"Young people should work hard when they have an opportunity to do so as time waits for no one, and old age catches up with anyone."
These are the words of 79-year-old Tisauke Phiri, a marketeer at the Chisamba Market in Central Province.
Popularly known as 'Bana Pears', Ms Phiri who started her trade as a marketeer by selling fritters, has been in business for over 50 years, and currently sells chickens, sugar canes, vegetables and assorted drinks.
She narrates that she used to make fritters which she would sell at the market and take some to Mutenga Store, a 10 minute walk from the market, where they would sell like hotcakes.
Ms Phiri says she misses such moments when she was full of energy and would move from one point to another without difficulties.
It is through this business that she managed to raise her children with some joining in the business and operating different points.
However, she has lost some of her children through death.
Ms Phiri explains that nowadays, there are so many legal business ventures that one can engage in unlike in the olden days when business opportunities were limited.
She says the Chisamba Market which has been in existence for a long time has developed in terms of business opportunities compared to the 1990's when there were only a few traders operating market stands.
Ms Phiri also recalls that Chisamba Town which initially used to be a township under Kabwe district has developed and now has a tarred road from the police check point on the Lusaka-Kabwe Road to the government offices.
Initially, this used to be a gravel road and would make movements difficult and longer.
She observes that the Chisamba Market and the town in general has grown, increased in population, developed and with so many business opportunities.
She said young people should apply themselves and develop ideas that will help sustain their lives.
"The world has changed, nowadays we see a lot of businesses, apart from groceries, one can go into the transport sector or mobile money booths, as you can see we have a lot here. So, young people should be enterprising, work hard and utilise the opportunity of working hard.
"This is their time because once one grows old, the energy also reduces," says Ms Phiri who remembers this author when she was about eight years old.
From her businesses, Ms Phiri has built a house behind her market stand and adds that this is convenient for easy movements because she experiences challenges with her legs due to old age.
Ms Phiri also narrates that she applied for a market space through the council in 1971 but was only granted permission to trade three years later, in 1974.
"At the time, the local authority used to take long to respond to applications for market spaces but this is not the case anymore. It is good that there are more business opportunities to trade in unlike in the past when they were limited," she says.
The senior citizen recalls that at one time, marketeers at the market were detained by the wildlife department for selling a popular local delicacy called imbeba (mice).
They were, however, all pardoned.
"We were shocked at why the wildlife department rounded us all for selling roasted imbeba. This is popular here and we saw nothing wrong with that, so unlike in the past now one knows which business is legal or not," she says with laughter.
Another exciting incident that she recalls is that each time there was a train derailment the traders would be happy as that would be to their advantage as they would sell to the stuck travelling passengers.
Ms Phiri advises that it is such moments that young people should take advantage of by conducting business to make money for themselves because everyone needs to eat at some point.
She ends by stating that Chisamba is her village and cannot go anywhere.
Chisamba Market Association chairperson Stubble Miyoba says in a separate interview that he has worked as a welder at the market for 20 years.
Mr Miyoba, 54, says Chisamba Market has developed with so many people working as carpenters and tailors, while others are operating hardware shops and saloons.
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He says the market has about 200 traders and business is boosted during the Monday market when marketeers buy fresh produce from farmers at reasonable prices.
"We have Monday market when farmers as far as Lusaka come to sell their farm products, so this place has developed and part of the development now is the use of electrical machines in barbershops and restaurants, " he says.
Mr Miyoba also commends the local authority for organising quarterly meetings with marketeers at which developmental issues are discussed.
"We have quarterly meetings with the council and these are progressive meetings because we discuss issues affecting traders and there are no disappointments," he adds.
He says load-shedding is affecting business because power goes off from 08:00 hours to 20:00 hours in some cases.
Mr Miyoba says this is a serious challenge and is causing low business.
He says another challenge is the alcohol abuse among youths, and that this needs to be addressed urgently by all stakeholders.
