Petty Traders Research Articles

Effect of rising fuel prices on small-scale fisheries livelihoods and marine sustainability in Ghana.

This study investigates the effects of fuel price hikes on the livelihoods of small-scale coastal fisherfolk in Ghana. The study applied a mixed-methods approach consisting of a questionnaire survey of 320 fisherfolk and 20 interviews with stakeholders in the fisheries sector. Increase in expenses, reduced frequency of fishing, an upsurge in social vices, and declining small-scale fisheries opportunities were found to be the main effects of fuel price hikes on fisherfolk livelihoods. The results reveal that fisherfolk experienced financial, emotional and psychological shocks due to the high cost of fuel. Dependency on savings, borrowing, petty trading, migration and farming were found to the main coping strategies. However, the various livelihood coping strategies deployed by fisherfolk were not sufficient to ameliorate their economic hardship. The findings show that fuel price hikes can contribute to reduction in fishing pressure and overcapacity despite the current socioeconomic hardship experienced by fishing households. The study recommends interest-free loans to support fisherfolk who are already engaged in small businesses. The provision of supplementary livelihoods could also improve fisherfolk's income and well-being.

Survivalist mobilities: freedom of movement and the economic lives of settlement refugees in Uganda

Abstract This article draws upon qualitative and quantitative data from Uganda to explore the ways in which mobility supports the livelihoods of refugees in rural settlements. It shows how, under conditions of extreme precarity and against the background of gradual reductions in humanitarian aid, refugees resort to short distance ‘survivalist mobilities’ underpinned by economic desperation. While trips to urban areas are rare and infrequent, refugees regularly move out of the settlements to access firewood, vegetation, and farmland and to engage in casual labour and petty trade. Such activities enable day-to-day survival, but there are structural constraints that prevent them from becoming sustainable livelihoods that allow for stability or growth. The article challenges the common description of mobility in policy and scholarly discourse as empowering, natural, and essential for the socio-economic progress of refugees, as well as some of the assumptions underpinning current refugee ‘self-reliance’ policies in Uganda.

The Impact of Microfinance on Women Empowerment in the Kpone Katamanso Municpal Assembly

Microfinance is a financial service that provides small loams, savings and other financial products to individuals or groups who lack access to traditional banking services. The Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly which was carved out from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly with the promulgation of the Legislative instrument (L.I) 2031 was selected for the study on the impact of Microfinance Institution (MFI) on women empowerment. A descriptive approach was adopted for the study. Primary and secondary data were used. Two sets of questionnaires were administered in the study; one each for clients of the MFI and the officials of the Eddieyn Microfinance Ltd. Combinations of purposive and convenient sampling methods were used to select the MFI and the clients for the study. The main findings of the study revealed that the presence of MFI has contributed to a large extent, an increase in access to credit and savings mobilization. This contributed in women’s ability to improve their petty trading, hence increase their income, and subsequently leading to good health and education for their families, acquisition of assets and taking part in household decision making. Based on the findings it is recommended that financial education be intensified by financial institutions to educate women on financial services available and how to access them through meetings and seminars. Also, the Municipal Assembly should encourage MFIs to establish their branches in rural areas.

The Transformation of Zimbabwe’s Informal Economy: From Petty Trade to Vibrant Sector

This article explores how the informal economy of Zimbabwe has transformed from a disorganised petty trading sector to a significant economic sector, despite facing challenges. Data were collected in Norton using ethnographic methods. Results show how the sector innovated and expanded into an organised and fairly productive sector. The article debunks stereotypes about the informal economy, such as being a survivalist or low-productivity sector. It argues that the sector has become resilient and vibrant over time and grown in innovative and creative ways as it fights for a place in an economy crippled by economic crises.

Cosmopolitanism and Coexistence in Ottoman Jewish History: The Case of Shopkeeper Yeuda Macha

Abstract: This piece takes the life of Yeuda Macha, a Jewish shopkeeper in Izmir, as its starting point. Focusing on a late nineteenth-century source detailing the settling of his accounts after his death, the article reconstructs the links, contacts, and partnerships that punctuated his daily life both within and outside of the Jewish community. With its emphasis on the mundane, this source offers a point of entry into the rhythm of everyday life in the eastern Sephardi diaspora and the centrality of the esnaf, or urban shopkeepers and petty traders, who made up so much of the Sephardi labor force. It also offers crucial tools to evaluate and refine categories that are so often applied reflexively in the study of the modern Mediterranean and its Jewish communities, such as “cosmopolitanism” and “coexistence,” and the opportunity to concretely probe the nature of both real and imagined boundaries between religio-ethnic groups in an Ottoman port like Izmir.

