By Dawda M. Jallow
Vendors and customers at Serekunda Market have raised concerns over poor sanitation, stagnant water and difficult access to the market during the rainy season, saying the conditions are affecting businesses and raising concerns about food safety.
Speaking to The Voice Newspaper on Thursday, vendors said the sanitation problems had persisted through successive rainy seasons, with some parts of the market becoming flooded and water remaining around areas where they conduct their businesses.
Ya-Fatou Jammeh, a senior vendor, said flooding during the rainy season often leaves stagnant water around areas where vendors sit and sell their goods.
“During the rainy season, we have a lot of challenges with poor sanitation. The market should be kept clean for the sake of people’s health,” she said.
Jammeh said vendors, particularly those selling food, should be provided with a clean and safe environment in which to operate.
“You can’t be selling food while the surrounding area is not in a proper condition,” she said, noting that vendors also contribute to government revenue through daily tax payments.
Fatou Manneh, another vendor, expressed similar concerns, saying traders did not choose to operate in unhygienic conditions.
She attributed the situation to inadequate maintenance of the market and called for a more suitable environment for vendors and customers.
Manneh said vendors had experienced similar problems during previous rainy seasons despite assurances that improvements would be made.
“This is how we earn our living to feed our families, pay rent and pay school fees for our children,” she said.
Customers also expressed concern about the state of the market.
Sireh Bah said poor sanitation and flooded roads made movement around the market difficult during the rainy season.
She said food products needed to be protected from conditions that could expose them to contamination, citing stagnant water, unpleasant smells and mosquitoes around the market.
“The food they are selling needs to be protected,” Bah said, adding that the condition of the environment was a concern for both vendors and consumers.
Another customer, Abdoulie Manneh, said the condition of the market sometimes discouraged people from visiting.
He said standing water and dirty surroundings made it difficult for customers to move around the market during rainfall.
Manneh also called for improvements to roads within and around the market, saying better access would benefit vendors and customers who depend on the facility daily.
Serekunda Market remains an important commercial centre, with hundreds of traders relying on daily business to support their families.
The vendors and customers are calling for improved sanitation, drainage and access roads, saying a cleaner and safer environment would benefit both traders and members of the public who depend on the market for food and other essential goods.