Firstly, for those of you who know the project, we have just partnered with a couple of our neighbours and using the far side of our farm and neighbouring farms we are planning to open a new reserve where we can host rhino, wild dog, many games species and other animals. Its all in its infancy at the moment, but is a truly exciting thing to be involved in.
"In wilderness is the preservation of the world." - Henry David Thoreau
Imagine these fellas in your back garden!
"I don't like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It's just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess." - Walt Disney
"Generally speaking, a howling wilderness does not howl: it is the imagination of the traveler that does the howling." - Henry David Thoreau
On this reserve we have also created a traditional San Bushman Village. we have been working with the San community from Tsumkwe and through all the right channels and official bodies. We are bringing groups of the San community down to our reserve village by village to spend a month at a time. They get decent wages, food and a place to live. For those of them interested and motivated we also have a scholarship scheme where they can learn a trade such as field guiding, waitressing, cleaning, coordinating with the volunteers etc. in order to increase their options should they wish. As the community from Tsumkwe are seen to be one of the groups still living most traditionally our San community here also get to learn about their culture from them and strengthen their roots and knowledge.
"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." - Marcus Garvey
"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people." - Mahatma Gandhi
The adult and child groups have so far had some great fun learning from these guys and the two older guys (Opa's) and older lady (Oma) from Tsumkwe in particular are hilarious.Its amazing what you can communicate in pidgin Afrikaans, San and English! We also invite tourists to the village to experience this cullture. They get to see first hand what roots and trees are edible and medicinal, what worms are used for poison arrows, how to trap guinea fowl with a tasty treat some string and sticks
how the weaponry and jewelry is made, how to make fire and see some of the traditional dancing and singing. Whilst we learn about each of the bushes and methods great play acting charades and humour takes place - its a real performance!
[Pic courtesy of Jack Somerville]
"The Bushman story is to comfort and console, the Bushman story is to heal, the Bushman story is to motivate and encourage, the Bushman story is to teach and educate and finally it is to amuse. It is therefore clear that the Bushman story is not only a genre but more of a ‘mental medication’ which is inflicted by means of words; words together with gesticulation, expression and mimic mixed with the symbolism until the unseen becomes clear and true – that is the crux of a Bushman story. When you comprehend and understand that, then a Bushman story becomes so enjoyable that you can ‘eat and indulge in it." - Francois Stroh
I have been to a few tourist experiences like this over my time in Namibia and on occasion have really felt both the people and the tourists were being exploited - especially one Himba tribe in northern Namibia. I have to say I am proud to be involved in this as these people earn well, eat well, have short stints with us so it does not take them away from home for too long and also it opens up opportunities for them and for our community here. Its win win, and also as they get a good deal and come for one month at a time when they show the tourists around its very natural and fresh, each tour shows something new - literally what they find. And the two old men in particular love it and act things out to the point you don't need translation.
So here are the village / family:
Some of the ladies
[Pic courtesy of Jack Somerville]
Cheeky Opa
Cheeky Opa's cheeks looking for things in the bush (I hope my bum is that firm at 76!)
[Pic courtesy of Jack Somerville]
Other Opa - found treasure of an abandoned birds nest make from spider webs (feels like the fluff you get out of the tumble dryer!), I have since seen him using this as a soft storage pouch.
So far we have had some great moments with them. Back in July last year I did some filming with them in Tsumkwe (something I am yet to write up for you), however I remembered them and they remembered me from this. I managed to get across to them in a mixture of 3 languages and with the help of someone translating - "remember that time when you were in the porcupine hole and the filming director told you we were finished and you told him to $%^& off as you still had work to do?" Somehow it translated and they remembered and we laughed (once again) at the filming director.
On our first visit over there one of the volunteers got really animated as she had spotted large carnivore tracks - "look!" she exclaimed in awe. I looked down, saw the print, saw how fresh and clear it was and looked up, there not 5 meters from us was...... a big, black Labrador - our Directors dog who had joined us for the afternoon. Shame to shatter her dreams!
The last time I went over there one of our volunteers was sat with the Oma (Grandma in Afrikaans - respectful to a much older person) and they were discussing how they were both Oma's in a couple of broken languages and some signs. They were explaining their families and their names and Oma swapped names with our volunteer. To be given a name or receive the name of the person you are talking to is an honour and a nice way of showing that you are liked/ respected. After the name swap I was brought into the conversation and managed to explain in Afrikaans and San (and sign language) what my English name was and that my San name was zebra (which is 3 clicks and has taken me a year to learn to say to a standard as our directors puts it 'I now know what you are trying to say' (thanks!) They also kind of got what I was saying and that it was because I hand reared baby zebras.
[Pic courtesy of Jack Somerville]
Oma
Having been told a couple of years ago that the praying mantis was lucky for the San people, we had to ask the story behind that through a translator. We had been told it was because the face shape was similar and they were seen as a god. Turns out these guys call it the 'green satan' and it 'means nothing to them' and is 'bad luck'. Ha, funny how folk law can get misconstrued!
One story we learned the last time I was there was about one of the Opa's (Grandads) he had scars all over his body and it turns out when he was hunting he crouched low, but had a poison arrow in his belt, this arrow ripped into his arm and in fear the poison could kill him they cut him all over to let his blood out and prevent him from dying. Now I am not sure about the methodology - or the pain from that (all I see is an injured arm, serious poisoning, severe blood loss and multiple stab wounds) however he survived so something worked.
[Pic courtesy of Jack Somerville]
This is the guy who injured himself on a poison arrow and experienced blood letting
This lovely group went back today as their month is at an end, in a few days group number two arrives and I am sure we will have more fun and learn plenty with them.
When you see these guys in their skins walking, foraging and saying attention to nature in the way that they do and you see how much they know about the plants and animals it amazes me how far removed we have become from nature. We could re-learn so much.
"It would be a very humbling experience for me to be in the presence of a people who live so close to nature, who are conservationists in the true word and who align their lives with the elements. The way they intimately know nature and the instinct they have about living in the wild makes me realise how all the knowledge of the world is incomparable to a life’s experience. They absorb everything there is to know about their environment daily, learning new things and recalling old, they learnt to live with what they had and that I admire. The way they know where to find food, or when it will rain, which plants to use to make poison and which to use for healing, a highly intellectual people in their own field." - Coral Fourie
[Pic courtesy of Jack Somerville]
Every session ends in a dance, traditional dancing about animals, stories, healing trance and just fun singing and dancing. This can go long into the evening......
Good night!