‘‘Domicilelessness’’ and Livelihoods in Urban Areas: Case of Maasai in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The study aimed at demonstrating Maasai migration into Dar es Salaam urban areas and their challenges in accessing accommodation. Methodologically, the study deployed secondary data analysis following a descriptive research design. Furthermore, this study was conducted through both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The study was conducted from 2018 to 2022 of which a random sample of 100 (N=100) was targeted. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 16). Findings: The Maasai means of accommodation are divided into four main categories: completed houses (6%), under-construction sites (39%), halfway constructed and abandoned structures (31%), and car garages and under trees (24%). These groups lack basic services such as water, toilets, and cooking spaces, and are often confounded and inhabitable, exposing them to risk of contracting various diseases. Maasai engage in livelihood activities both day and night, with hairdressing, handcraft, and petty trading being their primary activities. At night, they work as watchmen and those not engaged in anything spend time sleeping. Inclusive policies catering for minority groups in urban areas need to be put in place in Dar es Salaam.

CAN CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIES?: EVIDENCE FROM FARMERS IN ENUGU STATE NIGERIA

The need to analyze the changes that the effect of climate change brings on the income-generating activities of farmers in Enugu state necessitated this study. The study examined farmers' socio-economic characteristics, described the perceived climate change effects, analyzed changes in income-generating activities, and evaluated the link between socio-economic factors and income-generating activities. Primary data were collected from 120 respondents using well-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation. The results showed that the majority (73.3%) of the respondents were male farmers. Results of the study also showed that reduction in productivity (89.2%), change in farming pattern (77.5%), and soil degradation (65.0%) were the most perceived effects of climatic change among the respondents. The result also revealed strong negative change in income-generating activities in the areas of goat/sheep rearing (-33.4), fishing (-32.5), rabbit rearing (-15.0), and basket weaving (15.0), while petty trading (+23.4), hair barbing (+18.3) and food vending (+15.8) had strong positive change in the study area. The study revealed that socio-economic characteristics such as marital status, household size, and years of farming experience are correlated with positive income-generating activities. The study recommends that farmers should prioritize positive income-generating activities that correlate with their socio-economic characteristics. The study also recommends the implementation of crop rotation and organic manure as one of the ecological practices for climate change mitigation.

The Worlds of Labor in Ghana’s Gold Mining Industry, c. 1895–1957

Abstract The global turn has contributed to a revitalization of labor history. Historians have become increasingly attentive to the varied forms of labor commodification that existed under capitalism. Many historians have welcomed this approach which challenges the universalism of “free” wage labor. Critics, however, have warned that global labor history risks re-inscribing the power of capital at the expense of local specificities, particularly in terms of the plurality of labor’s worlds and its (dis)connections with capital. This is not a new debate within African studies. Since the 1980s, historians of Africa have questioned the privileging of wage labor at the expense of other forms of labor and the focus on (post)colonial workplace relations to the exclusion of other relational power structures which shaped the behavior of African men and women. This article takes up these debates by focusing on different forms of labor connected to the gold mining industry in colonial Ghana. The article argues that African men and women involved in the mining sector, including mineworkers, petty traders, and sex workers, responded to their experience of commodification in ways that were about more than just their status as abstract sellers of labor power. What emerges from this analysis is a more nuanced understanding of the strategies and aspirations of African labor which was connected to the mining sector. That is to say, where colonial officials saw working patterns that were purportedly symptomatic of the “lazy” and “ill-disciplined” character of African labor, this article demonstrates otherwise. The behavior of African labor associated with the mining sector was indicative of choices that were made in accordance with individual and collective needs connected to issues of class, gender, and generation, which, in turn, were “entangled” with capitalist market imperatives but not necessarily determined by them.

Demystifying Barriers to and Drivers of Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice – A Cross-Sectional Study Among Mothers & Caregivers of Children Under 5 in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

This study presents findings from a cross-sectional survey conducted among mothers and caregivers of children under 5 in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Out of the 1647 collected questionnaires, 77.5% were validated for analysis. Results reveal that 53.3% of the women were aged 20-29 years, with older adolescent mothers (18-19 years) comprising 7.8%. The majority were married (97.8%), and over two-thirds had at least primary education (69.5%). While 54.5% identified as housewives, 28.7% engaged in petty trading, and 12.3% pursued farming full-time. Table 2 in the appendix indicates good knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices, with 88.4% knowing breastfeeding should start immediately after birth. However, EBF prevalence was only 33.3%, higher among women with more than secondary education (43.2%) and those aged 20-29 years (35.4%). Positive perceptions toward EBF were evident, but misconceptions persisted, impacting practice. Social norms influenced some contradictory behaviors, such as early introduction of water (51%).

