Beyond Gelephu, the Gelephu Mindfulness City’s volunteer initiative is creating visible positive impacts for business communities in Tsirang. Roadside vegetable vendors are witnessing a sharp boost in business from volunteers travelling to and from Gelephu. Vendors say the growing number of commuters has significantly increased sales, improving their daily incomes.
After completing the GMC volunteer work, thousands of volunteers began their journey home yesterday. Hundreds of vehicles streamed along the Tsirang highway, carrying participants back to their towns and villages.
Along the way, many volunteers stopped at roadside stalls to buy fresh vegetables, fruits and other local farm produce.
In doing so, they unintentionally gave a timely boost to vendors lining the highway. What seemed like a routine purchase for the travellers turned into a welcome surge in business for sellers.
Vegetable vendors along the route say demand for Tsirang’s fresh and organic produce rose sharply. Several stalls ran out of certain items — something that rarely happens.
On ordinary days, vendors say, sales are modest and earnings unpredictable. Yesterday, however, told a different story.
Som Maya Monger, a vegetable vendor said, “We earn better incomes during GMC volunteering times. On other days, we get only between Nu 1,000 and Nu 1,500 in a day. When volunteers return from GMC, we earn around Nu 3,000 to 5,000 selling vegetables and farm produce.”
Another vendor, Passang Dema Waiba said, “We are benefited immensely by the GMC volunteer programme. We are able to sell all kinds of vegetables. We sell vegetables at reasonable prices.”
“Our businesses improve significantly when GMC volunteers return to their districts. With the surge in customers, vegetables and farm produce stocked for a week can now be sold out within one or two days,” said Nir Kamal Rai, also a vegetable vendor.
“Earlier, without GMC volunteers travelling along the highway, I used to earn a maximum of Nu 10,000 and a minimum of Nu 8,000 a day. In the last three days, the income was better. I stocked my stall on Sunday, it finished yesterday, and the new stock I brought yesterday has been sold out today,” said Indra Maya Subba, another vegetable vendor.
The increased travellers have also benefited restaurants along the highway.
As evening sets in, traffic along the highway gradually slows, and customers thin out at respective vegetable stalls. However, vegetable vendors remain hopeful with more volunteer initiatives for the Gelephu Mindfulness City expected in the coming months.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Sangay Chezom
