ReturnNewsletter
French Spanish
KENASVIT, Kenya visits NEST, Nepal
By Benard Maingi Isika, Joint Secretary and Asha Sayedi Ibraham, Joint Treasurer of KENASVIT and Umesh Upadhyaya, GEFONT Deputy Secretary-General
The KENASVIT exchange visit to NEST in Nepal was a part of StreetNet's activities to strengthen the global solidarity of workers of the informal economy. The KENASVIT Management committee agreed on the dates to visit NEST from 12th-20th November 2007 and through e-mail communication, plans were made. Three delegates were proposed but due to financial constraint only two delegates could fly to Nepal.
On arrival on November 13, Benard Maingi Isika, Joint Secretary and Asha Sayedi Ibraham, Joint Treasurer of KENASVIT, attended a welcome programme organised by NEST. Forty committee level activists participated in the welcome programme.
The KENASVIT delegates were informed of a census done of 24 national organizations. They have 76,000 members from both large and small federations. Trade unions have a population of between 24,000 to 26,000 members drawn from 92 tribes. The meeting emphasised the need for all members to join trade unions and federations regardless of one's gender. The NEST members were interested to learn about how KENASVIT was formed, about Kenya and the census of street vendors completed by NISCOF as part of its efforts to persuade the city council of the importance of street vending as the occupation of many thousands of people in Nairobi.
Visit to workplaces
Immediately after attending the welcome programme organized by Sundhara, Rantapark Local Area Committee, the delegation visited the various workplaces in Kathmandu to observe the condition of street vendors. They also met with the displaced vendors of Mangal Bazar, Latitpur and talked with them about the problems they faced while vending in the street.
The KENASVIT visitors noted that street vendors in Nepal are very active and organised. Each street has a committee which is responsible for communication with members. The street vendors are given times to trade on the streets during the daytime and night. They do not pay any tax to the municipal council or the government.
Visit to Pokhara
On November 14, the KENASVIT visitors went to Pokhara, about 200 km from Kathmandu and attended a meeting with Kaski District Committee members and shared the problems faced by the vendors there. Kaski District Committee presented their efforts for the rights of workers and their efforts to work for positive development for them.
The delegates wrote: "We met groups of street vendors on the streets. Later we met with Mr Kumar, the organizing secretary of the central office who explained how their organisations, consisting of about 700 street vendors, work in the district."
On November 15, the visitors went to the GEFONT Gandaki Zonal office where they were introduced to the central organization and members and discussed the situation of street vendors. A comparison was made on how vendors in the streets of Nairobi and Nepal undertake their work. It was noted that there was not much difference between the work of informal traders in both countries, except that in Kenya vendors are harassed by the city council.
On November 17, they visited the GEFONT Central Office, Manmohan Labour Building, Putalisadak, Kathmandu and met with GEFONT Vice-President Bisnu Rimal and Umesh Upadhyaya, Deputy Secretary General. They held a discussion on the current political situation and the various problems of vendors due to lack of clear government policy.
On November 16 and 18, the committee took the KENASVIT visitors on a tour to visit places that are of national historic and religious interest, and the rivers and snowy planes of the Himalayas. They returned to Kenya on 19th November, 2007.
The KENASVIT visitors found the exchange very enlightening and enjoyable. "We were really impressed by the unity of purpose in NEST and the support that the members were giving their national office to enable it serve them effectively. We look forward to NEST's visit to Kenya."
The NEST delegation visit to Kenya in January 2008 had to be postponed because of the post-election conflict in Kenya.