The fruit vendors of Nyamisisi

If there is one feature that defines Nyamisisi it has to be fruits. Located on the Mwanza – Musoma Highway, about 15 kilometers from Butiama, it swarms with fruit sellers offering all sorts of fruits, as well as vegetables, groundnuts, and boiled corn.

Fruit and vegetable vendors offer their products to bus passengers at Nyamisisi.

It is an activity that is carried out predominantly by women; I do not recall seeing male vendors at Nyamisisi. When the buses that ply the Mwanza – Musoma Highway stop at Nyamisisi the women swarm to both sides of the buses to offer their products to passengers, sometimes perilously ignoring passing traffic. Any car which stops at Nyamisisi is assumed to carry a potential buyer and on occasions when I have parked at Nyamisisi to pick up a visitor arriving by bus, the vendors habitually and persistently try to sell me something even when I clearly state I have no intention of buying anything. Only the arrival of a bus or another car provides relief as they rush away to find yet another buyer.