By Hassan I. Conteh (Feature News)

These are banana trees grown in a street in Waterloo in a compound outside.

They are growing very well even in the little rains. It is because the land is fertile here than in other paces where similar fruits are planted.

This place looks shady around. Perhaps that is why these banana trees are growing up beautifully with fresh and lush leaves.

But the people in the compound in which these bananas are being planted may worry over about thieves around.

Of course, they have all reasons to be scared of the thieves who may one day come overnight to steal their labour – – their fruits.

The theives would cut off the banana fruits when they get stronger or the ripening.

Such cases of theives coming overnight to steal away people’s plantations are stories much talk about among garden growers in Waterloo and in other parts.

Even in the provinces, last time, in my visit at Magbokor village in Koinadugu District, theives could steal villagers’ plants fruits such as bananas, oranges, etc.

This habit of these stray dog-thieves, who loaf the whole day in our villages and communities now, is discouraging people to plant more.

If you dare ask a garden what he fears more, he would tell you ‘the theives.’

Not animal or carnivores are their fears but the loafers who idle about in villages prowling aimlessly to pluck out plants fruits they don’t plant or own.

Village planters also worry about the bad weather these days. One of them, Ya Kadiatu Conteh, explained to us how the heavy breeze affects them a lot at Makoray village in Koya Chiefdom, Western Area Rural District.

“Look at the plum sticks, no fruit plums on the trees, the wind has blown up the buds all away,” she said. This of course are sings of climate change.

Ya Kadiatu and others in that village have been receiving environmental awareness training by some government officials.

“The people who say they are government people came to us to teach us how to minimize the use of woods to cook.

Instead, they advise us to be using local microwaves to cook,” she said.

“They showed us the sample which they promised to bring us in large quantities.”