Yvonne is a single mother with 3 children, she sells beans and gari by the roadside to make ends meet. Interestingly, Yvonne's job is a continuation of a family legacy.
Morning
My daily routine begins at 4am 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 do my house chores because my children are young and are unable to help me with the chores. Then I take my bath.
I cook my beans in large quantities because I sell it throughout the whole day.
I have a lady who helps me with the frying of the plantain and the selling of the food too.
By 6:30 am to 7:00 am she should have arrived at my house to give me a helping hand with cooking. When she comes, I wake my children up, bath them, get them ready for school, give them breakfast and then wait for their school bus to pick them up for school.
While the beans is on fire, my help peels the plantain and fry some. By 10 am we should be done with the beans, plantain, oil and gari, then we take it to the roadside where I sell.
Selling starts immediately I settle at the roadside.
Afternoon
By noon, my plantain would have run out, so I set up another fire and then fry more plantain for the beans.
A lot is not done in the afternoon except me having to sell my beans.
I get busy in the afternoon because workers go for lunch and that’s the time they come out to buy.
By 3 pm, my food should have been finished. I immediately send the lady who helps me to pick my children.
While I do the packing. So my children join me and then by 4 pm we would have left the roadside for home.
I usually leave some of the food for my children so they can eat after school if not I will be in trouble.
We will arrive home by 4:30pm, then I will immediately start preparing dinner.
Evening
My help washes the utensils used in preparing the beans and when I am done cooking dinner, I join her to finish up quickly.
After washing the utensils, I pay her and then she leaves. By 6:30 to 7 pm, my family and I should be taking dinner and then we take our bath after.
I check if my children have homework, then I help them do it, then we watch television for about 30minutes and then we move straight to bed.
I make sure my children are asleep before I also retire to bed.I don’t want to wake up to any surprises.
So basically, that’s how my day is like on a daily basis.
Best work moments
This business is a family legacy, my great grandmother sold beans, then my grandma, then my mother, and now me.
It does fetch me money and that's what I use in catering for my children and myself.
I have a big garden behind my house and I only have plantain there, so I don't buy plantain for my work except in extreme cases where I do not have any.
More tips come from the workers and I save them too for my children.
Challenges.
This work is tedious and honestly it is not something I can give 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.