Dressed to impress – peanut vendor brings her own style
From as early as 11 a.m. on Mondays to Wednesdays, a sharply dressed Melissa Blake can be seen in the midst of traffic along Trafalgar Road seeking sales for her peanuts and peanut cakes.
The 27-year-old mother of four journeys from Spanish Town to satisfy the tastes of several motorists, passengers, and pedestrians. But what makes her stand out from other street vendors is her attire.
Blake is clad in what most would consider ‘office wear’, i.e. button-down blouse, tailored skirt and stockings complete with formal-looking flats.
Blake explained that she has been selling peanuts for as long as she can remember as she would sometimes accompany her mother to the streets as a child.
She used the money she made then to finance her education.
Chance to interact
However, she has been selling for herself for five years now, and strives never to take home any of her stock.
“I am doing this to send my children to school, that is the reason why I dress like this,” she told THE STAR. The holder of a stage one teacher’s certificate, which qualifies her to be a basic school teacher, Blake said that it is a joy to be in the streets selling her peanuts because it gives her the chance to interact with a variety of individuals.
Even while she was pregnant with two of her four children, the oldest is seven, she was in the skin stinging sun soliciting sales.
“If I put the sun on my mind, I wouldn’t be doing it. We all know the sun is hot but I can’t let that stop me,” Blake said.
She schedules her selling days with her babyfather, who is also a peanut vendor, so they can rotate in caring for their children.
“(When) I come Monday to Wednesday … their dad look after them and when he is on the road, Thursday to Friday, I am home with the kids,” she said.
With peanuts priced at $70 and $150, she says customer sometimes question the cost.
However, Blake, who journeys to St Elizabeth to purchase raw peanuts, explains that the quality of her products are better than those of some of her competitors as they are buying foreign peanuts and selling them at a cheaper price.
Blake said she also wants to open her own business.
“I want to register it and see if I can get a store so I can start to distribute to supermarkets. At that time, I want to print my logo and name on the shirts,” she said.
Despite being the victim of several accidents in the past, she says she still wants to continue doing what she loves.
Now that is what i call ‘dressed for success’. Well done to you! Why not set up an online business and export some of those peanuts! I want some too. :2thumbup
I admire your work ethic and determination. You have what it takes to become a millionaire.
These are the persons that I have respect for. Going out there to hustle for their family and themselves not sitting at home waiting for someone to take care of them or waiting on one of the many men to pass through to give her a “ting”. God bless every honest hustler.
Inspiring! !people should help her if they can and so desire,I’m sure she will appreciate same. Nuff respect for sharing this Met.
Mi respect har to de max! Dem have some young people a yawd who want everyting nice and expensive, and nuh waan work fe get it. Only waan teef and beg, and nuff a dem have pickney fe mine! Big up yuself yah young lady. You a work fe your own. Nuff love!!!!
Mi Like how har baby fada a help doe .. a mean him supposed tuh yuh know…..but mi just want some a dem real pawch pnut deh fi eat right now. We have di best pnut a jdung.
I hope more comes from this for her.