The rate of unemployment in The Gambia is high. The ranks of the unemployed continues to swell. The masses engage in all sorts of things to make ends meet.

A countless number are engaged in petty trade. Those with stalls in the market often hope that by rendering support to the ruling party their ownership of stalls is secure, but this has proven not to be the case.

Local government authorities do issue eviction orders and demolition of canteens at markets without offering canteen owners alternatives. The latest example is the Soma market at which six canteen owners have been given eviction orders without any option. The six canteens will give way to a supermarket. The livelihood of six canteen owners and their families and dependants are now at stake.

The visually impaired are also facing a similar fate. As part of the downtrodden of society many of them rely on handouts for survival.

But this is becoming more and more difficult to come by. They are being increasingly pushed into small corners away from the sight of visitors and therefore collect less money. Hence their misery increases.

Indeed, it is more embarrassing and ridiculous to prosecute visually impaired persons because they were begging than to allow them to beg in the street. The most recent case reported by a newspaper involves the prosecution of 7 visually impaired beggars at Bundung Magistrates Court on offences related to begging in the streets.

The interview that Foroyaa conducted with beggars revealed that they are willing to work for a living than to beg. Has the government offered them alternatives or are they planning any alternatives for them that will free them from begging? That will pay more dividend than to arrest and prosecute them.