Evening street vending and the tragic living conditions of vendors: The case of eastern Ethiopia region

This study aims to analyze the tragic living conditions of evening street vendors and factors affecting their participation in such markets in two towns (Haramaya and Awaday) and a city (Harar) in the eastern Ethiopia region. In order to fulfill the purpose of the study, we used a cross-sectional survey data obtained from 320 sample respondents drawn from the study area using a random sampling technique. Binary logistic regression model was employed for data analyses. The descriptive statistics results show that majority of the vended commodities in the study area are food items such as fast foods, animal products, vegetables, fruits, cereals and non-food items such as school supplies, second-hand attires, electric and electronic products, and facilitation of transportation services. According to the regression results, educational level, family size, gender, and market problems are covariates that showed significant negative effects on participation in evening street vending while vending experience and community engagement positively affect participation in such markets. Though street vending is widely practiced in different parts of Africa and even beyond, practicing it in the evening is peculiar to the eastern Ethiopia region. •Street vending is key socio-economic endeavor for the large segment of the society.•Street vending is denied the attention it deserves for its remarkable contributions.•This study aims to analyze the tragic living conditions of evening street vendors.