Dili, 12 February 2026 (Média Democracia) – Juleta da Silva, 49 years old, has four 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl, from Ermera Municipality, Letefoho Administrative Post, and currently lives in Dili Municipality, Dom-aleixu Post, Comoro Village, Moris Foun, and runs small business on the roadside to respond daily needs and send her children to school.
Juleta da Silva said, her husband left over her over more than 10 years, so she decided to do a small business, selling fruits including areca nut and betel, to respond or use to daily needs and support children through university level.
“My husband left us almost 10 years ago, although I and my children live alone, I, as a mother ready to take responsibility and fight for my children despite facing various challenges, but I have to find ways to run a small business, like selling goods like areca nut, betel, avocado, tomato, Pumpkin, and other goods, so I can get money to respond to our needs.” Said Juleta
She added, the goods that during using for businesss are usually bought from people who come from the municipality at the Taibesi Market and Tasi-Tolu Terminal, but now she just waits in a spot where people with cars can come to her business location.
“I have own transportation, a three-wheeler, so I have to look for someone else to drive it, because I always buy goods worth $40 or $50 dollars at a time, using my own money, not borrowing from the State or some NGO’s, because when we borrow money from others to do business, we have to pay them back weekly or montly, so I decided to use my own money to run the business.” Added Juleta
She Futher Emphasized that, although the goods she sells have a small profit, she gets around $6 to $7 a day, because now there are many people running small businesses on the roadside to responds to needs, so everything depends on each person’s diligence to sell their goods quickly.
She futher explained that, even though her husband abandoned them a long time ago, as a mother-widow she continues to strive with all her might to look after her children’s daily needs, so she had to make a decision to run a small bussines on the roadside to earn some money for her children’s school.
Reporting : Nelfiano
Photo : Nelfiano