Deadliest Roads | Sierra Leone: The Urge to Live | Free Documentary

[Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] uh huh [Music] [Music] theo is a driver he's just offered his services to two workers for six dollars each let the chaos commence theo is not alone in his pursuit every day hundreds of trucks head to john obay beach in sierra leone they come to gather their treasure sand [Music] although nowadays there isn't much sand left [Applause] two years ago this place was a small paradise but for construction workers in sierra leone beaches are now the only places they can buy sand [Music] with the quarries exhausted prices are rising every day five bucks no [Music] the beach or at least what's left of it belongs to this fishing village which now resembles a shantytown theo's extra seven dollars will serve to help the community over the past two years fishing opportunities have become scarce so protecting the coastline is the least of the villagers concerns in a few years the beach will have completely disappeared theo is eager to get a head start of the fast approaching clouds [Music] [Music] [Laughter] pity the clouds seem to have won the race [Music] nobody [Applause] as the rainwater seeps into the sand the truck gets even heavier yes [Music] theo is carrying 14 tons of sand but with the added water his load now weighs almost 20 tons theo journeys on despite the torrential rain taking dangerous routes again and again for the sake of a few dollars the daily life of a sierra leonean is complicated but with the spirit of a lion their country's emblem their fierce determination never falters despite the many plights their country has faced [Music] [Music] a war fueled by one of the country's major sources of wealth diamonds their sparkle has been known to drive people mad you see this here they've earned the nickname blood diamonds responsible for the deaths of 120 000 sierra leoneans nowadays 50 percent of the country's population are illiterate there's barely any drinking water and electricity is practically non-existent [Music] some trucks given the state of them should be heading straight for the scrap heap and yet day and night they journey on as for the drivers they choose to make light of the situation thanks to the tremendous willpower of its citizens the country is slowly recovering even if some are feeling less than satisfied battle business is bad for everybody in business really travel [Music] at this point theo might as well be walking and his workers are becoming more and more frustrated [Music] the sierra leoneans have a saying a positive attitude costs less than a coat but gives just as much heat and this worker seems to have warmed right up [Music] his sole focus is the truck and five hours in the noise it's making is not a good sign [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a harsh punishment awaits if theo cannot fix it he will lose his job in sierra leone a good driver must also be a good mechanic without these skills he is useless these unmade tracks are practically the only way to get around the country trains stop running in the 1970s due to lack of resources to maintain them as for aeroplanes there are no domestic flights [Music] boats are the only other option but 90 of transport takes place on land [Music] the border area between sierra leone and liberia looks like a bomb site the two countries have never fought each other but both have suffered devastating civil wars nowadays peace has been restored and there is joy in the air [Applause] [Music] [Applause] while some people are enjoying themselves others are not so pleased [Music] von d runs a transport business one of his drivers has had an accident and asked him to bring out a spare part he's assured him however that there is nothing to worry about the truck is still running only this is the state of the vehicle [Music] but well it wasn't really the driver's fault [Music] is like okay so where that's happening it has bugs [Music] and that's nothing compared to what lies ahead 150 kilometers of tense dangerous driving to arrive back at their garage in kanama with its beat up cabin the small white truck may not be a pretty sight but it is impressively sturdy unlike von d's truck unfortunately this was the only one he had to hand to come and rescue his driver yeah as you can see it's so rough we struggle a lot before reaching to our destination [Music] and for me now what i'm doing is to stop break here and then tie my ear with plastic the plastic you see so that the the engine cannot okay draw water and get spoiled like the one standing there now for the water not to go inside the air cleaner because the engine air cleaner part is done so much it's what this driver the broken singer failed to do it the water gets inside the engine and gets bored but because we know what to do and that's what we are doing so we can go through this water [Applause] a clever use of the plastic bag with these roads drivers certainly need some tricks up their sleeve especially when their trucks have tires like these old and completely worn out [Music] napoleon has a solution but will this be enough [Music] [Music] spread the sun on the hill you know grip the okay lamp able to fly [Applause] [Music] [Music] a small hill which