By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Gambian women working at various craft markets within tourism industry of the country have expressed the difficult living conditions they are facing with their families as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Gambia, with population of over 2 million, 55 percent of the citizens, women and youths, depend on the tourism industry as their means of livelihood.
When the first case of the Coronavirus pandemic was discovered in The Gambia in March 17, 2020, most of the workers working in the tourism industry laid-off while hotels and resorts closed.
This affected not only hoteliers but staffs, beach boys, tour guides and craft market vendors – a unit of the industry dominated by women and youths. Some of these craft market vendors who spoke to this medium over the weekend expressed difficult living conditions the pandemic lashed on them and families. Simply because there are no tourists who are their major customers and due to this they are selling their products at a giveaway price.
“As you can see there is no business going on in the craft market because tourists have not been coming and our businesses are at their lowest level. Here is where we make our living but currently it is very difficult on us,” said Mama Sohna, a woman vendor working at the Fajara craft market.
She continued, “What we are making now is too small but we don’t have choice, we have to come to the beach in order to be able to take care of our families at home. I can tell you, most of us are currently indebted to people because sometimes we will be here for days without making sale and families have to survive.”
According to her, since the declaration of covid-19 as national emergency pandemic craft market vendors have only benefitted from a single support from the government, so the women vendors either sell at giveaway price or risk not making any sale to the local customers patronizing them. .
Her situation and concerns are not very much different from Penda Sambou whose stall is at Palma Rima Beach. She too disclosed that covid-19 has really impacted negatively on their businesses.
“Right now our situation is difficult to explain, we are not making much sales because we are entirely depending on local customers who usually buy at lowest prices. Some of our colleagues already closed their stalls, some are having loans to pay back, while others are broke and cannot restock their stalls to continue with their businesses,” Penda Sambou told The Voice.
According to her, most of the vendors at Palm Rima Beach were left out of the government bailout package and they are not either benefitted from UNDP support, too. These women, she said, need immediate support because they are breadwinners of their families vested with the responsibilities of paying school fees, putting food families’ table and as well paying other bills which include house rent.
“I want to appeal to the authorities to consider the craft market vendors here in Palma Rima Beach; we are yet to benefit from any support since the start of the pandemic. Most of us are running out of stock and once this happens, we will join many of our colleagues currently sitting at home,” Madam Sambou sincerely appealed for government support.
Ramatoulie Cham, another who has been selling at the Senegambia craft market for the past 25 years bemoaned that covid-19 is the worst experience she ever had since she is being in the tourism industry.
Cham disclosed that due to lack of sales at the craft markets, taking care of families and personal needs becomes difficult to some vendors. She explained that she is currently struggling gathering money for the payment of her children school fees, as school will resume this month. More so, house rent among other expenses is on the waiting list.
“Last time that we got support from the government was in 2020, when we received D6000 and that does not change anything. So, I want to appeal to the government to reflect on our situation thus we have nowhere to go except to come here and try our luck,” Ramatoulie Cham appealed on behalf of women craft vendors.
Nganarr Senghore, 75 years old lady who also worked at the Senegambia Craft market said the predicament that befalls the industry can only be managed by the government, adding that though government has earlier rolled out some support but more is needed.
“Right now many of the women have closed their stalls because of low sales and lack of stock making lives very difficult on them and families. We want to appeal to the authorities to give us support so that we can better prepare ourselves for the coming winter tourism season due in October” Madam Senghore appealed.
This story was produced with support from Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), through its Mobilizing Media in the Fight Against Covid-19 in partnership with Mai-Media and The Voice newspaper