The School Market

The school market was run by Mama Sabina, Sisi Elizabeth, Moiyatu, and other women who lived nearby the school on Dama Rd. Every day at about 11 am the women would haul their produce on tin trays to the road just to the east of the HRSS - Kenema school compound. They sold groundnuts (peanuts), some fruit (oranges, some pineapple), and benee seed cakes. In this section of Kenema there was the St. Paul's Boys primary school, the girl's primary school, HRSS Kenema, and the TTC. The market was mainly used by the primary school students. Almost every day I would buy about 5 cents worth of roasted peanuts which was enough to last me the rest of the day. All the produce was made or at least prepared across the road at #55 Dama Rd. On a good day a woman might make 1 - 2 leones, a good sum in those days. In this photo Mama Sabina  is bending over in the  blue-striped dress, with orange head dress, selling to primary school girls through the school fence. Bending over in the front is Moiyatu. The young baby in the picture with her hands up is Baby Hokey. The market would run from about just before noon until 1pm at which time the women would go back across the road and prepare rice for supper, and would also begin getting the next day's market ready. 

(double click on photo to enlarge)