, which results in hazard pay and family members being required to stay home. However, the real hardship in Freetown does not lie with the expats.
Riding down the streets of Freetown last week, I saw an older man sitting on a stool outside his house brushing his teeth. His zinc house was located in one of the city's many informal settlements. This particular settlement was next to the City Council building, where I work. In these houses, there is no electricity and no air conditioner, no sinks, and certainly no Wi-Fi. The bakeries and supermarkets are out of reach.
More than one-third of Freetown’s residents live in the 60 informal settlements spread across the city. The settlements are often located on dumpsites, around sea fronts, or in steep hills, exposing the residents to health risks and natural disasters, such as flooding during the rainy season. Most of the houses are made from zinc which results in life inside them becoming unbearable and potentially dangerous in the heat. Lack of access to basic services, food insecurity, unclean water, pollution, lack of access to bathrooms, and life-threatening diseases are just some of the challenges residents face.
The old man brushing his teeth that morning and I share the challenge of not being able to rinse our toothbrush properly with clean, running water. He probably didn't have bottled water to rinse it with either. I doubt that it features in his dreams at night, though, like it does in mine.
The outskirts of an informal settlement near the City Council building, where I work.
This photo is taken on our way to work in a keke. You can see the zinc houses that make up the informal settlement.
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