Thailand
Myanmar: Switching trades in the rainy season
Myanmar: Switching trades in the rainy season
Thursday, 21 July 2016 – Rain or shine, life goes on and so does business, but many firms and their staff are adept at making the transition from wet to dry season and back again. They have to be. Take the velvet shoe business, for instance. Nobody wears velvet shoes in the rain.
Shoemaker Ma Thuzar, 25, who lives in Yankin township, said, “I’m working in a pet food shop on a fixed wage now. When I make and sell shoes I can choose my own time to work, but there’s no trade in the rainy season.”
Ma Ei Mon, 24, of South Okkalapa township, still buys from velvet suppliers to make accessories, but during the rainy season she makes most of her money selling food at a stall she has set up in front of her house.
“People don’t like to venture too far out of doors, so the stall is convenient for them. I sell traditional fried snacks. It brings in a bit of money, but making the rounds to buy the ingredients I need is very tiring,” she said. Read More?