Dili, January 03, 2025 (Média Democracia) – Fransisca dos Santos, 63 years old from Ermera, now lives in Comoro, Dili. Every day she always runs a business activity on the sidewalk to meet her daily needs.
According to Fransica dos Santos, for years she lived as a trader by running a small business selling vegetables in order to earn income to meet her daily needs, including to send her grandchildren to school.
“I started a small business selling vegetables on the sidewalk, but sometimes the vegetables didn’t sell because I couldn’t divide my time between going to church and selling vegetables, because the vegetables had to be stored at home, only after I got home from church did I sell them and sometimes many of the vegetables rotted because I didn’t have time to sell them.” She said.
She added that the vegetables sold include mustard greens, pumpkin leaves, including sweet potato leaves, but she buys these vegetables from other people from the Taibesi market and municipalities such as Liquiça and Ainaro.
“The vegetables I sell are priced at 0.50 cents per bunch, and I can earn $10.00 a day. If I’m unlucky, I only earn $5.00, because in this area, many people also make small businesses to meet their daily needs, so the vegetables they sell depend on luck.” She continued.
She admitted that she bought the vegetables from other people for three bundles for $. 1,00. However, she also sees the situation and conditions every day because there are also many who sell vegetables or small businesses on the side of the road, but she still tries to sell vegetables because she is also the head of the family.
To further explained that Fransisca as the head of the family for 28 years because her husband had died in 1995 in the Indonesian occupation, so she decided to live with her children until now. After she receives the money of third-aged she started a small business so that she could earn income to meet daily needs including sending her grandchildren to school.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano