Liberians Makin' it Happen! Transporting Goods.

~ 11 year old boy carrying a cement cinder block

Here in Monrovia, like anywhere in the world goods need to be moved around town - of course DHL, FEDEX, USPS, UPS are all NON EXISTENT.

Most of the vehicles on the road are motorbikes who act as mini taxis - of course these lovely chaps are also ex combatants - UN and Expat Vehicles, the Lebanese (most of teh business owners), and a few local Liberians, mostly the wealthy, yes there are some tattered forms of shared taxis - which are to be avoided due to muggings etc.

So that leaves all us regular folk and the local Liberians to come up with innovative creative ideas to transport goods throughout the city. Most notably you will see men pushing wheelbarrows through the streets with such things as water packets, hand towels, shoes, gum, oh you name it they sell it in a wheelbarrow - I myself think this is a great idea - you can move, display, and set your store anywhere, anytime.

But sometimes you need to move more - or less. Like the young fellow above I captured carrying a CEMENT CINDER BLOCK On his head - you will see women and children (rarely men) carrying large bowls filled with goods, large trays holding smoked fished, heavy bags of rice - but this was the first time I witnessed cement blocks being carried. And while this lad looks slim and young - he is obviously strong and adept. IN fact, i was unable to capture a photo of the single file family he was following all carrying these bricks on their head - some children smaller and one child, she was definitely younger/smaller.

Water being transported UP the hill of Randall St.

Water is a huge HUGE issue here - so you will often see water being carted around in all sorts of vehicles - in the photo above you can see the fellow in the rear pushing this contraption uphill (there were two smaller fellows in front "pulling") in the middle of the day under the high HOT sun. Notice the creativity of using old  corn oil containers to house the water, and how neatly they fit in this contraption. If I had the cash and means - surely I would purchase this item for my art collection. Absolutely one of my favorite devices - man power, completely invented, solving a purpose, lovely austere design, sturdy, and recycled!

Another view of the water transport contraption.