3.What kind of people come to Pasar Ambua (Traditional Market)?

The customers of this market are mainly urban people, and they come not only from Gorontalo City but also from all over Indonesia. Some people even come from Jakarta and other provinces (Propan) to come to the market according to the market schedule.

Sometimes, friends from far away Jakarta and Bogor visit the market.

When they come to Gorontalo, they ask when the next market will be held, so we adjust our schedules to match the market schedule and the visitors as much as possible.

When Japanese people visited here last year, we also invited them to the market and adjusted our schedule. They came from far away, so they enjoyed the market and had the opportunity to exchange culture.

Last week, we had customers from the Netherlands come.

They learned about the traditional market through a friend, but unfortunately, the market was not held that day. So we made traditional food and served it to them so that they could experience the atmosphere a little, and told them the story and culture of the food.

They were very interested and said, “Next time, we will come again according to the market schedule.”

Sometimes, other communities in Gorontalo, such as music and theater groups, ask to borrow our space.

We are often asked to use the space especially on the days when the traditional market is held, so we tell them that they can use it for free during the traditional market period.

However, you cannot bring in any larger luggage than necessary, or any food or drink from outside. The rule is that you must purchase what is being sold at the market.

This supports the sale of traditional foods made by local women and makes the market activities sustainable.

At the end of the year, we hold a meeting within the community to decide the schedule for the following year. The schedule for 2025 has already been decided, and the market was held on the 8th and 15th of March. We will continue to hold the market twice a month in the future.