The Role of a Solidarity Economy in Surviving a Crisis

It is no secret that people in major cities are bearing the brunt of COVID-19. This is even more pronounced in the metropolises of the global south, where millions of urban poor engage in precarious informal employment to survive, and live and work in crowded conditions.

In many Asian cities, COVID-19 has exposed deepening inequality and growing impoverishment among the urban poor. Many vulnerable informal workers, often ignored by governments, have scrambled together self-help practices to combat the onslaught of the pandemic.

In Hanoi, Vietnam, and Manila in the Philippines, there are patterns emerging in the strategies street workers are employing to survive, which could help city governments address the needs of the urban poor.

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