At Kalerwe roadside market in Kampala, the sale of edible grasshoppers locally referred as Nsenene takes charge every November and December of the year. Nsenene traders fill the market walkways with some communiques with delicious grasshoppers. At this market, Christine stood out. A 36-year mother of four has for the last 7 years beettention of commuters. When the season starts, she makes sure she is the first on the road when the prices are still high. “I start selling Nsenene earlier in the season when the prices are still very high.”

A half a liter cup of sorted grasshoppers went for 4,000 shillings, unsorted cost 1,000 shillings, and half liter cup of roasted grasshoppers cost 5,000 shillings. As it clocked 6 pm during my stay with Christine, she got busy and I had to give a hand serving the overwhelming customers.

This is the delicious grasshoppers locally referred as Nsenene. Christine has placed it at the roadside, passersby can’t avoid but just pick one cup only costing 4,000 shillings. She would shout Nsenene Nsenene Nsenene to alert passersby and at the same time, she served customers demanding a service. On a good day, she walks home with 400,000 to 500,000 shillings in profit. With those seasonal earnings, the single mother resides in a sought built home in Kanungu. In Kampala, she acquired a plot of land at Kawempe and she was yet to build. “I have built a home in the village and yet to construct another house here.” Competition from different vendors are being defrauded by some seeking employment are Christine’s greatest challenges. “Employees steal, they under declare stock leading to loses.”