Mushroom Collecting Girls

For Gumuz in Gesses, it is mushroom collecting season as there is little else to make into soup or sauce these days. Most people have finished off their beans from last season and are waiting for the okra and pumpkins to ripen. In the meantime they send out their little girls to collect mushrooms. 

I must admit I was not aware of the numerous kinds of edible mushrooms that were available in this area. Mushrooms ranging from head size to pea size with varying colors. Though we have tried a few, I must admit I prefer knowing whether the mushroom is mostly safe or entirely safe to eat. But Gumuz know their mushrooms well and fill up basketfuls while browsing through the forest.

You can imagine how surprised Rolf was one day when a mushroom collecting girl appeared at our door with a wrench in her hand. 

"Is this yours?" she asked. 

Indeed it was. She had found it 2 km away where it had fallen out of the tool kit when riding his motorcycle. 

Then a few days later, another group of mushroom collecting girls appeared at our door. "We found your tortoise. It is over there." They pointed deep into the forest past our house. 

The children raced to find the spot with them and sure enough, there was Joel's tortoise that had escaped its cage several days earlier.

We are still waiting to see whether Kalia's escaped tortoise (second time now) will be found by these highly observant mushroom collecting girls. In the meantime, mushroom soup for everyone!