To Market, To Market...

 

Welcome to Soroti's main market! This market sells almost anything from clothes, to produce, to live chickens, to fresh meat. Many of the venders have small children with them (A couple are sitting in the middle of the walk way in the picture above). Many of the stands sell the same thing; it's amazing anyone makes money!

Pictured above are local bathing sponges. These particular ones actually grow from a tree. They have a shell surrounding them and resemble a gourd. Once they fall to the ground, children will go and pick them up, crack the shell, and remove the seeds. They are then left with a coarse, sponge-like material. After washing it several times, the sponge becomes a little more soft. 

                    

Ground nuts (commonly called g-nuts). 

Sim-sim (sesame seeds). 

This venders is selling sacks of different grains: rice, two kinds of g-nuts, sim-sim, green peas, split peas, and coffee. People will buy a kilo or half kilo of the grain they are looking for. 

                                        The roof tops of Soroti! 

This is a local Saturday market in a village near the one we live in. There are two sections to local markets: the produce and food area and the section that sells clothes and shoes. 

There are several Indian couples in Soroti. They own the supermarkets, some of the hardware stores, and the majority of the fabric shops (as pictured above). 

A crate of empty pop bottles after a celebration.