WHO ARE THE STREET FOOD VENDORS?
Street vendors tend to be small-scale entrepreneurs of owner-operated businesses launched with low start-up costs, using skills learned at home.
A day in the life of…
James Tsang, proprietor of a food stall near a building site observes, ‘construction workers need staple foods like rice, which give more energy.’
Waleke Mkweza has no regrets about becoming an entrepreneur but wishes the banks were more sympathetic to her application for a loan.
‘I needed money for improvements on the stall, a food warmer and other kitchen equipment. I approached three banks and they all turned me down.’
Yusuf Ibrahim has been selling food on the streets for 27 years and boasts of a loyal clientele who compare his cooking to that served in the city’s best restaurants. His egg soup is especially popular.
Srinivasan is one of the 30 graduates of a workshop for vendors on food safety and personal hygiene. He agrees that donning an apron and cap while cooking is simple, but admits that he’s still shy about wearing his new gear.
Lim Soo May turned her much-admired cooking skills into a thriving roadside business that serves scores of people daily, after the death of her husband.
Estrellita Hernández says, ‘I feed between 40 and 50 people a day at 11 cents each. These days you can’t even get a bowl of sugar at a restaurant for that price!’
Mrs Kikwe worries that motorists view her as a menace.
Women and street food
Women figure prominently in the ranks of street food vendors in most countries, for many diverse reasons.
The main factors are the changes in traditional family and social roles, as well as the demographics of growing cities.
According to research by the Natural Resources Institute, women account for 80% of street vendors in Zambia.
In Benin, Ghana, Lesotho, Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, at least seven out of ten women are food hawkers.
Similar trends were found in Asia, where nine out of ten street food vendors in Ho Chi Minh City are women.
However, in Bangladesh and Malaysia, where Islamic traditions prevail, the presence of women food vendors on the streets is less common.
‘Society holds women responsible for all the key actions required to end hunger: family nutrition, health, education, food production, and increasingly, family income. But its laws, customs and traditions systematically deny women the resources, information and freedom of action they need to carry out their responsibilities.’ The Hunger Project
Stationary - Fixed stalls located outdoors or under roofs, easily accessible from the street with low-cost seating facilities. 