Residents of Sierra Leone have described their frustration at the blackouts which have plagued the country in recent weeks.
The power cuts, which have hit cities including the capital, Freetown, have disrupted hospitals and daily life for many.
Fatmata Gassim, a second-year engineering student in Freetown, told the What in the World podcast: “There are so many things wrong with [Sierra Leone], especially electricity. Like you wake up one morning and poof, there is no [electricity].”
Ms Gassim, 19, is particularly frustrated as she relies completely on internet connectivity to study.
Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast. It has massively reduced electricity supply to the city – from 60 megawatts to 6 megawatts – because of unpaid bills.
Karpowership is one of the world’s biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.
Ms Gassim said the blackouts were affecting countless aspects of her life.
“How do you iron your clothes, how do you make your food, how do you go to sleep? We pay our electricity bills so I don’t see why we should be forced to live like this,” she said.
Some other Freetown-dwellers told the BBC they were experiencing a power cut which had lasted for five days in a row.
They have had to rely on generators, go to neighbours’ houses for their electricity needs or just sit in the dark.
In other cities, like Bo and Kenema, residents are able to access some power, but still less than normal.
A filmmaker told the podcast he had been forced to use his laptop, with its relatively small screen, to edit his work, rather than use his usual desktop computer. The desktop keeps turning off or using up fuel from his generator.
Businesses like barbers, hotels and restaurants are also relying on generators, which heavily impacts their running costs.
