LUSAKA, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- For the past four years, Sharon Chongo, 19, has relied on collecting and selling wild foods to stay in school and to supplement her family's income.

Chongo, a resident of Chipkopa village in Chisamba distinct central Zambia has made it a point to be among those in her village that collect Masuku, a well-known wild fruit in Zambia that is often available from around October to December every year.

The money realized from the sale of the wild fruit not only enables her to buy uniforms and meet other school requirements but also to buy farming inputs such as seed and fertilizers.

"Everyone in my village works hard to maximize earnings by collecting a lot of Masuku which we sell to city dwellers," she said.

Chongo also revealed that her family earns an average of 200 Zambian Kwacha (approximately 11 U.S. Dollars) every day just collecting and selling the seasonal wild food.

Gathering and selling wild foods has long been one of the economic activities that many rural dwellers across Zambia do to supplement their incomes as well as to survive.

Among the foods that are collected by people in rural areas for selling to urban populations include edible wild mushrooms and a wide variety of wild fruits, vegetables and edible insects.

In Zambia, most wild foods often cost more compare to cultivated ones because they are seasonal, meaning that they are only available for a limited time each year.

"City dwellers like wild foods because they are organic. Not only do they taste better but also have natural nutritional properties," said Masautso Mwale, 30, who trades in wild okra.

Mwale who lives in Chongwe, a predominantly rural area located on the eastern side of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, collects wild okra from plains and bushes, something that he has been doing for the past three years.

He explained that selling wild okra, which is usually available each year from August to December has helped to boost his income and savings.

"It really helps me to stay afloat particularly during harsh economic times when I have to depend on my savings from this wild vegetable to survive," Mwale said.

He mentioned that he earns about 500 Zambian Kwacha every week from selling wild okra to vegetable resellers from Lusaka's urban areas.

Zambia has a wide variety of wild foods most of which are seasonal. While certain wild foods can only be found in some areas, almost every part of rural Zambia has wild mushrooms every rainy season.

Interactions with those involved in collecting and selling wild foods revealed that the undertaking helps to cushion economic shocks that arise from agriculture, which is the mainstay of rural populations. Enditem

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