Between formalization and basic sanitation: informal employment in the John F. Kennedy Colony of the Central District, Francisco Morazán, Honduras

Abstract

This work aims to propose an intervention with basic sanitation infrastructure in informal employment to improve the working and health conditions of stationary vendors in the John F. Kennedy Colony of the Central District Municipality - Francisco Morazán in Honduras. It is a qualitative study that combines participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The results highlight the prevalence of a hegemonic view of formalization as a solution to reclaim spaces and improve working conditions by municipal authorities. It is concluded that the informal work of street vendors is a complex phenomenon that cannot be addressed solely from a formalization perspective; therefore, its importance as an entrepreneurship strategy in countries with highly familial informal welfare regimes must be recognized.