The Kalahari Bushmen Support Charity was created in 2009 as a result of Beata’s visits to the !Gubi Family.
The purpose of the project has attracted people from different backgrounds who generously dedicated their knowledge, time and energy to the develop the charity. We are so proud to have among them accountants, financial advisers, entrepreneurs, artists, fundraisers just to name a few.
The presence of Awie Steenkamp and his wife Sonja, their dedication to the project through day to day contact with the !Gubi reassures us of the future of the !Gubi dream.
This is how he describes relationship with the !Gubi family in his own words:
I know them from my childhood when they occasionally visited my fathers farm and asked for seasonal work. After good rains they were just leaving their jobs without notice and heading back to their hunting grounds.
I remember my father telling me about joining them for a hunt and how privilege he felt when they generously offered him valuable water from ostrich eggs buried under the Kalahari sand. In the evenings he was sitting with them around the campfire treated with food and dances. Once they even wanted to immunicise him against scorpion’s to let them do it. Afterwards he was sorry of not trusting enough these maestros of the bush. Later in live (1995) I make contact with them again. They were settled on the government land neighboring my farm. Although I am big in stature they still treated me like a little farm boy running around them like many years ago on my fathers farm.
I’ve learnt so much from them over the years! How to be humble, loving and respecting others. How to keep joy of life despite hardship. They make me aware of the importance of a close family, power of nature and the hidden richness of the bush, so often seen by others as a just empty space.I was also always fascinating by the energy between !Gubi and his wife Oma. How much they have being aware of each other presence without looking or touching each other. It is heartbreaking for me to witness their sufferings. I would love so much to see them as happy as I remember them as a child, when they had have big hunting grounds for themselves and a place to lay down their heads in peace every evening and at the end of their lives.
The aim of the project is to rescue and perpetuate the !Gubi family in their unique way of life. The success of this project will enable this family to a place where they can become self sufficient. Our aim is also to make this project a blueprint for others in a similar situation.
Phase 1 (completed) - £50.000
Offer the !Gubi Family land, protection, security, job opportunities, training in farming and financial planning. Building facilities for My Place Camp
Phase 2 (work in progress) - £25.000
Providing funds for further education for the !Gubi Family children, which will be taken over by the !Gubi family once they become self- sufficient. Developing the My Place Camp for an educational exchange
Phase 3 (further plans)
Creating and developing the Research Centre available for those who would like to study the language, traditions, healing and spiritual beliefs of the Bushmen
What has been achieved so far:
- Land on Awie Steenkamp’s farm for an unlimited time with safe and legally secured living conditions
- A security deposit in case of unforeseen circumstances
- A herd of 150 sheep to provide them with an annual income
- Education on farming and financial planning
- Local job opportunities
- The development of the My Place Camp with facilities approved by the Namibian Tourist Board - work in progress
- Registration of all children in the new school from January 2011
Donations:
- £65.000 was donated over period of one year
This covered:
- bank deposit
- material and labour for the building and renovation of My Place Camp – work in progress
- purchase of 150 sheep
- taxes and legal fees
- school registration for the children
- purchase of uniform and school equipment
- costs of the education in farming and financing planning
We are still short of £10.000 to complete phase 2 of the project
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