could prove extremely difficult [Music] come evil shove that one what we want to talk about the actual we call it the azure is the azure that are touching the ground because of the deepness of this track so we are putting stones that the wheel can climb on it and then get up from the middle room it's the best method yeah so far is the best network because we don't have no one to assist us draw the vehicles [Applause] uh [Applause] hey von d and his men prepare themselves for the long haul that's the worst place yeah for now yeah then after me now it could take how many times to go another time [Music] this small hill is starting to feel like everest [Music] across the country theo the sand carrier is trying to save his own neck if he can't repair this truck he'll be fired [Music] it's [Music] theo's future is finally looking up the sun has come to brighten his journey and everyone is pleased [Music] with both the rain and the breakdown theo's lost a lot of time if there are no more problems he could pick up another load of sand [Music] he and his workers would pocket an extra two dollars but there is trouble on the horizon [Music] [Music] outside what's up [Music] [Music] [Music] there is a small hole in one of the pipes this time some glue should suffice the gamble has paid off theo and his men will have time to pick up another load of sand as a country undergoing reconstruction an enormous amount of sand is being consumed in sierra leone after 11 years of civil war that ended in 2002 there's finally growth again new buildings are rising up all over the country's capital of freetown but in the midst of this resurgence a lack of sufficient funds has brought building works to a complete halt come on [Music] fatimata and her seven children live in a house which will probably never be finished [Music] foreign [Music] fatimata lives here free of charge unlike the three other families who share this unsanitary accommodation [Music] this 10 meter square room or cupboard rather was the only one available is [Music] fatimata does not complain instead she remains hopeful [Music] recently she found a job unlike half of the sierra leonean population she works at the balboa quarry alongside her seven children [Music] there are no grinding or crushing machines here to break down the granite into gravel only human strength foreign but the work is not easy even when the stones are heated granite is extremely hard to break down [Music] around 100 men and women slave away here every day fatimata and her children are on the production line is [Music] [Music] [Music] 300 the fate of the gravel workers rests in the hands of one man amara the foreman he carries out a reign of terror over the quarry the smallest challenge to his authority can lead to immediate dismissal almost a question of life and death [Music] [Music] he quickly understood that the country's ray construction would lead to an explosion in demand for gravel the quarry doesn't belong to him but he negotiated the right to mine it [Applause] the man runs a smooth operation [Music] [Music] bangla recovering from 11 years of civil war takes time especially as the state has limited resources the country's burdened by a lack of public services and widespread corruption [Music] the road connecting sierra leone and liberia is a major trade route between the two countries and yet it is practically impassable during the rainy season for von d and his small transport business it is a constant struggle it's been four hours and his second truck is now too damaged to go any further [Music] [Music] that hope is short-lived in sierra leone camaraderie and support do not appear to be the highest priority the travelers think first and foremost of themselves yes yes you think you're gonna it's possible yes yes yes yes if i do this walk my car will pass [Music] the driver sets off he gets by easily but the driver refuses to help rescue the truck from the pool of mud in sierra leone it's every man for himself we are happy because when you stay here alone you'll be maybe sometimes we can spend here five hours before we reach to our location for many kilometers just just 150 kilometers wow that's all we don't need so far unless they go through the end and the pastor don't start for stem so so they pray that uh before they get old and higher we will make up good roads and this low workout can small before they care how long don't you faster this week what i'm 10 15 years same story same bathroom the battle business is bad for everybody in business for the traveler it is eighth attempt of the day this time his men have lined several meters of the track with stones and branches [Music] hello but just meters away from the top of the hill the truck's wheels lose their grip [Music] [Music] [Applause] he has to start all over again [Music] okay [Music] from six o'clock this morning eight hours eight eight nine from six o'clock this morning five hours [Music] the bush taxis stuck behind the truck do not dare to go around it their passengers tired of being crammed inside would rather brave the rain and watch the show and not lift a finger except for one under pressure from this transport authority one taxi agrees to lend them a strap [Applause] but the taxis refuse to pull the truck instead