THERE was a point in time when I was heavily invested in the journeys of “travel vloggers”. It was quite interesting to see the cultures of others all condensed into one video. Perhaps, one of the most fascinating aspects was street vending and vendors. It seems as if every single country has its own culture of street vending and what it means, as well as, what it offers.

Guyana is now being explored by some of those travel vloggers, and our street vending culture is becoming increasingly popular. Most, if not all of the vloggers that feature Guyana and its culture references one of our well-known markets, the popular eggball stands, the men selling water at stop lights, coconut water vendors and artists that sell their paintings on the curbsides. I don’t think we appreciate this aspect of our culture as much as we should.

Street vendors are considered to be people who sell goods and services to the public but without the use of a permanent structure. In the era of expansive economic development, where monopolisation is dominant—these are ordinary citizens trying to make an honest living. I remember once when I was in the state of Vermont, the citizens of the downtown area petitioned for no monopolised entity to establish businesses there. Instead, they have local vendors and businesses to provide similar needed products and services. The community also offers support to help them develop the quality of their products.

Our “street vendors” provide a taste of our culture while making ends meet for their household. Many will argue that it’s primitive, disruptive or even untidy. That may be true in some aspects, but this happens when you have underdeveloped potential. Only a handful of those street vendors actually move on to own a storefront or even is lucky to afford rent for one. The majority will have to remain to provide their services from a makeshift stand. Yet still, hundreds of Guyanese purchased something weekly offered from a street vendor.

I have noticed that some Guyanese are trying to eradicate street vending culture altogether instead of trying to find or create better alternatives for these people to vend. Most of these vendors may not be considered “formal workers” nor do some of them even consider themselves as “entrepreneurs”. Most of them would consider the term “hustler” because the “hustle” for money and a want of a better life drive them to continue their vending.

It’s about time we start to see and acknowledge street vending as a form of self employment. Poverty, coupled with lack of employment, forces people to find unique ways to make ends meet and street vending is one of many. I respect and admire the fact that many people who are street vendors are finding ways and means to make an honest living. They should not be treated as an annoyance. Instead, they should be regulated, respected and given outlined roles and responsibilities to follow.

I believe that these self-employed individuals of our population should be given the same opportunities as an entrepreneur operating a storefront. They should also have access to entrepreneurial training, education about business regulations & registrations and even opportunities for further economic growth—when necessary. These people deserve a right to livelihood. Instead of finding ways and means to remove them, we should implement ways to further help them through mutual understanding.