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Heavy downpours have forced traders across Sierra Leone to frequently abandon their market stalls, raising significant concerns about the conditions in which they operate.
The persistent challenges faced by petty traders, particularly in Waterloo and other regions, have become a pressing issue during the rainy season.
On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, many petty traders at the Tombo Market in Waterloo left their stalls early as ominous dark clouds gathered overhead. By 3:30 PM, the sound of thunder accompanied by light rain prompted most vendors to seek shelter and return home. The inadequacy of the market infrastructure exacerbates the situation; the stalls are poorly constructed and the overall environment is unsanitary.
A rice seller at Tombo Market expressed her frustration, stating, “This place floods whenever there is heavy rain”
The market, which accommodates hundreds of petty traders, suffers from significant infrastructural deficiencies that adversely affect their livelihoods. The drainage systems from nearby hillside communities, such as York Road and Newsite, often overflow with debris, further polluting the market area.
Although a new market has been constructed by the local council chairman, Kasho Holland-Cole, it is insufficiently sized to accommodate nearly a thousand petty traders operating in Waterloo Tombo.
The challenges faced by traders in Waterloo are reflective of broader issues experienced in markets throughout Sierra Leone, where cleanliness, structural integrity, and adequate shelter are often lacking.
For petty traders in Sierra Leone, the rainy season is a harbinger of difficulties, as they navigate the challenges of operating in some of Africa’s most under-resourced markets.
