Wild fruit their only hope

Land standing idle due to the current drought and being jobless are among the challenges faced by a couple from Sihepera village in Kavango West, who are struggling to put food on the table.

Sihepera is situated about 50 kilometres west of Rundu in the Ncamagoro constituency.

Selestinus Sintango (43) and Josephine Clemens (36) said they are forced to survive by selling wild fruit from Mangongo trees.

The fruit is commonly used in the Kavango regions to brew a traditional drink known as kashipembe.

The couple said their customers are villagers from areas where the tree is not commonly found.

A 50-kilogram bag filled with the Mangongo fruit sells for between N$15 and N$25.

The couple further explained they also extract the wild nut oil and trade it for mahangu seeds.

The edible oil is served with meat.

“This is how we are surviving here my brother. If it was not for this tree (pointing to one of the Mangongo trees) we would be finding it more difficult to survive,” Sintango said.

He said he was last employed as a security guard in 1999 when he was based in Windhoek. However, he had to quit his job after he was called back to the village by his father so he could get married and settle down.

Explaining how he managed to take care of his family over the years, Sintango said he cultivated his mahangu field and also did odd jobs in the community, such as making poles from tree branches.

However, Sintango and his family will not harvest anything from their land this year, as the country continues to be ravaged by drought.

He said they remain hopeful that the next rainy season will deliver good rains, so they will be able to work their land.

“This year is going to be tougher than the previous years because of the drought situation. We depend on the rain in order to work our land, but this was not the case this year, due to the lack of rainfall. We will wait and see what happens next season,” Sintango said.

He said the community gets water from a solar-operated borehole.

However, due to financial problems, the couple could not pay their N$40 monthly contribution for April.

All adults - 18 and above - in the village, are expected to contribute N$20 per month.

Sintango said the debt increases on a monthly basis, and at a later stage, one will be compelled to pay or face the consequences.

He also shared some of the challenges faced by the community, saying they do not have access to electricity and the nearest police station is about 50 kilometres away at Mururani.

He also said Sihepera is in dire need of feeder roads, saying it was for this reason that most of the people have settled along the main road.

The nearest clinic is situated at Ncamagoro village, which is about 10 kilometres away.

Sintango called on government to address their issues.

“Since independence we have had community meetings, and in some instances we had ministers visiting us, promising us development, but up until today nothing much has changed,” Sintango said.

He said issues like unemployment in their village and the region will only be eradicated once job opportunities are created.

“We are young; establish the projects and we will work,” he said.





KENYA KAMBOWE