Dili, December 20, 2024 (Média Democracia) – João, 78 years old from Ainaro, Maubisse carries out business activities such as selling tobacco, betel leaves and others on the roadside to meet his daily needs.
According to João, for years he has lived as a trader by running small businesses such as selling tobacco, betel and others in order to earn income to meet his daily needs.
“Although I am old, I want to do business because by doing business I can avoid illness and make me strong, if I just sit my body feels like it is going to get sick because I do nothing. So I decided every week or month from Ainaro to Dili to do business, so I can get income to meet my needs.” He said
He continued, tobacco, betel and others are bought every day by the community at a price of $ 4,00 or $ 7,00, but it also depends on fortune because now it is the rainy season so sometimes it runs out sometimes it doesn’t according to the conditions and because he sells on the side of the road.
“The goods I sell I buy from other people, for example one fruit stick costs $ 15.00, so I take it to Dili, one skewer costs 0.50 cents, one plastic bag of tobacco costs $ 8.00 and put it in a small plastic bag costs 0.50 cents, three bundles of betel leaves cost $ 1.00 and I sell one again for 0.50 cents, all of that is my field to earn a living, a day I can get $ 10.00 because I walk to the complex and on the side of the road, if I’m tired I rest somewhere and just wait, so people who move can buy.” He added
He added that while running this business, even though the turnover he got was not much, it was not an obstacle for him, the important thing was that he could earn money every day to meet his daily needs.
Therefore, to be clear that João, who was elderly, still tried to run a small business so that he could earn income to meet his daily needs. He did not feel tired or bored in running his business, he continued to try with full hope to be able to fight against various obstacles.
Reported by : Nelfiano
Picture by : Nelfiano