By: Alieu Ceesay and Fatou Dahaba
During the rainy season, Old Yundum Market, also known as Coastal Road Market, experiences a surge in activity and becomes one of the busiest markets in the country. However, heavy rains have significantly disrupted operations, making it challenging for vendors and customers to navigate the Market.
As the rain persists, the once bustling market ground morphs into treacherous mud dotted with puddles and swampy patches. The resilient women vendors trudge through the muck, determined to sell their products, while potential customers hesitate to navigate the challenging terrain to reach them.
The combination of rainwater and fish entrails creates an environment for breeding flies and other pests, further deteriorating the Market’s sanitation conditions.
Binta Ceesay, a paper vendor at the Coastal Road Market corridor, has always provided for her family through her small roadside business. For years, her business has been a reliable source of income, allowing her to send her children to school and put food on the table. But recently, Binta’s life has taken a drastic turn. Her business and many others are flourishing less than they used to.
She sits inside mud and puddles to sell her products, which some customers find unhealthy. They wouldn’t want to get into the mud just to buy her goods.
During the road clearance excise, the authorities asked Binta and many others to vacate their places. This excise left her no place to sell, allowing her to sit in stagnant water to provide for her family.
This is not just the story of one woman but of many others whose businesses are not as usual due to the bad market conditions.
The Alkamba Times visited the Coastal Road Vendors. The gate entrance to the Market is shabby, and stagnant water caused by rain resides there.
Despite the water log, the TAT found several helpless women selling in muddy waters to earn a living within the market area.
Customers who usually enjoy the Market navigate through the muck, trying to avoid deeper puddles. Many leave in frustration, unable to find clean, fresh produce or unwilling to endure the unpleasant conditions. Those who stay must carefully inspect each item they buy, often paying more for unscathed goods.
Binta Ceesay told TAT that the Council is aware of the current market conditions as it collects its daily tax, commonly known as “Duties.”
“We formed a delegation to see our Ward Councilor ( Samba Jallow). He never turned up to see us. He taught us a lesson that we will never forget. He doesn’t care about us.
We went to Brikama Area Councilor, met the chairman, and discussed this with him. A few days later, he sent four people to see our conditions. Why can’t he (Samba Jallow) do the same thing?.”
She acknowledged that the Brikama Area Councilor carries out its responsibility by collecting waste from the Market.
“I fill most of the holes here with stones and sand by myself so that I could sit here and sell; thus, this is where we have our daily living, so we have to sacrifice.”
The situation highlights the urgent need for better infrastructure, including improved drainage, waste management, and permanent shelters for vendors.
For Zainab Mansaring, the financial circumstances of her life push her to sell in a water-log environment. She sells outside the market corridor as she does not have a place within the market; she sits next to fish and holds an umbrella to protect her from sun and rain.
“Anywhere you can find your living, you have to manage; we all know our living conditions; we have no other option, and that’s why we are selling in this water.”
These women are determined to contribute to The Gambia’s economic and social growth. However, they need help to sell their goods in a saturated environment with poor infrastructure, which could harm their health.
Vendors bear the brunt of the misery, experiencing plummeting sales and significant stock loss. The Market, typically a lifeline for many, has become a source of distress rather than income.
TAT attempted to interview Samba Jallow about his response to the concerns of the female vendors regarding the Market, but we were unable to make any progress.
