By Louise Jobe
Street and market vendors, hawkers and other traders are affected by run-off water at the Brikama Market.
The populated market is a center for the West Coast Region as it is the main market of the region. It has been inundated with water as t vendors and traders struggle to make sales. The problem extends to access routes to the market.
Some of the vendors blamed the Brikama Area Council for the problem saying the Council should have addressed the problem as it was foreseeable.
The area council is faced with challenges, including poor drainage system for the market. Most of the blame from the vendors and traders were directed at the Area Council who are responsible for the control and development of the market.
Ya Neneh Saidy, a vendor, said the Chairman of the Area Council made a promise to them that he will ensure that the market condition is improved. She added that the situation has worsened now more than ever and if the trend continues, it means they will not have a place to sell.
“We are struggling now. We sell in the water without any improvement as promised,” she said.
She made reference to incidents in which vendors lost their produce to the floods. One of them was a vendor who had okra, but fell in the water and lost her produce.
Fatou Darboe, also a vendor, said the condition of the Brikama Market is unbearable.
“We cannot do anything about it. We want solutions. This is horrible,” she said
She stated that the reason for coming out to sell under that condition was because she needed to make a take home for the family.
“We survive from hand to mouth. I cannot sit at home because I feed my family from what I sell every day. If I sit at home, the family will go hungry,” she said.
Some of the vendors said they contract cold because of the water while some said they got ill.
Yaya Bah, another vendor, said they stay in the water for a whole day.
“We sell in this water you are seeing. As you can see, I am selling in this terrible condition. We want the Area Council to solve this problem,” he said.
The reporter observed that the market was flooded with worms as they were visibly floating in the waters from the fish market to the GPTC bus depot in Brikama. That is the same route that leads to the Brikama District Hospital. The Brikama Nana Junction was also inundated.
On Sunday, 4 August 2024, the Brikama Market area was not accessible. Vendors, traders, commuters and other people were seen struggling in the market.
Many people express fear that it is dangerous for children to try to use that area.
Efforts to reach the Area Council were unsuccessful. Foroyaa will continue to engage the Area Council to hear from them.
