Project helping women vendors’ group expand sales

VENDORS at Lae’s main market are now versed with ideas to expand their sales and grow as a group through the Meri (market economy recovery and inclusion) intervention project.
Lae Market Vendors and Growers Association president Margret Rumbu said the vendors’ perspective has broadened with new business ideas, through livelihood skills training and other intervention programmes at the market by the United Nations Women’s project.
She said members of the association had now taken their marketing as a business and not just an activity that they do to sustain themselves daily.
Rumbu has been vending at Lae market for 20 years.
“It’s a milestone achievement in our lives as vendors to be taught and have gained a lot of knowledge on improving our informal economy.
“We’ve learnt a lot through trainings under the Meri project,” she said.
“This (training) will help us to do some other great things at Lae market, it’s a relief to us the vendors and growers.
“We have registered the association with the Investment Promotion Authority.
“We have about 450 members with more still registering,” Rumbu said.
The project is funded by Australian government with K2.5 million and rolled out in 14 markets around the country with targeted outcomes of reducing Covid-19 (coronavirus) risks and increasing income levels of market vendors.
Rumbu said they were looking forward for any support from other organisations, including the UN to expand their vending and grow their association.
“Through the project, we have partnered with MiBank to set up agents to assist members to obtain loans to expand their marketing.”
Market manager Ben Maipa said the project had achieved outcomes such as the installation of a public announcement system, Covid-19 awareness and maintenance of the toilet facility.