Unemployed women in Onambutu village in the Ohangwena region collect and sell outwishi to earn an income, support their families and sustain their households.

"I can now buy food for my children to eat and also buy our cosmetics from the money I get from selling outwishi," said Olivia Shindjala, one of the women who sell outwishi.

According to Shindjala, outwishi is a rare, completely natural sweetener from the mopane tree. During seasons of good rain, tiny, tree-dwelling insects feed on mopane leaves and secrete a sweet liquid that crystallises under the harsh Namibian sun.

She also said, for generations, outwishi was simply a spontaneous forest snack enjoyed by children walking between homesteads, but today, however, it has evolved into a vital economic lifeline for unemployed rural women striving.

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"For unemployed women like us, we transform outwishi into the big business that is really helping us a lot," said Shindjala.

In addition to that, Shindjala said they go into the bush during early hours before midday with a group of other women to collect outwishi. She said they would pick them straight from the leaves without damaging the tree.

"We always make sure we wake up early in the morning to go collect outwishi before midday to avoid the midday heat that makes the outwishi sticky and hard to handle," said Shindjala.

Moreover, Shindjala mentions that after collecting the outwishi, they must prepare them by removing stray bark and leaves before they are prepared for the market. She said they sell their harvest at the local open market, along the district road.

Shindjala also said to the nation that if there will be someone that is willing to support their business and want to taste the sweetness of Outwishi, they can ask her. She also said that people must regulate deforestation, and she also discouraged the cutting down of trees.