{"id":433520,"date":"2026-11-13T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/?p=433520"},"modified":"2026-11-12T16:32:27","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T15:32:27","slug":"mad-world-in-freetown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doogreporter.com\/en\/mad-world-in-freetown\/","title":{"rendered":"Mad World in Freetown."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The keke <\/em>(as tuk-tuks are known here) drops us at the roadside. From here, we make our way down towards the sea, following a steep flight of steps that leads into Susan’s Bay, one of Freetown’s slums, in the capital of Sierra Leone.We make our way along these uneven streets, a patchwork of earth and concrete, hemmed in by homes thrown together from salvaged materials. At first glance, there seems to be a complete lack of basic services, and I’m not even sure the trickles of water I’m trying to avoid are actually water.Fatmata, the young woman accompanying us, who lives here, walks with confidence. I have to keep my eyes fixed on the ground, watching every step to avoid knocking over bowls of food left on the ground, or bumping into chickens and children. <\/p>\n\n

We have come back here to speak with I.<\/strong>He is 27 years old and has been using kush since 2014. He<\/strong>.<\/em> lost his parents some time ago. He has a sister, who lives with her family far from here and does not want him living with them. His condition has deteriorated since we first met him, just two days ago. His leg hurts and he can no longer walk, except for short distances. As he waits for his friend to return with the kush,<\/em> lifts the hem of his jeans to check the wound, sending flies swarming around the infected fabric scattering into the air. The terrible sores caused by kush are most commonly found on the legs and feet, and are extremely painful. With no access to any form of treatment or wound dressing, the condition can only have worsened.<\/p>\n\n

The kush arrives. I.<\/strong> needs it even just to find the strength to eat. He has had a bowl of rice bought for him, in exchange for the little money he made from selling objects salvaged from the rubbish dump next to the corrugated iron shack where he sleeps at night and spends his days.<\/p>\n\n

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\"Freetown,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Freetown,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Freetown,<\/figure>\n
Mad World, Freetown – \u00a9Roberto Gregori, 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n