Monrovia – In a wave to curtail the many problems that street vendors are faced with, over forty street vendors are going through a five days rigorous training in negotiations and strategy course for organizers and leaders in street vending and informal market vending sectors.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
Street trading is an important source of income for poor people in many towns and cities across the world. In many cities, street traders have come together in unions, associations and other organizations to fight for better working conditions.
In so doing, street vendors are similar to many other workers who join unions to fight for better working conditions wages.
Speaking during the training, the National Chairman of the National Petty Traders Union of Liberia (NAPETUL), Madam Comfort Doryen, said the negotiation training is for vendors to acquire skills to be able to negotiate between the government and that of the local authority.
Over time, many vendors in the city of Monrovia and its environs have been mistreated by police but Madam Doryen is optimistic that the five years project which started last year; sponsored by Cities Alliance, Wiego, Streetnet International and implemented by NAPETUL will enable vendors to transform from the informal to the formal sector.
“After the workshop, vendors will be able to learn how to negotiate properly in order to create a good environment to be able to sell in order to transform from the informal to the formal”, Madam Doryen disclosed.
A trainer from Streetnet International, an organization based in South Africa, Dale Forbes, said he enjoys being part of the Liberian street trading experience, saying it is important to ensure the full legal process of street trading which is a very important part of every vendor’s daily life.
He said most people are getting their daily bread on the street and with the proper environment put into place by government, the rights of street traders, a free and peaceful commercial activity can take place to the benefit of the customers and that of the street traders.
According to Forbes, NAPETUL has been a member of the Streetnet International. In that, he said it is their responsibility to assist members’ organizations in developing themselves.
He added by saying: “what’s critical for street vendors is to have a safe and clean environment to sell their goods. It promotes the activities and we want to ensure that government keeps their side of the ball. To ensure that there is a proper place in which trading can take place that is well regulated”.
Forbes continued: “and the facility they can use in order to meet the customers and in that way their livelihood can improve.
Their income will improve the lives of the family and the community will also improve as the result”.
Also participating, a team leader of Grand Cape Mount County, Patrick A. Junusa Sr. said although he is learning about negotiation skills in doing business, conducting business in Grand Cape Mount County is not healthy for them as traders.
“Because business people in Grand Cape Mount are not empowered so some of us have seen it necessary to be part of petty trader union in order to cater and negotiate for our people for funding to upgrade their business. I hope to carry back, how to organize people, how to negotiate for funding through NAPETUL in Monrovia”.