For twenty years our family has been doing a fireworks tent. We started out with a booth and then moved on to a huge tent. For twenty years I have dreaded the month of July because it meant spending a week over the 4th and a week over the 24th stuck in a hot tent day and night selling fireworks. (In fact, in May I started dreading the summer coming because it meant fireworks tent.) The days were long at the beginning because no one ever came in and it meant making use of our time sitting doing nothing. The last few days of the holidays were busier and made the time we did spend doing it worth it. I always thought of it as having more money than what we would have had if we didn’t do it. Some years were lean and others more profitable. But we did it because it meant having extra money to help us through the rest of the year which we dearly needed.
As I observe the people here in Swaziland, I realized that the majority of the people do what I dreaded doing for just a few weeks, every day of their life. They wake up every morning only to face sitting in a small booth or in a corner hoping someone will come and buy their wares. They do this day in and day out and this is their only source of income. Our friend in Manzini Market, John, has been there for 22 years. Twenty-two years of sitting and hoping people come to buy so he can support his family of six children. As we walk by the booths or snack shacks people will say, "Please come support me.” I have a greater appreciation for these wonderful people because I had a fireworks tent for two weeks for twenty years.
One of our member’s booth
Offer more than one service
They set up anywhere and sell
These kids were playing while their parents were selling – sound familiar
Rows and rows of booths – which one do they choose?
These ladies sit all day – cold or hot- sewing and sell outside the booth
Anybody for some fried chicken or even the insides
John from Manzini Market, 22 years and counting
Who would have known when we started the fireworks tent that twenty years later I would use it to appreciate the work ethic of a people.
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