By Dadson A. Musa

In Sierra Leone, it is not news that rains almost always cause issues from time to time each time same tends to constantly drop. With this in mind, it is worthy to note that the full nature of some of the catastrophes may not be full known. So, it is a matter of determining so same may have occurred and the actions and consequences felt!

Bo is the second city of Sierra Leone and is located in the southern province. Bo is a cosmopolitan city with a mix of all tribes although Mende tribe dominates. Like in every other part of the country we experience two seasons; dry season and rainy season. There used to be green vegetation covering the city overwhelmingly but that has been eroded with rapid expansion of the city after the rebel war. So now it’s more of structures instead of the green vegetation. The city is also to some extent swampy.

The rainy season starts in April in Bo although climate change has tampered to some extent with the exactness of the time. Bo has a semblance of rural communities due to the expansion that has been taking over villages nearby.

So, we have urban and semi – urban features of Bo

At the start of the rainy season, like we’re seeing now life generally changes, from business to schooling, traffic to back- yard gardening and even farming. The green vegetation slowly starts reappearing and later blossoms and over grow as we get deeper in the rainy season. One activity that seems to be prominent amongst the rest is growing crops and raising livestock. The rainy season makes it easier for gardeners, farmers and livestock raising. Most backyards are littered with vegetables across the city and in the swamps, rice is mainly cultivated. The rainy season in Bo is when livestock have water to drink which also enhances enough supply of feeds.

Businesses are a little restricted as we get deeper into the rainy season. The rains also affect movement of people and things to avoid illness and damage respectively. It’s also in the rainy season that schools wrap up their activities to allow the children safely stay home. Unlike the capital city Freetown where income levels differ and parents who own cars and other safe auto mobiles allow the children continue with extra lessons. The rainy season to a large extent alters business patterns in Bo. Work patterns are also altered as it is the time in the year that people take leave to rest in order to avoid the harsh weather conditions as there can be instances of heavy down pour and hence flooding and thunder and lightning. The rainy season is good to have with all its attendant risks.

Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, June 4TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)