Training and tourists are the key words of this issue. Obviously, both training for San and the welfare of our visitors are close to the !Khwa ttu team's heart. A recent analysis of feedback from our customers has clearly shown that we are on the right track to fulfil the expectation of our guests and inform them about the San's past and present. In the area of training we have also made considerable progress. Now, that we were granted funds by the MSST Foundation we were not only able to embark on new training programmes but could also invite San community members from the southern African region to participate in workshops. Details about these topics and much more news you can find in this newsletter. Enjoy!

The !Khwa ttu team

www.khwattu.org

The recent analyses of the 166 !Khwa ttu customer feedback forms have provided !Khwa ttu with some useful insights of both what our guests appreciated and in what areas they would like to see improvements. The general tenor of the comments by our visitors of the last four months was extremely positive. To eat "divine" meals at the !Khwa ttu restaurant, to participate in the "impressive" multi-facetted San-guided experience and to view "authentic", "high-quality" San products in our craft shop were clearly the tourists' favourite activities.

Three quarter of the tourists visiting !Khwa ttu from May to August 2007 were from South Africa and the rest from European countries. A few guests came all the way from the USA, Australia and Kuwait. Only three arrived from other African countries. The often exceptionally brief comments in our feedback forms highlighted nonetheless that the vast majority of the visitors had enjoyed everything !Khwa ttu has to offer.
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Since the beginning of the year eight San team members have obtained their driver's licence, amongst them two young women. Although only a few passed their driving test immediately their colleagues were not discouraged and continued taking lessons until they were also granted their licence. To have additional people at !Khwa ttu who are able to drive has lifted a burden from the small group of colleagues who fulfilled the manifold driving tasks in former years. Now many names can be entered in the weekly driving plans and thus it takes a while before the same driver has to commute the children to school, purchase goods for the restaurant and shuttle tourist to and from the airport.
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Always living up to its mission, !Khwa ttu embarked on a range of new training programmes. Thanks to funds from the US-based MSST Foundation long-term training courses in cooking, herb and vegetable gardening, nursery school education and tourist guidance could begin in the second half of this year. In addition, a series of training workshops in both basic photographing and extensive communication skills are being run on a weekly basis. Young and elderly San, women and men, literate and semi-literate are eagerly engaging in at least one of the manifold hands-on training offers.

This first article focuses on young Mukose Kabembe's training in cooking at the !Khwa ttu restaurant.
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Gourmets will certainly enjoy the mouth-watering dishes which the chef of the !Khwa ttu restaurant placed on the new spring menu. Great care has been taken in both choosing healthy and fresh food as well as in seasoning the dishes with special spices, such as cajun. This does not just hold for the starters and main dishes but also for the sweets and drinks. Who would not love to try the apple-orange punch with star aniseeds and cinnamon? All sandwiches, of which one comes with a juicy ostrich fillet, are served with potato wedges and all other lunch dishes are complemented with home-made focaccia bread.

To enjoy a meal in the tranquil ambience of the !Khwa ttu restaurant or on the patio surrounded by a garden of fynbos plants is a pleasure not to be missed.

Click here to view our menu

This year's rainy season brought excessive rainfalls to the South African West Coast. Since its inception in 1999, !Khwa ttu has not experienced so many rainy, windy and cold days as in 2007. Within a few days the route to the replica traditional village turned into a deep river. Even hastily pushed up rock boulders were not able to stop the erosion caused by the masses of water pouring down the hill.

!Khwa ttu dealt with this challenge swiftly and adeptly. The driver of the open vehicle showed exceptional skilful chauffeuring of the tourists, so that they felt completely safe. The provision of thick blankets for the ride and the offer of hot tea during the language session at the boma let the visitors almost forget the ghastly weather.

Just in time for the cooler winter months fluffy fleece jackets in 'stone' colour arrived at the !Khwa ttu craft shop. Technical vests with numerous pockets and t-shirts with the encouraging slogan "Keep tracking at !Khwa ttu" caught the attention of many visitors right away.

They love the t-shirt's earthy colours of stone, olive, fatigue and khaki. Not only adults can enjoy the new range of clothes also children can choose from among the t-shirts for girls, bush vests for boys and cargo pants for both boys and girls. As always, the friendly craft shop manager will support you in word and deed.

One of the most prestigious events will take place at !Khwa ttu in November this year. Internationally renowned jewellery designer Mickaël Kra has agreed to conduct a jewellery design training workshop for a total of 14 dedicated San artisans from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The results of the workshop will be showcased to jewellers and other professionals of the fashion world, as well as to the media during a jewellery fashion show at !Khwa ttu on Friday, 30 November 2007. This event will not only highlight the graceful fusion between San traditions and Parisian haute couture but also provide an opportunity for the regional San organisations to market their products.
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Nxau, a 20-year old Naro man from the Gantsi area in western Botswana, applied for a training opportunity at !Khwa ttu "to expand my [his] knowledge by working together with other San people". This opportunity was granted to him in August this year.

Nxau, who completed a diploma course in tourism, pointed out that he would like to practise as a waiter at the restaurant. Thus he was given the opportunity to assist his experienced colleague Baba Rosie in serving and advising patrons. Nxau is also enrolled in the communication training provided to members of the !Khwa ttu team, who interact with clients either verbally or in written form. Nxau will be part of the team for at least six months.

What a great newsletter again. Good stories, well written and still exciting matters to read.
Wim Visser, founder of the Darling Voorkamerfest and director of the Royal Carré Theatre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Thank you for yet another interesting and informative report on !Khwa ttu. Of particular interest to me was the section on education, which provides an insightful and honest view of the experience of San children and adults at !Khwa ttu as they seek to gain new skills-especially language and computer skills. The newsletter communicates so well both the optimism of the community, and the frustration experienced by adults struggling to learn unfamiliar skills presented in a language they do not know. Despite the difficulties, what I find really encouraging is the emphasis on maintaining the flexibility of educational options available to youth and adults at !Khwa ttu - including preparation for formal education and opportunities through ABET and other non-formal training. The positive experiences with combining youth and adults in the same class is very exciting. Perhaps !Khwa ttu could provide an example of how this strategy can benefit everyone, and overcome some of the stigmas about adults and children learning together!

I will look forward to receiving updates on education and other topics in future newsletters.
Jennifer Hays, University of Tromsø, Norway

Thank you very much for sending me the !Khwa ttu newsletter.

I really enjoyed reading about all the exciting new developments there and would love to visit some time to witness all the progress you've made first hand! I especially enjoyed the piece about your education program and applaud the hard work and effort invested into this. Education is one of the best tools to empower people and give them the opportunity to, in a way, regain some lost dignity. If people are able to learn new things, they realise that they can rise above everything others have said about them and defy the stereotypes.

I'm also glad to hear that the Indaba was a success and that you managed to put !Khwa ttu's name out there on the cultural tourism map! I hope your new business plans will be able to be implemented and that !Khwa ttu will rise from strength to strength!

Good luck and thank you for all your hard work! I'm looking forward to your next newsletter.
Irma Matthaei, young Namibian professional, Fribourg, Swizerland