BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The struggle to meet her children daily needs and wants is what forced Mrs. Often Metaling go into flipping clothes business or reselling clothes to generate income at the Honiara Central Market.Mrs. Metaling and many other women have to ignore the bad smell and small space allocated for them at Honiara Central Market to achieve their aim of making enough money to support their families.Metaling spoke to women’s paper stating that despite challenges faced, they have to earn money for their family’s living in Honiara City.“It is the only means we do to help our family. Women see the family as very important and if we don’t struggle to earn money, who else will support our family, especially our children?“My small earnings everyday will go towards meeting daily bus fare for my children who have to go to school every morning and also their school fee – it is what we as mothers always think about, our children’’ she explained. According to the mother, another challenge they often faced at the Honiara Central is the daily market fee.“I originally sell my clothes at the area close to the Eastern entrance gate but the market master later moved us to this area-next to the Market’s toilet complex, behind this market master’s building.“We experienced the bad smell every day, but because we have a strong heart for our family we have to accept and face the situation,’’ she explained.According to the mother of nine from Kwara’ae, she admitted that market fees is a major challenge for women vendors at the Central market.“The fee is too expensive for us. Fee that have to be paid each day is $80-00. At times during very dry days, we even don’t have enough customer to reach a hundred dollars. They however, always hard on us every time and it becomes everyday challenge.“If we did not manage to reach that amount in certain days, they have to order us to pay a half fee which is $40.00, which also affects our earnings,’’ she said.She further said that even though this has added another burden to their struggle everyday, they will always be patient to earn little money each day to meet their targets.Metaling has been in the second hand clothing business for more than 10 years now and she said that she the only parent in her family to really get down and hustle to meet her family and children’s necessities.“I have been in this business for more than 10 years now and I think the market master must note and take our concern into consideration in order to address these challenges accordingly,’’ said the 40-year old mother.