Socio-economic characteristics of parents on learners’ educational aspiration: Exploring mechanisms of impact

This study aims to examine the influence of the socio-economic status (SES) of parents on learners' educational aspirations in La Dade Kotopon of the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Socio-economic status of parents plays a pivotal role in shaping their child's educational aspirations and the pathways they envision for their future. Socio-economic status is a multidimensional construct encompassing various factors such as parental education, occupation, income, and family background. The study utilizes a quantitative research design, employing a sample of learners (230) from diverse socio-economic backgrounds within the Greater Accra region through the quota sampling technique. Also, the convenient sampling technique was used in selecting ten (10) teachers and thirty (30) parents. The data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentages, mean, and SD. It was found that most of the guardians of La Dade Kotopon Junior High School (JHS) were not employed, while a majority were into petty trading. Therefore, the income level of the guardians was low, placing most of them in low socio-economic backgrounds. This had affected the learners in terms of their choice of schools and their educational aspirations. Practical implications arise in designing targeted interventions and support programs aimed at fostering educational aspirations, especially for learners from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

Exploring the Investment Behaviour of Petty Traders in Sunyani Municipality

Purpose: The primary goals of the study are to assess the level of awareness among small merchants in Sunyani Municipality regarding investment prospects, the sources of investment information, and the impact of demographic characteristics.
 Methodology: Questionnaires were employed in gathering data for the study, which was based on the quantitative research approach. Using Slovin's sample size computation, a sample size of 396 respondents was selected for the investigation.
 Findings: The results revealed that the majority of small traders were aware of prospective investment alternatives such as real estate, government bonds, bank deposits, life insurance, mutual funds, and stocks and shares. It was discovered that the traders had access to two information sources: the formal and informal sectors. The survey discovered that friends and family serve as the key informal sources of information. Regarding the formal sector, it is disclosed that radio and television served as their sources of investment-related information. Also, the degree of awareness regarding investment opportunities was influenced by gender, age, and household size. The findings indicate that among the investment avenues available to traders, gold and other minerals are not well-known by traders.
 Unique contributor to theory, policy and practice: Therefore, it is recommended that programs and talk shows are organized for people to be aware of these avenues. Policymakers should prioritize programs focused on enhancing the financial inclusion of petty traders by improving the accessibility of formal financial services such as savings accounts, credit facilities, and insurance products. The research findings could potentially aid in improving financial inclusion for small-scale traders, informing local government policies that support them, providing valuable market intelligence for businesses targeting this demographic, and contributing to academic knowledge in the fields of economics, finance, and development studies.

Determinants of Financial Inclusion among Women Petty Trader's in Dodoma City

This paper assesses the determinants of financial inclusion among women petty traders in Dodoma city. Specifically, the paper examines women petty traders’ status of using formal accounts, formal savings, formal credit, and mobile money accounts and socioeconomic determinants of financial inclusion. The paper employed a cross-sectional research design whereby structured and semi-structured interviews and documentary review methods were used for data collection. Non-probability sampling techniques were employed to select a sample of 200 women petty traders. Data analysis employed in this study included both inferential and descriptive analysis. The result of the study indicates that the majority of women petty traders use mobile money accounts, and use informal savings (save money at home, through VICCOBA/ person outside the home), also they lack enough money for opening/maintaining a formal account. The binary probit model result indicates that age, years of schooling, household size, marital status, lack of required documents, costs of financial service, and income are significant determinants of financial inclusion. Therefore, financial institutions should offer basic or low-fee accounts with a reduced/simplified documentation requirement. Government payment should be conducted through banks to promote savings in formal financial institutions and promote financial literacy, and data on financial inclusion among women petty traders should be collected and analyzed to promote the formulation of evidence-based policy

Noise Induced Hearing Loss Among Sawmill Workers in a Sub-Saharan African Country

