Devastating impacts of COVID-19 Still Felt in Bulawayo

Devastating impacts of COVID-19 Still Felt in Bulawayo

Left Broke & Nowhere to Turn

COVID-19 AFTERMATH

However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has hit this small business owner so hard. Despite her best efforts, Mai Rumbi was hit with a heavy blow to her livelihood. She found it difficult to feed a family of five. She lost carrots worth $6,000 because they rotted before she could sell them. Some neighbours were taking them on credits. The unsold stacks of carrot piles that once filled her stall now lay scattered and scattered on the dusty street floor.

She stated, “COVID-19 pandemic affected my business so much. When COVID-19 came I was a farmer who had grown carrots worth more that $6000 but unfortunately they all rotted in the house. This is because we were barred to sell in town.”

Moreover, COVID-19 left the vendor with no capital to get back to normal. Now she resorted to selling small groceries which require a small amount of capital in a bid to revive from COVID-19 impacts.

“I am now selling groceries with smaller profit as compared to selling tomatoes because I can no longer afford to buy tomatoes for resell. Nowadays it’s expensive for me to order tomatoes.”

In the bustling, vibrant marketplace of Bulawayo, a familiar sight has been a staple for the past 15 years. The vendor, known to many simply as “Mai Rumbi,” has been a fixture of the community, vowing to sell the freshest and healthiest produce available.

Strict Stay-at-Home

Additionally, the vendor shared that the strict stay-at-home orders and reduced foot traffic in the bustling marketplace were the main reasons for the huge losses she incurred during the COVID-19 years.

Despite the challenges, Mai Rumbi has remained resolute and optimistic. She is determined to continue serving the community with the freshest produce available, come rain or shine. “I’m grateful for the support of my customers. It’s their support that keeps me going,” she declared.

The pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to many small businesses in the area, specifically to those have been a part of the community for years. Despite the challenges, the vendor has pledged to continue serving her customers with heartfelt gratitude and an unyielding loyalty to her calling. In times like these, it’s heartening to see the local community rallying around a small business and supporting one another through difficult times.

Many of the regular customers were saddened to hear of the vendor’s misfortune and have stepped up to support her in the difficult time. Some have even offered to convert their payments from credit to cash transactions, to save the vendor from any additional fees they would have incurred.

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