SALES are picking up for vendors at the popular Border food stop, following Government’s intervention to reconstruct the stalls that were flattened during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

The popular roadside eatery, located on the St Elizabeth-Westmoreland border, is well known for local favourites such as fish, bammy and festival.

The rebuilding of the cluster of 44 shops was made possible through a $20-million allocation approved by Cabinet as part of a wider programme of support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in parishes that were significantly impacted by the October 28 Category 5 storm.

For Nadine Brown, who has operated at Border for more than 30 years, the reconstruction of her stall is a lifeline.

She said Melissa caused extensive damage to her business and her home.

“Oh, my experience was a rough one. I lost three doors at my house, I lost my television and… a lot of water come inside,” recalled Brown who also lost the roof from the upper level of her house and is now living on the ground floor.

Despite her personal loss at home, Brown has returned to her stall to sell her signature bammy, noting that sales are picking up.

She expresses deep gratitude for the Government’s intervention.

“We really appreciate what they are doing. It feels good and it’s been helping all of us,” Brown said.

Another vendor, Opal Wedderburn, joined the Border vendor community approximately two years ago as she sought independence through self-employment.

The mother of three said the hurricane left her family homeless, forcing her to relocate to a one-bedroom structure built by her uncle, which also houses herself, her father and her young children.

“It was terrible. I was in my home at that time, and it affected us hard. We had to run out in the storm. Everything’s gone,” Wedderburn lamented.

She is also grateful to the Government for rebuilding the cluster of stalls as she pointed out that she is depending on her bammy-selling business to take care of her family and to purchase supplies such as cement and steel to rebuild her home.

“No matter what happened, you have to keep moving. So that’s why I have to come back to work, and then the kids… you have responsibilities, so you have to keep moving,” added Wedderburn.

While both women admit that the holiday season is different this year, they note that the rebuilding of the stalls provides the foundation they need to recover.

The new structures are designed to be more resilient and provide a better environment for both vendors and customers.

Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill said the structures have been embedded in concrete to improve their stability and fitted with hurricane straps to ensure that in the event of heavy winds, the roofs will remain in place.

According to Hill, further work is being carried out to protect the buildings against flooding.

He noted that the rebuilding of the shops not only puts the food vendors back in business but also the fisherfolk and farmers who supply them with fish, vegetables and other produce.

With Cabinet’s approval of an additional $42 million, Hill identified MSMEs in Middle Quarters, St Elizabeth, as the beneficiaries of the next segment of restoration works.

— JIS

Vendors at Border in St Elizabeth, Opal Wedderburn (left) and Nadine Brown smile for the camera, showing off their bammies and other items for sale at their newly rebuilt stalls. (Photo: JIS)