A sad situation of the street hawkers in Africa, I see them in traffic around Nairobi selling water, snacks and every other thing they can get their hands on. You are right that they need empowerment, most of them are uneducated or school drop outs who have lost hope in life. Just like you, I always feel sorry for them in the hot weather or now when it's cold and rainy.
Thank you for sharing, it's gonna take time but things will eventually change. Wishing you an awesome weekend ahead :}