My photo
My community market on a rainy day is a sight that speaks loudly about both the strength and the struggles of our society. The moment the heavy rain begins, you see traders rushing to cover their stalls with nylon sheets and umbrellas. Buyers run from puddle to puddle, careful not to splash muddy water on their clothes. The voices of traders grow louder than the rain, each determined to sell despite the discomfort. The market is alive but it also reveals one major truth: our markets need to be cleaner.
As I stepped into the market one rainy afternoon, the first thing that struck me was the mixture of smells. The sweet aroma of roasted corn blended with the sharp odour of wet fish, and not too far away, the unpleasant stench of gutters overflowing with rainwater.
Ai generated
I couldn’t help but think: this is the same environment where we buy the food we take into our bodies every day. Fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish are all exposed, sometimes sitting dangerously close to dirty water or piles of refuse washed up by the rain.
A market should be a place of nourishment, not a breeding ground for sickness. Yet during the rainy season, many markets turn into muddy, slippery grounds, with drainage blocked by litter. Traders, desperate to save their goods, sometimes place food on the bare floor or on shaky wooden stands. Customers, rushing to buy and escape the rain, often ignore the environment. But what we ignore in the market later shows in our health.
Cleanliness in our markets is not just about appearance, it is about life. If stalls were properly sheltered, if gutters were cleared regularly, if refuse disposal was taken seriously, the rainy season would not turn our markets into mini rivers of waste. It is possible to have clean markets, and it starts with awareness. Traders should be encouraged and even trained on hygiene, while buyers should demand cleaner spaces. Authorities, too, must play their part by providing proper drainage, waste bins, and regular sanitation exercises.
Standing there that rainy day to observe things, I realised that the food that keeps us alive begins its journey in the market. If the market is dirty, we carry some of that dirt home. If the market is clean, we carry home health.
Thanks for reading
@ritaetim
