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Women traders at the 3rd Mundari Cultural Day festival in Terekeka say business slowed sharply after a strong start, leaving many unable to recover costs spent on transportation, ingredients, and supplies.
The festival, organized to celebrate Mundari culture,
identity, and language, also provides a platform for local traders to sell
food, drinks, and traditional crafts.
While the first day showed promise, subsequent days saw
dwindling sales, leaving traders uncertain about covering expenses.
“I stay in Terekeka and I sell juice, but the business has
been very slow. On the first day the business was good, but since yesterday it
has been slow,” said Margaret Afuu, a mother of three “Per day, I make around
50,000 to 60,000 SSP. It does not reach even 100,000. This is the money I use
to feed my children.”
Most vendors rely on daily business for survival, but many
purchase ingredients from Juba, which adds high transport costs to already
tight margins.
Viola Francis, who sells sandwiches, transported her goods
from Juba at a high cost but still faced losses after the slower days.
“The two days I worked here will not pay back the money
spent to buy materials and to travel. We spent about 800,000 SSP to go to and
from Juba. That money will not be refunded,” Francis said.
For some traders, slow sales have immediate consequences for
family well-being. Esther Keji, a widow who brews and sells locally made
alcohol, said that when sales are poor, her children sometimes go without food.
“I make siko [locally brewed alcohol] to raise my six children.
If I get something to sell today, we eat. If I don’t, we wait. Here nobody asks
you why you have not eaten. If there is food, you eat. If there is no food, you
sleep,” Keji said.
Festival organizers emphasized that the event aims to
promote Mundari identity, traditional dressing, and language, while also giving
traders space to participate in the local economy.
However, vendors say that festivals alone cannot sustain
small businesses without lower transport costs, improved supply chains, and
better access to capital.
Despite these challenges, residents report that Terekeka
remains peaceful and secure. Yet, the high cost of living and limited market
opportunities continue to affect women who depend on daily earnings for their
families’ survival.
The 3rd Mundari Cultural Day ended with a mix of celebration
and caution, highlighting the persistent economic struggles faced by women
traders in South Sudan’s local markets.