Life of a Hawker

As a little child, all I knew was to eat, sleep and wake up because nothing at all bothers me. Who cooks and how it is cooked wasn't my business at all. Life was easy from my view and to me then, anytime I am hungry I eat to my fill. Parents are really important in a child's life.

Those days, I used to have friends who have lost their parents, some who lived with their uncles and aunts who struggle and work all day to survive. I was lucky enough to have parents who are federal workers though. Most of the homes around me have to make sales daily before they could afford something to eat. Any day there is no sale at the market, it means no food for the day or the night. Even morning food is not assured.

There were many children around my area and just half of us went to school . Every evening, we gather to play together but every morning, only a few get prepared for school. Some of them who don't go to school truly have the passion but because their parents couldn't afford to pay their fees, they have to stay behind and watch others. They would tell sorts of lies when a random person asks to know what they're not in school. Some say that they were driven home for not paying their fees, while some would say their uniform was wet or under repair (something they never had)

At a certain early age, they will be taught the street business (hawking) by their guardians who do the same business to survive. After they have learnt how to hawk, they are given a big flat bowl with which they carry their goods and walk around the suburbs to sell.

Every morning on the streets, you see them hawking instead of being in school. Not even the public schools which were supposed to be cheap and affordable for everyone were cheap and affordable. People who go to the public schools complain that they are being asked to pay school fees while a government school is free. Without those unnecessary tasking, the school chases the pupils out of the school until they pay.

This was one of the reasons why so many poor parents have decided that school isn't working, they were made to believe that education is for the rich and because that found a way to survive and join the race. Nobody wants to be hungry, they needed something to provide for their children and the only way they would make it is by hawking fruits and vegetables in the streets or establishing a small business by the road side.

Let's say in a family of one mother and three children, the mother goes to a hawking business daily to put food on their table. Every morning, she wakes up and gets the food ready for her kids and leaves for her business till late night or late evening when she normally returns home. In a situation like that, she tries to make sure she raises more money for her family and the only way to do that is by involving her young kids in the business. She starts from one, probably from the eldest. She takes him or her together to her business and gradually continues teaching the child the business. In a short time, the child will be given his/her own space and goods to hawk. That is how it continues till all the three kids get involved and ll prepare every morning for hawking.

They are everywhere along the streets. Whether it's hot or cold, they must be out to hawk because that's how they eat daily. It is not easy as they are seen along the road but they hide all the pain and keep a smiling face with their customers.

I had lots of friends who had to quit school because they can't afford to pay their fees. Some went into business, some into hawking while others moved on to acquiring new skills. Today I sat back and was remembering how those days would be sweet, especially in the evening while everyone was back. If you have friends who must work daily to see food, respect and appreciate their efforts because it's not easy. Thank you for your time. Have a fruitful month and bye for now

@Gianna-B and all rights reserved

Lead image taken from pixabay