A Market Woman's Story - Korto Lomell

Displaced as a result of the war from her hometown of Bomi Hills, Korto Lomell, who has been a market woman for ten years, currently lives in Monrovia where she sells food provisions on a zinc structure now rusty as a result of being constantly exposed to Liberia's torrential rains. Mother to one daughter, who is in the ninth grade and who she hopes to sponsor through to college, Korto caters to an extended family of approximately 25 persons living in Monrovia and in Bomi Hills where she comes from.

1) How did you become a market woman and for how long have you been doing it?
I have been selling for the past ten years now, ever since my family and I fled to Monrovia. Like many women my age, the war put a stop to any dreams of getting and education and without any formal training; I had to turn to trading and selling small items to support my self and my family.

2) From what you just told me, I gather you have been selling small items since you started ten years ago. Is this a choice of yours or are you interested in expanding your business; and if so why have you not done so yet?
I have tried to expand my business before, but each time, the war took everything I had away. Now even though I still think of growing my business, it is hard to come by the kind of cash I will need to invest in the business, because of my dependants. Maybe when my savings grow, I will. In the main time, I buy my goods wholesale from the Lebanese importers.

3) Can you tell me a little bit more about what you do daily?
Well, as a market woman, I have to wake up a little bit earlier than most because I have to be there to sell my goods to customers, but I must say that I am lucky that I don't deal in perishable goods because that would mean waking up even earlier as our market does not have the storage facilities necessary for keeping those. So, I wake up around 4:30am, get my goods ready to take to my stall, wake the children up around 5 am, get them ready for school and then make breakfast. After making breakfast, I usually go ahead to the market, after breakfast, which is usually around 7.30am, the children usually pass by my stall for lunch money before going to school. I am usually at the market until 5pm when I go home to make dinner for my family. I do this everyday, except Sundays when we stat at home.

4) Do the children ever spend time with you at work?
Yes, they do that most of the time, immediately after school they come and stay with me till I am ready to go home. That's the only way I can keep an eye on them. As you can see, my daughter is here with me right now.

5) If I told you that I was from the SMWF, what would you say?
[She smiles and says] Young lady, I already know that. Who else comes here everyday to look around and take pictures of this dark, rusty zinc shack we call our market. But seriously, I would say job well done to Ma Ellen and everybody else who is helping her do a great job of helping us. When this new market is complete we will have a proper structure, which will shelter us from the rain, keep our goods safe and dry and keep our surroundings clean and organized. If these things happen, I know the market will attract more buyers and it will be to the benefit of us all. And I know that if I work hard enough, ten years from now, my daughter will be in a better position than I am, she might even be doing what you are doing now. Thank you for coming, but before you go, let me dance for the SMWF and Ma Ellen.