MARIA Bumba has been selling food in Angola's

Roque Santeiro market fbi* seven years. She once worked in an Ice cream plant, but could not make ends meet on her salary.

Now she sells anything she can get her hands on — rice, sugar, oil. Today It is soap.

"Life is. really difficult." she complains. "You must search for the goods all the time. If you don't seareh you don't eat because you don't have anything to sell."

Marla Bumba is not alone. With the resumption of the civil war in 1992, a lack of production and soaring inflation. many Angolans have been forced to supplement their Income by selling anything they can find.

About 70 per cent of the population Is engaging in such economic activity, particularly women, 'says Henda Pinto de Andrade, coordinator of a project lo improve the business management skills of self-employed women.

"Angola is facing 40 per cent inflation on a weekly basis and basically a 10 per cent devaluation on a weekly basis." de Andrade says. "This means men still working in the public sector are effectively making ' no money. So women are forced to engage in any kind of economic activity to make ends meet and support their family."

Sometimes Bumba walks all day looking for goods but returns home empty-handed. "Then It's necessary lo start all over again the next day." she says. "But sometimes I get nothing for the whole week."

For those unable to sell in Rogue Santeiro — the largest market of its kind in Angola — because they lack the cash to •buy goods in bulk, there are even riskier ventures.

Antonio Manuel, mother of five children, sells bread tn the street next to the main .bus station in Luanda. She would like a pitch in a large market but can afford to buy only about 40 (oaves.

It is very difficult to sell on the streets because there are a lot of police around." Manuel says. "Sometimes they shove us out. They seize our goods and divide them among themselves."

Sometimes there are arrests as well, she says.

'There is more protection working within the market in relation to the police, ' says Donna Antonia, coordinator of Roque Santeiro

"Also there are many people who come to the market so there are lots of potential buyers. If you sell from your home or on the streets people may

not know where to find you regularly."

Antonia estimates that about 5.000 traders are registered at Roque Santeiro. with perhaps another 10.000 trading but not registered.

In addition to the problems of competition and supplies, she says, the women are also forced to pay wholesalers In United States dollars, which greatly raises costs: "It's a scandal that merchandise already in the country has to be paid for In dollars. We don't have dollars. As long as there is devaluation of the local currency. we are not going to make ends meet." — Gemini News

About the Author: BARBARA AKAKPO is a freelance journalist who has been, travelling in Angola.