Seed pods for a living

NATALIA Festus (38) knows what it means to struggle. A mother of eight, with a ninth on the way, Natalia makes a living by selling seed pods and grass on the side of the highway to Okahandja, about 5 km out of Windhoek.

Here, surrounded by trees, grass, and a view of the rooftops of the Northern Industrial Area, Natalia works to support her large family; her only company being the cars that whiz by.
Natalia’s story is one shared by many.
She came to Windhoek from the north of the country in 2001, with the intention to find work. Unable to find a job, she began selling pods and grass that same year, and every day, at 07h00, makes her way to the side of the road.
‘I collect the pods and the grass from the surrounding areas, and then pack them into sacks or bundles, and bring them here to the side of the road to sell. At night, I just store them under a tree close by where they are safe. I come every morning, and then leave at 17h00 in the afternoon.’
Selling her goods, priced at N$5 to N$10 per bag, Natalia says she generates around N$30 to N$40 a week, though this is sometimes far less.
‘I support my family on these earnings without the assistance of a spouse. All the children are in school, except for the two youngest,’ she says.
Natalia walks to her place of business from the informal settlement of Kilimanjaro in northern Katutura, where she settled when she came to the city looking for work.
Every year, thousands of people flock to the informal settlements – which accommodate close to a quarter of Windhoek’s population – in their quest for employment opportunities in the capital city, but many end up in the informal economy, struggling to make a living, as in Natalia’s situation.