the task falls to the men [Applause] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] ironically the driver of the white truck gets by without any trouble unlike his boss von d who was stuck there for five hours [Music] [Applause] [Music] a power shower and they're back on the road all this action from end to end yeah it's not boring yeah we can drive slowly from point one to point b slowly until we reach and get until it gets it's always damage our vehicles but it's the only road that we can have a cache really that you can find it from noda area [Music] what is it meat [Music] civil war has not been the only cause of poverty in sierra leone 12 years after the ceasefire another disaster stopped the country dead in its tracks between 2014 and 2016 the ebola virus wreaked absolute havoc leaving almost 4 000 dead [Music] all my parents have been sending out yeah only me one i steal my house okay because people who were against you they thought that you were bringing peace to contain the epidemic the government introduced a dramatic curfew schools were closed it was forbidden for groups of more than four people to meet and the harvesting of rice cassava and sweet potatoes was prohibited but worst of all was the driving ban economic activity ground to a halt [Music] since the ebola virus disappeared the country has been brought back to life and as always in africa nothing goes to waste the yellow jumpsuits worn by doctors at the time are now used to keep out the rain [Music] yoko and his brother bondi had the smart idea of leaving behind their grocery store business to become taxi drivers in fact the car is only made for seven passengers but the two brothers managed to pile in 12 excluding children of course a total of 17 passengers but there's still a little bit more room for taxis in the area are rare so when an 18th customer arrives no one protests [Applause] [Music] is too hard for us but then businesses are distributed it's a transport foods for people at calendar already big jobs stop at each of the small villages along the route but the passengers would do well to keep their wits about them [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] oh that's why to make things about 45 000 years they're used to diseases because the world is not good for us but if it is people so we have many vehicles to travel in hand then the transporter is too much for us in this room but you have no choice ah we have no choice we have no choice unless we go into the vehicle and go wherever we are [Music] will take almost five hours to travel the 108 kilometers to kenema in their less than glamorous ride [Music] [Music] however it's one disaster after the other after 18 hours on the road his convoy are only halfway through their journey one [Music] okay [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay i'm not okay why [Music] in the long run he might be the best off settled in comfortably sheltered from the storm unlike the men in the cabin with no windshield for protection they're getting a real rain shower because now is the night it's raining the car another no lights [Music] history is repeating itself for von d and his men just like this morning they find themselves facing an ice rink of a path [Music] but the driver is most concerned about the ditch running along the side of the road if i just come like this i think my tire can you have to be very yeah yeah so let me just spray it because i have it i need it from that place i have some let me just put it like on the roof [Music] [Applause] [Music] even with the sound it's not enough can only think of one solution to stop his truck from tipping over filling in the dips in the but there are road lot of vehicles in the road big and small now as you see all some of the stones we are using if any other one comes take it from here we put it and make his own trap to go yeah as you are seeing we gonna do it our own way just to pass [Music] [Music] oh [Music] the men are at their wits end as the team leader von d attempts to motivate them funny solution to claim your attract so we are trying to sleep here but to go it's possible to continue the journey okay [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] sure so [Music] [Music] we are suffering too much too much suffering [Music] i'm now getting hunger i'm feeling cold in my system now after 24 hours and 150 kilometers of suffering the convoy finally arrives [Music] [Music] sierra leone literally means the lion's health and there's no doubt that the spirit of the beast lives within its people fighting furiously to survive to live a good life and to rebuild their country [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 2,259,036

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, most dangerous roads, most dangerous journeys, worlds most dangerous roads, worlds most dangerous journeys, deadliest roads, deadliest roads in the world, dicing with death, deadliest journeys, deadliest journeys Sierra Leone, dicing with death Sierra Leone, dangerous Sierra Leone, most dangerous roads Sierra Leone, dangerous roads Sierra Leone, deadliest roads Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone

Id: Gw4BM3FNXpY

Length: 53min 35sec (3215 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 17 2022