By Hassanatu I. Conteh
Life has become increasingly difficult for many ordinary people in Sierra Leone as the cost of basic necessities continues to rise. For many families, surviving from one day to another has become a struggle, especially as the increase in fuel prices continues to affect transportation, food prices and small businesses.
But the problem is no longer only about fuel.
For many people, the rising cost of living is happening at the same time as other daily challenges, including electricity shortages and difficulties accessing clean and reliable water. These problems may appear separate, but for ordinary households they are all connected.
A person who spends more money on transportation because of fuel prices has less money to buy food. A small business owner who has to spend more on fuel for a generator has to increase the price of goods or services. A family without regular electricity may have to spend money charging phones, buying fuel for a generator or using other alternatives. At the same time, households without a reliable water supply may have to buy water or spend hours searching for it.
For many Sierra Leoneans, these are not just economic issues being discussed on the radio or in newspapers. They are problems experienced every day.
Transportation is one of the first areas where people feel the effect of rising fuel prices. Many people depend on poda-podas, taxis and commercial motorbikes to get to work, school, markets and other places.
When the cost of fuel increases, transport operators also face higher operating costs. Some passengers then have to pay more for their daily journeys.
For workers who already earn a small income, even a small increase in transportation costs can make a big difference.
A worker who spends more money travelling to work has less money left for lunch, rent, school fees or other household needs. Students also feel the pressure because many depend on public transportation to attend classes.
The situation is even more difficult for people who depend on daily income.
For traders, for example, getting goods from one location to another can become more expensive. The additional transportation cost can eventually be added to the price of the goods. This means that consumers are also affected when they go to the market.
Food prices are closely connected to the transportation situation. When it becomes expensive to transport rice, vegetables, fish, cooking ingredients and other commodities, sellers may have little choice but to increase their prices.
This puts pressure on families that are already struggling to manage their household budgets.
A mother who previously used a certain amount of money to prepare a meal may now have to spend more to buy the same items. Some families may respond by reducing the quantity of food they buy, changing what they eat or skipping certain items altogether.
For some people, the question is no longer about what they want to buy, but what they can afford.
Small businesses are also facing their own challenges.
Many businesses depend on electricity to operate. Tailors, hairdressers, barbers, restaurants, cold stores, phone-charging centres and other small businesses need electricity to provide their services.
When electricity is unavailable, some business owners turn to generators. But generators require fuel, and fuel is becoming another expense that businesses have to consider.
This creates a difficult situation.
A business owner needs electricity to operate, but when there is no reliable electricity, the owner may have to spend more money on fuel. If the business increases its prices to cover the additional cost, customers may complain or stop using the service. If the owner does not increase prices, the business may struggle to make enough profit.
For many small businesses, it becomes a choice between increasing prices and losing customers or keeping prices the same and accepting smaller profits.
Electricity is therefore not only a household issue. It is also an economic issue.
When people talk about the cost of living, electricity should be part of the conversation because unreliable power affects how people work, study and run their businesses.
Students are among those affected.
A student who wants to study at night may depend on electricity to charge a phone, use a laptop, access the internet or simply have enough light to read. When the power goes off, studying becomes more difficult.
Some students may use rechargeable lamps or other alternatives, while others may have to find another place where they can study.
For families with several children, these challenges can become even greater.
Then there is the issue of water.
Water is one of the most basic needs in every household, yet access to reliable water remains a challenge for many people. When water is unavailable, families have to find alternative sources.
Some people spend money buying water, while others spend hours collecting it.
The burden often falls heavily on women and children who may be responsible for household activities such as cooking, washing and cleaning.
When water becomes difficult to access, ordinary activities that people normally take for granted become more stressful.
A family may wake up early because they need to search for water before starting the day. A trader may have to leave home earlier because of the need to collect water. Children may sometimes have to assist their parents instead of concentrating fully on school.
Water shortages therefore affect not only health and sanitation but also people’s time and productivity.
When these problems come together, the pressure on households becomes even greater.
Imagine a family where the father is a commercial driver, the mother sells food, and their children attend school.
The father spends more money on fuel and vehicle maintenance. The mother pays more for transportation and ingredients. If there is no electricity, she may have to use fuel to operate a generator or reduce the services she offers. If water is unavailable, the family may have to buy it.
At the end of the day, the family’s income may remain the same while the cost of living continues to increase.
That is where the real pressure is felt.
People are being forced to make difficult choices about what to prioritize.
Some may delay paying bills. Others may borrow money from friends or relatives. Some small business owners may reduce the amount of goods they buy because they cannot afford to restock. Workers may look for additional sources of income after their normal working hours.
Young people are also feeling the pressure.
Many young people are already struggling to find employment. Those who find work may still discover that their income is not enough to meet their daily needs because transportation, food and other expenses continue to increase.
This can make it difficult for young people to save money, support their families or invest in their future.
The economic situation also affects people’s mental and emotional well-being, even though this part of the problem is not always discussed.
When someone wakes up every morning thinking about how to pay rent, how to get transportation to work, how to buy food, how to pay school fees and how to deal with electricity and water problems, the pressure can become overwhelming.
People want to live better lives, but sometimes their income only allows them to focus on surviving.
The fuel crisis, electricity problem and water shortage should therefore not be viewed as completely separate issues. They are part of a wider conversation about the cost of living and the quality of life of ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
Fuel affects transportation.
Transportation affects the price of goods.
Electricity affects businesses and households.
Fuel is also needed when people depend on generators.
Water shortages affect households, businesses, schools and people’s daily routines.
All these challenges eventually affect the amount of money people have left in their pockets.
For ordinary Sierra Leoneans, the economy is not simply about figures, policies or statistics. It is about whether a parent can afford to feed their children, whether a student can get to school, whether a trader can restock a business and whether a worker can reach work without spending most of their income on transportation.
It is about the everyday decisions people make to survive.
As the country continues to face these challenges, there is a need for stronger attention to the basic services that people depend on every day. Reliable electricity, accessible water and affordable transportation are important not only for individual households but also for economic development.
People need an environment where they can work, study, trade and run businesses without constantly worrying about whether they can afford the basic necessities.
For now, however, many families continue to adjust their lives according to what they can afford.
The reality is that the cost of living is not affecting everyone in the same way. But for those living on low and irregular incomes, every increase can have a serious impact.
The price of fuel may appear to be just another economic figure, but behind that figure are workers paying more to get to work, students struggling to reach school, traders spending more to transport their goods and families cutting down on their daily expenses.
Behind the electricity shortage are businesses trying to survive without reliable power and students trying to study in difficult conditions.
Behind the water shortage are families spending time and money searching for something that should be available to every household.
These are the realities of the economy for many ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
And until these basic challenges are addressed, the struggle with the cost of living will continue to be felt not only in people’s pockets, but in almost every part of their daily lives.