Kenya: National Leadership Workshop for Disabled Workers

leadership training for disabled workers in Kenya

The StreetNet affiliate in Kenya, the Kenyan National Alliance of Informal Traders,  held a leadership training workshop for its disabled members on March 1-2nd.  It was the first time that such a meeting was held and was much appreciated by all participants. Disabled people and albinos face considerable discrimination in Kenya.  KENASVIT is one of the few organisations which is actively organising disabled workers, encouraging them to take up leadership positions in their organisation and including their demands in negotiations with the municipalities.

KENASVIT is about to start  a survey of its members in 7 municipalities in order to collect their demands for a New Manifesto.  Disabled workers will be one of the issues included in the survey.

DRC: League for the Rights of Congolese Women draws up a New Manifesto

Market women and their children in Kinshasa

The League for the Rights of Congolese Women (LFDC) has drawn up a New Manifesto after a broad consultation with street vendors, market vendors and waste recyclers. 12 researchers were appointed and carried out the survey in the different communes of the capital city,  Kinshasa. The questionnaire was developed by the survey team in collaboration with representatives from the informal sector. The survey reviewed issues such as length of employment as a vendor, average daily income, reasons for choosing to become a vendor, relations with local authorities and police; main difficulties encountered during the working day; and how the vendors are organised. The survey also examined how negotiations with the local authorities are carried out and what in the opinion of the vendors, could the local authorities do to improve working conditions.  It also asked for any other suggestions for improvements the vendors might have. 

Following the survey, the researchers held a workshop to share the results.  They compiled an Excel sheet with all the major difficulties and the proposals for improvements. On the basis of this information, the New Manifesto document was drawn up.  It is now ready to be presented to the local authorities and will be used to request a meeting with them to discuss the different issues. It will also be distributed in areas where the researchers were not able to reach.

Workshop to examine the results of the survey

The campaign has been very well received by the vendors and all informal economy workers.  Many said it was the first time that they had been given the opportunity to express themselves freely.  The next stage is to present the New Manifesto to the local authorities.  

Anne Matondo will also  present the LFDC New Manifesto campaign  at the forthcoming StreetNet West Africa and Central Africa New Manifesto campaign workshop,  scheduled to take place on March 9th in Lomé, Togo.

Swaziland: StreetNet affiliate - collecting vendors' demands for the New Manifesto

The Coalition of the Informal Economy Associations of Swaziland (CIEAS) has begun a consultation process in the main towns of Swaziland in order to collect the demands of the vendors, which will later be compiled into the Swazi Street Vendors' New Manifesto.  The CIEAS President, Bheva Hlophe, reports that the demands are similar throughout the country.  

The main demands include:

(1) Shelter and storage: street vendors selling fruit and vegetables lack shelters to protect themselves and cold storage to preserve their produce. Vendors at the handicraft markets must sleep out in the open and have no place to store their wares. 

(2) Governments rates and other taxes: Vendors pay regular rates to the municipality but must also pay other taxes which seem arbitrary.  The municipality sometimes confiscates goods and fines vendors and then does not return the goods. 

(3) Licenses: the government board responsible for issuing licenses to the vendors needs to operate in a transparent manner because at the moment there are unfair practices.

The consultation process is still continuing.

                                               

 

Togo :SYVEMACOT et FAINATRASIT commencent la campagne sur le Nouveau Manifeste

La campagne sur le Nouveau Manifeste commence en Togo en septembre 2011 pour une période de 6 mois. L'objectif du projet est de recenser les problèmes des vendeurs et vendeuses de rue, des marchés et ambulants dans les 3 régions économiques du Togo (maritime, plateau et centrale). Après cette large consultation participative, les deux affiliés de StreetNet vont développer le document final sur les revendications principales des vendeurs et ils vont organiser des conférences publiques,  une conférence de presse et des émissions débats. Finalement, ils vont demander des rencontres avec les autorités pour la présentation du Nouveau Manifeste des vendeurs (es) du Togo. Les deux syndicats attendent que cette mobilisation des vendeurs va favoriser la création d'un cadre permanent de négociation enter la municipalité, les autorités locales et les organisations des vendeurs(es).

Texte du projet ici

Marché du Nukafa, Lomé

 

KENASVIT looks forward to welcoming StreetNet affiliates to New Manifesto Workshop 8-9 July 2011

The Kenyan National Alliance of Street Vendors and Informal Traders (KENASVIT) team looks forward to welcoming participants from other African countries to the 3rd planning workshop on the New Manifesto Campaign on 18th -19th July in Nairobi. The National Chairman, Simon Sangale Ole Nasieku, explained that KENASVIT is a grass roots membership based organisation formed in 2003. It has grown to include many local organisations, most recently in Kissii, Keroka, Busia and Nyeri.  KENASVIT is seeking to promote dialogue  between councils and street vendors  and is also lobbying for the passage of the Micro and Small Enterprises Bill through Parliament.The Chairman  also acknowledged the important role of Prof. Winnie Mittullah of the Institute of Development Studies whose original research on women street vendors led to the formation of  KENASVIT. 

Karibu Kenya! 

                                              

TOGO: SYVEMACOT va lancer le Nouveau Manifeste

Le Syndicat des Vendeurs de Matériaux de Construction du Togo a élaboré un plan d'action de la campagne sur le Nouveau Manifeste. L'objectif de la campagne sera d'identifier les organisations des vendeur(es) de marché, de rue et ambulants;  et d'organiser des consultations pour recenser les problèmes;  et de favoriser la création d'un cadre permanent de négociation entre la municipalité et les organisations des vendeurs. Après une phase de consultation dans les 3 régions économiques de Togo (maritime, plateau et centre), il y aura un processus de rédaction du document final, des émissions interactives sur les radios et la télévision et une conférence de presse. Finalement, SYVEMACOT attend organiser une rencontre avec les autorités pour la présentation des revendications.

Congo: La Ligue pour le Droit de la Femme Congolaise répond à la campagne de Nouveau Manifeste

La Ligue pour le Droit de la Femme Congolaise de la République Démocratique du Congo va commencer la campagne de StreetNet du Nouveau Manifeste prochainement. La Ligue pense organiser des consultations populaires à  travers des journées de réflexion pour s'entretenir avec des groupes des vendeurs et vendeuses dans le secteur informel. Ainsi la Ligue va constituer leur NOUVEAU MANIFESTE qui sera présenté aux autorités municipales.  La Ligue va élargir la campagne aux vendeurs et vendeuses de 40 municipalités en Kinshasa et 20 municipalités en Congo/ Brazzaville.

KENASVIT hosts StreetNet New Manifesto Regional Workshop Nairobi, July 18-19

The Kenyan National Association of Street Vendors and Informal Traders (KENASVIT) will be hosting the StreetNet New Manifesto workshop in Nairobi on 18^th-19^th July 2011. The workshop will focus on capacity building for the organisations of informal traders.  Participants  will review a strategy  to undertake participative research among their members, in order to develop a set of demands to negotiate with local authorities and to present at regional and international level. Among the African states represented will be street traders' organisations from Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Senegal and Ghana. In addition, StreetNet’s International Coordinator, Pat Horn, will participate to share the work in progress in other continents, particularly Latin America.  She will also discuss with the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU -K) how best to strengthen the organisation of informal economy workers in Kenya. Wilson Maina, General Secretary of KENASVIT said: "This is the most significant meeting in Kenya pertaining to the informal sector, and denotes an important step in facilitating regional integration to address the issues that street vendors and informal traders face. The conference will conclude with a number of action items and resolutions that each organisation can implement upon return."