In Zimbabwe’s rainy season, women forage for wild mushrooms

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s rainy season brings a bonanza of wild mushrooms, which many rural families feast upon and sell to boost their incomes.

But the bounty also comes with danger as each year there are reports of people dying after eating poisonous fungi.

Discerning between safe and toxic mushrooms has evolved into an inter-generational transfer of indigenous knowledge from mothers to daughters. Rich in protein, antioxidants and fiber, wild mushrooms are a revered delicacy and income earner in Zimbabwe, where food and formal jobs are scarce for many.

Beauty Waisoni, 46, who lives on the outskirts of the capital, Harare, typically wakes up at dawn, packs plastic buckets, a basket, plates and a knife before trekking to a forest 15km (9 miles) away.

Her 13-year-old daughter Beverly is in tow, as an apprentice. In the forest, the two join other pickers, mainly women working side by side with their children, combing through the morning dew for shoot-ups under trees and dried leaves.

Police routinely warn people of the hazards of consuming wild mushrooms. In January, three girls in one family died after eating poisonous wild mushrooms. Such reports filter through each season. A few years ago 10 family members died after consuming poisonous mushrooms.

To avoid such a deadly outcome, Waisoni teaches her daughter how to identify safe mushrooms.

“She will kill people, and the business, if she gets it wrong,” said Ms Waisoni, who says she started picking wild mushrooms as a young girl.

Within hours, her baskets and buckets become filled up with small red and brown buttons covered in dirt.