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Many tourists visiting Southern Africa wish to
learn more about San history and our way of life. However, most
are not informed that today’s San suffer greatly from poverty,
discrimination and marginalization. In fact, over the years, we, the
San, have been exploited by the tourist industry and various commercial
enterprises who have ruthlessly capitalized on our appearance, arts,
crafts and cultural identity. Very little has been received by our
San communities in terms of payment for our work and knowledge.
Through the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities
in Southern Africa (WIMSA - the San’s
regional lobbying and advocacy NGO) San communities
throughout the region expressed the desire
to learn more about their history, to practice
their traditions and to promote their culture
and languages. We are aware that tourism is
one of the fastest-growing industries in Southern
Africa. We have expressed our intention to
participate in modern development. Basically,
we wish to provide our children with a choice:
to cling to a more traditional life supported
by tourism revenues, or to get the necessary
skills to enter the modern workforce and live
in dignity.
Consequently, in 1998, WIMSA was assisted
by the South African San Institute (SASI -
a San support organisation) in setting up a
tourism and training project, focusing on general
education, income generation, culture, and
heritage. In 1999 Irene Staehelin, a Swiss
anthropologist, joined the initiative by purchasing
the farm that became !Khwa ttu. She set up
UBUNTU Foundation, a Swiss charitable organisation,
that is fully dedicated to support !Khwa
ttu in a joint venture with the
San as presently represented by WIMSA. UBUNTU
Foundation has donated the renovation of the
entire site. Several South African institutions
and overseas donors have supported the clearing
of alien plants, the purchase of game animals,
offering training and capacity building, developing
the cultural exhibitions and set-up of the
children’s school.
!Khwa ttu’s mandate is that we, the
San, must gain control over our own image and
presence in the tourism industry. We strive
to acquire the skills for income generating
activities and to be proactive
in preventing exploitation of our less educated
San relatives. Until now, our people have received
no training in tourism and in studying and
understanding our history, heritage and culture.
!Khwa ttu’s workshops assist us in this
essential training.
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!Khwa ttu’s Mission and Background
