Understanding the Roles of Street Vendors of Agricultural Commodities during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Informal Economy

The ongoing COVID-19 poses a global challenge which results in significant socioeconomic and psychological impacts. While the entire world appreciates the great job done every single day by the health care personnel, little attention has been paid to people especially women involved in supplying, delivering and retailing food commodities even during the strict lockdown. This study reports the results of a survey conducted in Bukavu, eastern DR Congo among 93 street vendors of agricultural commodities in order to understand their struggle and efforts to meet the basic needs of their families during this pandemic. Street vendors are mainly young women (82.8%) from both rural (40%) and disadvantaged urban entities (60%) and spend 9 ± 3 hours between searching and vending a range of products including vegetables and fruits, from which they earn per day 2.2 ± 1.5 US$: Over 53% of those vendors earn less than 1.90 US$ set as a global poverty threshold. Despite the struggle to get goods (46%), the instability of money exchange rate, and the police harassments (ordering the clearance of the streets, imposition of the wearing of masks), street vendors take much of risks to supply food to the community (38%) and to fight for their households’ welfare (providing basic needs) during this critical period. However, street vendors (76.3%) are so concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak, which some qualify as a silent world war and the worse disease ever heard. In short, street vending is a source of employment and income for poor dwellers who have limited opportunities in a country where the ongoing pandemic exacerbates the already existing social inequalities.