Introduction: Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is a permanent sensorineural hearing loss (HL) which affects the quality of life of exposed individuals. Aim: To determine the prevalence of NIHL among sawmill workers at the Timber market and petty traders in Accra, Ghana, and to assess the difference in actual and self-reported HL among the sawmill workers. Methods: This was a comparative study of NIHL among sawmill workers at the Agbogbloshie Timber Market of Accra and petty traders whose work environment was situated remotely from the sawmill. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20.0. Demographic characteristics and pure tone audiometric testing of study participants were analysed and presented as mean±standard deviation, counts and percentages. Independent T-test was used in comparing pure tone hearing thresholds of sawmill workers and petty traders at various frequencies. Results: A total of 120 sawmill workers and 120 petty traders were studied. Sixty-four (53.3%) of the petty traders were females and all the sawmill workers were males. Mean age of the sawmill workers was 41.5±11.8 years. The prevalence of NIHL among the sawmill workers was 37.5% in the right ear and 43.3% in the left ear. Among the petty traders, the prevalence of NIHL was 12.5% in the right ear and 8.3% in the left ear. There was a statistically significant difference in NIHL between the sawmill workers and the petty traders (p-value = 0.0001). The prevalence of HL in the better ear for the sawmill workers and petty traders was 16.7% and 1.7% respectively. Sixty-nine (57.5%) sawmill workers self-reported HL compared to actual HL of 39 (32.5%) which showed a statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.011). Conclusions: The prevalence of NIHL among the sawmill workers was 37.5% and 43.3% in the right and left ears. There was a significant difference between actual and self-reported HL among the sawmill workers.

Cultural Taboos, "Mystical Practices" and Perceived Business Performances in the Informal Sector: An Exploration of Bayam-Sellams in African Local Markets

The objective of this article is to highlight the reality of unorthodox commercial practices in markets, by local vendors of the informal sector in Africa. An in-depth analysis of a sample of twenty-four (24) petty traders reveals that these traders use both common sense, by developing proximity to their market, and the mystical dimension of their cultural era, to achieve their commercial performance objectives. In so doing, they perceive this mystical dimension as being effective in attracting customers, building customer loyalty and making their business more competitive.

Understanding Petty Traders’ Use of Honorifics as a Persuasive Tool in Sales

The widespread use of honorifics as a persuasive tool to achieve diverse communicative goals in Ghana has given rise to the necessity to investigate honorific expressions and their influence on sales performance among petty traders in Accra. Using an interpretive method, sampled shoppers and traders from Ghana’s centre of trade – Makola Market – were interviewed to better understand honorifics’ influence on sales. According to the study, honorifics have lost their purpose as a persuasive technique because their use no longer influences shoppers. However, they are still a politeness strategy for attracting the attention of potential shoppers.

Dietary practice and nutritional status of low-income earners in a rural adult population in Delta State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

due to the inability of low-income populations to access nutritious foods or basic education, these groups usually consume unhealthy diets, which frequently lead to nutrition issues like obesity, malnutrition, and other health morbidities. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nutritional knowledge, dietary practices, nutritional status, and factors influencing the dietary habits of low-income persons living in a rural constituency in Southern Nigeria. a cross-sectional study was carried out on 419 consenting low-income adults (18 years and older) using a simple random technique, in order to collect data on their socio-demographic traits, nutritional knowledge, dietary practices, and nutritional status. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 was used to analyze the data generated. the respondents´ the average age was 40.9 ± 15.68 years while 224 (53.5%) of those surveyed were females. The proportion of responders with a secondary education was highest 279 (66.6%). The most common occupation among respondents was farming 151 (36.1%) and petty trading 135 (32.2%). Overall, 314 (74.9%) of low-income adults had poor dietary habits, and 245 (60.6%) had poor nutrition knowledge. Occupation and gender were significantly associated with nutritional status P<0.05. The majority of respondents 56.2% (235) were overweight or obese, and multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that respondents with concern about gaining weight were more likely to be overweight or obese (OR=1.065, 95% CI=0.832-1.363). the findings from the study indicate that inadequate nutritional knowledge and poor dietary habits, reflected in respondents' body weight are likely to increase the risk of non-communicable diseases, necessitating the need for nutritional education among rural populations.

