Dili, March 11, 2025 (Média Democracia) – Carmila Verdial Belo, 30 years old, from Bobonaru, currently lives in Motael, Dili. Every day she runs a small business selling on the roadside to meet her needs.
According to Carmila, for years she has lived as a trader by running a small business, which is selling paintings for children, so that she can earn income to meet her daily needs.
“I have been running a small business for a long time, selling paintings to children at Vila-verde Elementary School, so if there are students who need pencils, they can buy them. However, now I can’t sell in the school area anymore, because the school security doesn’t agree if I sell there, so I decided to sell on the side of the road but close to the school, if I sell far from the school, the problem is that the goods don’t sell, because the goods I sell are more focused on the needs of students.” She said.
She continued, the items she sells to students such as colored pencils, paint, pencils, rulers, including lasers. So far, she decided to sell these items to students because they sell well and can generate sufficient income.
“Painting’s items I sell at prices ranging from 0.25 cents to 0.75 cents, so in a day I can get $ 4,00, if I unlucky then sometimes I only get $ 1,00 in a day, because now I sell outside the school environment, so students don’t buy as much as before when I sold in the school environment. Even though the merchandise doesn’t sell as well as before, I still sell so I can get money to meet my needs.” She added.
She admitted that the items she brought to run this small business was bought from a Chinese shop with a budget of $. 10,00 every week, but if the goods did not sell, she only brought $. 5,.00 to buy items that was almost sold such as colored pencils and pencils, because these were the items that students always bought.
Further explained that Carmila is the youngest of nine siblings, her parents have passed away, now she lives with her family, so she decided to make her own activities by running a small business selling painting items to students, to earn money to meet her daily needs, so she will not depend on the family.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano