Social capital, Sierra Leone style:
Youths along Sani Abacha Street on Saturday 10th of November, embarked on what they termed ‘Operation wash lunatics’, a voluntary move taken by them.
A member of the group spoken to who gave his name as Rashid Hindolo said after the conclusion of the general cleaning of the main streets they decided to mobilize themselves into three groups to carry on with the exercise. The first group was tasked with the responsibility to search for all lunatics at various points and bring them to the youths’ makeshift headquarters at Abacha Street; the second was to shave the unkempt hair of the lunatics whilst the third group embarked upon bathing the lunatics.
Asked for the rationale behind this, one Emmanuel Kallon said they are doing it out of sympathetic feelings. He said all the items they used (soap, shaving sticks, clothes wearings etc.) to take care of the lunatics were provided for from their own resources.
Another street trader, Madam Isatu Mustapha said she was visibly impressed with what the male youths were doing and that very soon they also will follow their foot steps by taking care of the city’s roaming female lunatics.
