Assistance Provided

Since WIMSA was established, many San community organisations have received help, advice, support and financial assistance from WIMSA.

The kind of work that WIMSA supports in this area includes;

• Developing businesses and business skills e.g. developing small craft businesses and tourism activities
• Strengthening leadership structures i.e. committees and management structures within San organisations
• Supporting Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) activities
• Fund Raising for community projects
• Community Project planning and management
  

Projects Assisted

It is impossible to list every San community which has received help from WIMSA over time, but some of the groups assisted include:

Omaheke Region, Namibia

Approximately 8,000 San live in the Omaheke Region of Namibia and prior to the establishment of the Omaheke San Trust (OST) WIMSA provided direct support to the San communities living in the Donkerbos and Sonneblom villages. In 1999 WIMSA assisted in setting up the OST and has provided the main longer-term sources of funding for the project.

Kyaramacan Trust, West Caprivi, Namibia

During the last few years the Khwe San of West Caprivi have received assistance from WIMSA in working towards setting up their new Trust. In 2005, the Trust was formalised and now has its own Constitution and Board of Trustees. WIMSA recently assisted the trust with the opening of the community’s first office based in Omega which is staffed by one of WIMSA’s San Extension Workers. Following much help and advice from the WIMSA Regional Education Advisor the first Khwe Youth Group was formally launched by the Governor of the Region in December 2005.

Hai||om communities, (the north central regions), Namibia

Much work has been undertaken with the Hai||om San in recent years. WIMSA’s collaboration with the Outjo Development Trust led to the building of a Hai||om Cultural Centre in Outjo, based on a site which was granted by the Municipality as a ‘Protected Nature Area’. The aim of the Centre was to provide a meeting place for the community where traditional performances could take place. The Opening of the Centre took place in 2004 and the work of the Hai||om Youth League, who received a lot of support from WIMSA, has been pivotal in the development of the Centre. WIMSA also has two Extensions Workers currently based in Outjo

Omatako Valley Rest Camp, Tsumkwe District, Namibia

The camp site at Omatako was the first project to receive direct support from WIMSA. The camp site was built to provide tourists with a flavour of what ‘real bush camping’ is like and the site is managed by the !Kung San. The community also generate much needed income from the production and sale of their crafts to tourists.

Conservancy Support, N‡a Jaqna Conservancy, Tsumkwe West, Namibia

Through WIMSA’s Advocacy and Lobbying arm, the San communities living in Tsumkwe West received a great deal of support in establishing their Conservancy ‘N‡a Jaqna’. The Conservancy was gazetted in 2003 and WIMSA provided direct support to the Conservancy’s Development Team, who continue to receive funding, advice and assistance in areas such as; game relocation, land rights / resources violations and strengthening committee structures. WIMSA aims to become more of an ‘enabler’ in relation to its work with N‡a Jaqna in order to help them to partner with specialist NGOs who are experts in terms of wildlife and environmental management etc.

Angolan San

For 27 years, civil war raged throughout Angola and severe damage to infrastructure and the subsequent presence of landmines meant that it was very difficult to obtain information about the condition of these San. In 2003, an assessment of the situation of the Angolan San was commissioned by WIMSA and it was established that the San were suffering from hunger, malnutrition, inadequate water supplies and abuse of their human and land rights. Emergency measures were subsequently implemented (see ‘Where the First Are Last’ in Publications Section). OCADEC is an Angolan NGO which was set up to directly assist the San in that country. Since 2003, OCADEC has received support and advice from WIMSA in relation to the condition of the Angolan San. Following the implementation of the emergency measures, it was established that food security and the livelihoods of the Angolan San had improved as a direct result of the work and commitment of OCADEC and its partners. A great deal of work still needs to be carried out in relation to assisting the San of Angola, but positive relationships have been established with local and national Government officials. WIMSA continues to offer support to OCADEC and other partners based in Angola, whenever necessary.

Training Provided

WIMSA recognises that many new San organisations have great difficulties in finding local San people who possess even the most basic understanding of development. In response to this problem, WIMSA adopted a new approach to fostering these much needed skills. Throughout the course of 2005 a training programme was carried out for 10 young San who attended 6 week-long workshops. The training workshops focussed on; the basic principles of development, organisational skills, report writing, planning, project and basic financial management, accountability, team working and leadership skills. During the time that the trainees were not attending training, they each had assignments to carry out within their home communities.

This new approach to training proved to be very popular and was met with great enthusiasm and motivation. Three of the ten trainees successfully obtained jobs in San organisations shortly after completing the course and the others went on carry on voluntary work within their own communities.

In 2005, WIMSA employed a Regional Health Advisor, specialising in HIV/AIDS who is carrying out much work in relation to training San communities about issues surrounding the pandemic. For more details on this work see Cultural Education section.

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