The Baraka Women have begun to sell their items at the market. This is an extraordinary opportunity. Throughout their time in the program they've learned the skills to make a wide variety of products: stuffed animals, shirts, pants, quilts, bags, necklaces, bracelets. While they were learning all the skills necessary to complete those projects, I couldn't directly help. I don't know how to sew and therefore could not instruct a group of partial-english-speaking women on how to do so. Instead I've done behind the scenes work mainly focusing on the website. I am confident that my work on the Baraka Women's Centre website has been good and helpful to the empowerment of the women but since the opportunity has arisen for them to sell at the market, I have been able to have an even more direct impact.
To prepare the women for their time at the market I offered a compact and accessible in-service. I discussed objectives for selling at the market and Christian values that we wanted to make sure we'd emulate. Below is the list of tips that I presented to the women:
How We Sell At Our
Best
1.
PRAY FIRST
2.
SMILE
3.
Talk to EVERYONE who walks by
4.
Sell above the cost to make (this is how we make
profit)
5.
Start bargaining high
6.
Count and record cash at beginning of each shift
7.
Keep an excess of coins and small bills to make
change
8.
Calculate all sales on calculator
9.
Guard your money
1. Be
sure stand is guarded at all times
I didn't get much of a response from the women but that wasn't concerning. It was encouraging to be able to have something to offer. Even though I would not in any way identify as a market specialist, I do know how in-services go and how helpful they can be in times of preparation.
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