Street Hustle Accra: A day in the life of a 42-year-old waakye seller

The subject for today's 'Street Hustle Accra', a trader, Hajia Alima, 42, tells us about how she survives in life with her field of work.

Hajia Alima is a family woman, she sells Waakye by the roadside to make ends meet. Interestingly, she has been selling the food for over 20 years.

Morning

My daily routine begins at 4 am when my alarm beeps. I wake up at this time to cook my beans because it is the tedious part of my work. So, I set my fire, wash the beans that I dissolved the night before and then put it on fire.

After putting the beans on fire, I begin to prepare my stew and shito.

While I realise the beans in okay to add the rice, I add and then continue the stew and shito. I have two of my siblings who help me prepare the food.

By 6 am, my siblings leave me so that they can prepare for school so I am left alone to finish up and the go to the roadside.

But as at that time, we had done almost all the most important part of the cooking. I quickly take my shower and then pack the food to the roadside where I sell. I get there around 7 am and then immediately I begin to sell. I have a girl who comes to help me sell.

By 10 am, my Waakye should have finished then I go home with the young lady who washes the utensils. I take a nap for some few hours.

Afternoon

At noon, I wake up to prepare my next Waakye for the evening.

This time, I might have had some stew from the morning because I cook enough for the evening. When I don’t then I have to prepare some but usually, I have enough stew and shito for the evening sales.

So my 3 pm, I would have been done with the Waakye for the evening and then I prepare for the evening sales.

While I cook for the evening, I also cook some food for my siblings before they return either from work or from school.

By 4 pm, we set off to the road to sell for the evening.

Evening

So I begin to sell around 4:30 pm to 5 pm. During this time, sales are not as quick as the morning since people cook at home during this time.

So from that time, I sell till my food gets finished.

My siblings return home by 7 pm, they eat, wash the utensils and clean the place I prepared the food, so there isn’t too much for me to do when I return home.

By 8:30 pm, my food would have finished and then I pack for home.

When I return home, my younger sibling washes the things I brought from the roadside while I take my bath.

By 9 pm, I would have been done and then I go to bed.

So basically, that’s how my day is like daily.

Best work moments

This business is my life, I treat it with my maximum strength and I have realized people like me for that so they love my food.

It does fetch me money and that's what I use in catering for my siblings and myself.

More tips come from the workers and I save them too for all my little expenses.

Challenges.

This work is tedious and honestly, it is not something I can give it out to other people to handle. I have to do it myself and that stresses me a lot.

I use the weekends to go to the market to buy my stuff in bulk so I virtually do not have enough time to rest.

I take care of my siblings too since I am the family head because both of our parents are dead.

I use almost all my money for my siblings’ school fees amongst others and that’s a huge responsibility for me.

I don’t want them to end up like me.