BY JOY OFASIA
ALICE Dennis is a vending mother who struggles to raise her two children only from vending – selling her hand made tie-dyed lavalavas at her regular spot in front of the Low Enterprise building at Point Cruz in Honiara.
As a vendor from Malaita Province, Alice has worked hard to provide for her family through her business, but recently, she’s been facing a challenge that’s making it difficult to continue her work: high daily market fees.
Alice expressed her concern about the market fees that vendors like her are required to pay each day.
“We pay a fee of $40 every day for the space we use here.
“But the problem is, not every day do people buy our products, and on those days, we struggle to meet that fee. When we can’t pay it, the fees carry over to the next day,” she explained to SOLOMON WOMEN.
The challenge doesn’t stop there. Alice went on to explain how, on slow days, many vendors are unable to afford the fees at all, and as a result, they have no choice but to shut down their stalls.
“When we finally get some money to open up again, we’re forced to pay an additional $200 to set up our tents. This makes it even harder for us to continue selling our products,” she said.
For Alice, her stall is not just a business; it’s the main source of income that supports her family.
“This is a big challenge for us,” she admitted. “For some of us, this is the only way we can provide for our families, and when the fees are so high, it becomes very difficult to keep going.”
Alice, a mother of three, loves what she does. She takes pride in creating and selling her handmade products, but she is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain her stall under the current financial strain.
“I enjoy selling my products, but it’s becoming harder to manage with these high fees. What I wish for is a space where we can pay a reasonable fee that we can afford every day,” Alice said.
Her plea to the authorities is simple: she hopes that they will consider the struggles faced by vendors and take action to reduce the fees.
“We need a fair and affordable market space to help us keep our businesses running. It would make a huge difference for us vendors,” she added.