Breast cancer burden and its implications on the Nigerian Patient

The fact that breast cancer is the commonest female cancer worldwide is no longer news. The more intriguing information, however, is the increasing incidence of the disease in African populations that previously had low incidence rates. The rising incidence of breast cancer in Africa has been attributed to many factors acting synergistically including increasing life expectancy, decreasing fertility, lifestyle changes and environmental factors. Moreover, the peculiar epidemiological, demographic and clinical characteristics of the disease make it a matter of grave public concern. Added to these are the persisting challenges of treatment delays, inadequate management modalities, cost of care, and poor survival indices. In addition to discussing these issues, this presentation focuses on the social, economic and psychological burden of breast cancer on Nigerian women. Findings from a mixed method study on the social, economic, psychological impacts and quality of life of breast cancer at the surgical oncology division, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria revealed that most patients were artisans and petty traders, presented late, and were low-income earners. The average cost of care per patient amounted to US$11,600, of which 39% was spent on chemotherapy and 32% on quantifiable losses. The main sources of funding of care were family members and spouses supporting an assertion in a publication that ‘breast cancer in Nigeria is a family disease’. The psychological morbidities they experienced included loss of self-esteem, depression and sexual dis-satisfaction. Late presentation was significantly associated with worse self-esteem and quality of life parameters. Nine out of ten would rather not attend social functions because of their appearance. Depression was worsened by an unsupportive spouse while many experienced a lack of spousal advances post-diagnosis. However, married women had higher emotional function and a significantly better quality of life, while breast padding as camouflage post- mastectomy significantly enhanced their QoL and body image perception.

Redistributive matronage: a moral economy of female traders and the ruling elite in Equatorial Guinea

ABSTRACT This paper explores the historicity of the marketplace in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, focusing on testimonies from senior petty traders. It investigates the role of the marketplace as a site for redistributive matronage by analysing the historical accounts of market women. The article reveals key institutions, including the female section of the ruling party, market-sellers' associations, and the business-partner (socia) system, which collectively contribute to a resilient moral economy. This moral economy has persisted through various political-economic regimes since the country's independence in 1968. The paper connects the concept of the moral economy with debates on redistributive labour and patronage, providing insights into market women's daily activities as both generators and by-products of the country's political economy. Instead of presenting an alternative to political-economic analysis of Equatorial Guinea, this ethnographic investigation offers fundamental insights into the regime's actual functioning and its hegemonic reproduction.

The Alternative Livelihood Practices Engaged by Artisanal Fishers for Household Improvements in Zanzibar Islands

This paper outlines the alternative livelihood practices used by artisanal fishers for household improvement in five Zanzibar Islands fishing villages: Kizimkazi Dimbani, Chwaka, Unguja Ukuu Kaepwani, Tumbe Mashariki, and Michenzani. The cross-sectional research design was used to collect quantitative data via a questionnaire survey and qualitative data via Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews. Data were collected from a sample of 333 artisanal fishers drawn from the 1991 population using the Yamane formula. According to the findings of the study, approximately half of the artisanal fishers (53.45%) did not engage in any alternative livelihood practice to support the livelihood of their households and instead relied solely on artisanal fisheries. (23.12%) of the artisanal fishers were farmers, (9.91%) were seaweed farmers, and (5.41% were animal keepers. A small percentage of artisanal fishers (8.11%) engage in petty trade, tourism, and dagaa processing for sale. It is therefore recommended that the respective government, in collaboration with other fisheries stakeholders, establish the sustainability of alternative livelihood opportunities for artisanal fisher communities in order to improve their household livelihoods by diversifying their household survival and reducing the challenge of overexploitation of fishery resources.

Understanding drought risk management in vulnerable communities in dryland farming systems: Evidence from northwest Ghana

Drought intensity and associated risks are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with dire implications for sustainable livelihood. Yet, there is a limited comprehensive understanding of the severity of drought risks in dryland farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana, where climate change has multiple effects on farming operations. Monitoring episodic droughts is particularly important for developing local-based adaptive interventions to sustainably improve livelihood and food systems. Drawing evidence from Northwest Ghana, this study used a Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) to understand drought indices and risks of 40 years (1981–2020), and assessed prioritized coping measures and determinants in rural farming communities. The study revealed that farmers in Northwest Ghana have been experiencing severe intermittent drought risks in the last four decades, with extreme episodes observed in 1983 and 1984. Results show that northern Ghanaian households are coping with drought risks using several strategies such as picking edible wild fruit, migration for labour work, remittances from family members and friends, livestock rearing and sale, petty trading, and basket weaving as the key coping measures by households to counteract drought risk. The BLR estimates show that socio-economic variables such as marital status, household size, market access, and farmland size are significant factors that can predict farmers’ coping interventions. The sale of livestock as a buffer to support households rebound from a climate disaster is critical. We suggest that decision-makers and policy-makers mainstream access to social safety schemes in drought-affected locations to sustain local food systems, agricultural biodiversity and livelihoods.