Heatwave dries up vendors’ earnings

Oct 06, 2023 News

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By Alex Wayne

Kaieteur News – The heat wave relentlessly ripping across Guyana is having adverse effects on the trade of market vendors. On Thursday, Kaieteur News visited three markets – Stabroek, Bourda and La Penitence – where vendors complained of the low sales due to increasing temperatures.

At the La Penitence Market, a significant number of stalls were closed on what can be considered a busy shopping day there. Additionally, there were hardly any shoppers at the market as there was an almost eerie calm at the location.

During interviews with the vendors and stall owners, Kaieteur News was informed that customers have opted to avoid the market and shop at cooler locations such as supermarkets giving the increasing temperatures daily. The vendors said that the decline in customers has resulted in a walloping decrease on their earnings.

Frustrated La Penitence Market vendors

A frustrated Shivanie Singh who plies her trade at the La Penitence Market told Kaieteur News of the negative impact of the heat wave has on her business.

“I am a vendor for over ten years now, and I have never experienced anything like this… Some days, ah gat tuh drag meh self out here just fuh try tuh sell a few things. But nobady ain’t coming fuh buy meh vegetable and provision…Oh lawd man…”

Singh continued: “Every three or four days, I have to throw away ah whole set of greens from meh stall, because the heat drying up all dem vegetables. No matter how much wata yuh throw pon dem…It ain’t mek no sense, because the heat destroying everything…Yuh can’t even remain under yuh umbrellas by yuh stall, because yuh does start see dark, and if you see how meh does sweat like ah horse when de day come…Me ain’t able with dis torment, but wha me guh do? Me ain’t get education to wuk at no big affice. Dem people dis gah fuh do something, maaan.”

This newspaper was unable to interview many vendors at La Penitence Market since the location was predominantly empty. In the past, this market attracted numerous shoppers in large numbers.

Investigations revealed that frustrated stall owners were not opening their shops for many days due to fewer customers visiting the market. Vendors related that shoppers are now opting to make their purchases at well air-conditioned supermarkets (in the evening time), instead of having to shop in unbearable heat outdoors.

Vegetable vendor, Jennifer (only name given) was frustrated, and made no attempt to conceal her frustration, has accused the government of contributing to the heat situation.

‘I don’t know what really happening in this country… We are burning up out here and de big ones inside dem fancy offices, and houses enjoying life, living big, and eating big…We on the other hand here, are struggling like crazy just to bring in a few sales for the day… Every day I come out here is like I am sitting in an oven. Meh clothes getting ringing wet in no time and sometimes ah does get real dizzy… Not to mention the fact that we ain’t getting no sales here. People ain’t coming out in this heat to buy anything. How is it that I am supposed to survive?”

Throughout La Penitence Market, there were cries of dismay, as vendors related one tale after another, of their sales dwindling drastically, something they adamantly attribute to the heat wave.

Meanwhile, vendors across the three markets told this publication that they are even contemplating ‘closing shop’ and looking at alternative occupations.

At the Stabroek Market, vendors hustled to grab as many sales as possible as they braved the heat. In beads of perspiration, many vendors were seen using pieces of cardboard to fan themselves. Others were seen with sipping from bowls of ice water.

Like the vendors at La Penitence Market, the vendors at the Stabroek Market complained bitterly of the decline in their sales.

Bread vendor, Oneca Braithwaite with beads of perspiration streaming down her forehead spoke with Kaieteur News.

“I ain’t know what really is causing this heat, but quite soon people gon start falling down with heatstroke, all over the place. Some days when the heat starts out here, we have to run inside dem stores before we collapse. The big umbrellas we using ain’t doing nothing with this heat budday…  And people ain’t coming out here to buy anything really, and we losing money big time. The Govament need tuh do something for us vendors, we have families to feed, come on budday,” she said.

All around the Stabroek Market, vendors bewailed the excruciating heat, and how it was adversely affecting their trade. Some were even speculating on taking jobs as security guards since the market trade was not offering much financial stability, increasing temperatures.

At a meat stall inside the Stabroek Market, the tales were the same and Frank Stewart told a harrowing tale of incurring severe losses if his meat is not sold soon.

“I does tek meat and sometimes pay later from ah man in me village. It’s almost three weeks now, and the pork, the chicken, nor the beef is not selling, because nobody ain’t really shopping bro… Normally, I would tek the meat on credit, and pay the man when I sell out. But this look like I in serious trouble, because this man ain’t gon tek back the meat. I will have to find his money by the hook or the crook… You know wha is it big bhai, fuh stand up whole day in all this heat, and yuh ain’t getting any kind ah sales? It crucial right now champ,” Stewart told Kaieteur News.

The disturbing sentiments of the vendors were same at the Bourda Market, where everyone was hopeful for a resolution to the situation soon.

Pamela Bailey was high in her hopes for rain to quell the situation.

“Sir, I was so glad for the little rain today…At least it managed to cool the place a little. You know what it is to be sitting out here all day at a snackette, in the heart of this market? It feels like your entire body on fire. In minutes, I would get wet with perspiration, and it’s not healthy to be selling food in that condition. I have a large fan here, but it brings in nothing but hot air all day… And to top it off, every day I carrying back home a set of pastries, because people ain’t shopping like before,” Bailey stated.

Large numbers of stalls were closed at the three markets visited. Many opted to remain home or seek other business ventures since the dip in sales was severely affecting their pockets.

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• Alex Wayne, Bourda, heat wave, La Penitence, Stabroek

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