Nyae Nyae Development Foundation

Even in the dry and arid regions of Namibia, trees can survive; provide shade and improved food security for people. The San in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy have found that trees are more resilient to drought than other plants and once established are very easily maintained.

The Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) of Namibia has made more than N$1,9 million available to the Nyae Nyae Conservancy to help manage fire and water within the conservancy. Thereby protecting and safeguarding the livelihoods of the residents of this Conservancy in the Otjozondjupa region. This grant and the projects which it will facilitate are part of a bigger scheme to create climate resilient livelihoods through Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBRM) in Namibia.

Benefit distribution in the Communal Conservancies comes in different form, but often in cash. There has been criticism of this, and of the Namibian’s communal conservancies in general, but the Nyae Nyae Conservancy has benefitted significantly from the distribution of cash. People in this day and age simply need cash to pay for certain goods and services, the people in the conservancy are no different.

There’s has been much criticism of Namibian’s communal conservancies recently and their lack of ability to deliver benefits to our community. However, in N≠a Jaqna Conservancy, the largest conservancy in Namibia and one of only 2 that are San run they take benefit distribution very seriously. This month food benefit has been distributed to schools throughout the area. During times of food-insecurity and drought any form of assistance is welcome, especially for the most vulnerable, the children of the conservancy. Food supplies, including staples worth N$96,000 have been distributed to 16 schools in the area during March 2019.

Namibia is a dry country, we all know that. Its people have manged to live, survive and thrive here for thousands of years. Just look at the indigenous communities like the San. The San in Nyae Nyae Conservancy who live and care for the areas where they live noticed a trend. A dangerous trend, one where more area was damaged by fire each year. In the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, in 2010 over 50% of the conservancy area burned and despite some fluctuations there was a continuous upward trend which if not addressed in one way or another would seriously impact and threaten the survival of the community as well as fauna and flora in the area.

Water, Land and a Voice reflects on the support provided by the Nyae Nyae Development Foundation of Namibia (NNDFN) to the Ju/’hoan San in north-eastern Namibia over the last 36 years. The aim is to highlight positive, constructive areas of development and lessons learned along the way. This is not an academic publication or detailed project review, rather an attempt to see the big picture and reflect on progress made and the challenges that still remain. Water, Land and a Voice reflects the core concerns of the Ju/’hoansi: Water, because of...

"... As the Chairperson of the N≠a Jaqna Conservancy I have been shocked to be presented with a map of proposed exclusive livestock farms for approval and signing-off after many years of vocal and documented objections to the proposal. The consultant, George Eiseb of Namibia Premier Solutions, funded by the European Union and KFW, presented the map for sign off in April. The Conservancy refuses to sign off on a map which they strongly oppose and to which objections have been made in writing and at several previous meetings with the...

 Following the announcement marking the closure of the EU Climate Change Grant to the Nyae Nyae Development Foundation of Namibia, the EU Ambassador to Namibia Jana Hybaskova visited several projects sites in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy area. This was an opportunity to see what had effectively been achieved on the ground during the project’s duration. The Ambassador revisited two villages that were visited twice before, when the project was in its early days. The progress that had been made and the changes were clearly visible and the people of the Conservancies...

Food security is essential for everyone. Normally, we simply go to the shop and buy what we need. However, for the San community living in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy as well as in other conservancies, it’s not that simple. To make themselves more self-sufficient they have been pioneering new farming techniques that were unknown to them up to now. Over the last year the community in Nyae Nyae Conservancy and Community Forest has been expanding its agricultural activities to include a broader, permaculture based approach. As part of this agricultural expansion,...

The Nyae Nyae Conservancy (NNC) and Community Forest recently held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September 2017 where is provisions where made to distribute N$1700 in cash each adult San- member. November and December 2017 saw N$2,538,100, being distributed to 1493 individual members in 36 villages around the conservancy. In addition to this huge cash injection the community will receive further conservancy benefits in the form of contributions to local schools and the Traditional Authority as well as payments towards coffins in the event of a member’s death. These funds...

The harvesting and sale of Devil’s Claw from the Nyae Nyae and N#a Jaqna conservancies made a significant contribution to the income of harvesters in 2017. The Devil’s Claw plants reacted positively to the good rains that were experienced in the area in early 2017. The rotational harvesting system and sustainable harvesting methods introduced and diligently followed by harvesters allows them to benefit from this method of sustainable harvesting every year. In the Nyae Nyae conservancy approximately 200 harvesters harvested and sold 18.7 tons of Devil’s Claw, resulting in an income...

Funded by the European Union and Finnish Embassy several projects started to increase agricultural and livestock management capacity in two San communities where food security is a serious and daily threat to their wellbeing.

The Nyae Nyae Conservancy (NNC) and Community Forest recently held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September 2017. The constituted meeting brought together representatives from every village in the area to get reports on activities and finances. As well as approve new workplans and budgets for the coming year and vote members into governance positions. At this year’s meeting, 72 voting members of the community attended and democratically decided to use over N$3million in benefits to the community; including a cash benefit to each member, payments towards coffins in the event...

Last week, N≠a Jaqna Conservancy Chairperson, Sarah Zungu and her team, delivered N$40,000 worth of additional food to local schools. The food was purchased from the Conservancy’s income which it had put aside for ‘benefits’ to the community. At the 2017 Annual General Meeting members voted to spend N$80,000 on providing additional food to local schools. The conservancy will spend the remaining, N$40,000, after last week’s distribution, later in the year bringing the total spent to N$80,000. It is hoped that the food will benefit the school children and lead to...

Nyae Nyae and N≠a Jaqna Conservancies, both run by the indigenous San communities resident there, have formally requested the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) Minister, the Hon Pohamba Shifeta to visit and support them in addressing issues that threaten the conservancies.
In August 2016, the Minister said he would not tolerate abuse of communities in conservancies by invaders who want to cheat them out of their land and vital and scarce natural resources.

OrigiNations is an organisation focused on indigenous communities around the world and how these communities, especially the youth, deal with the challenge of reconciling their cultural heritage with the demands and radical transformation brought about by modernity. During a recent visit to Namibia, they went to the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in and around Tsumkwe, which is managed by the indigenous Ju/’hoansi San community, met with elders, the conservancy, community and the Nyae Nyae Foundation, one of the supporting NGOs in the area.

The Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) as well as the new National Development Plan 5 (NDP 5) that was launched at the end of May this year speaks of working together, but also becoming self-sustainable as a nation. The San have been working towards this goal for years. Within the last month alone the community is seeing the fruits of years of support and investment in the San communities in Nyae Nyae and Na Jaqna Conservancies paying off. This is a testament to their hard work and a clear outcome of the consistent dedicated work of the San to improve their livelihoods and situation.

Water Development in Nyae Nyae Conservancy has taken many years. The Conservancy is responsible for approximately half the village and game water points in the area, which means over 20 water points spread throughout the nearly 9,000km² of the area.

The first priority was to ensure that boreholes functioned and solar submersible pumps were slowing introduced. However, with over 1000 elephants in the area water points were often destroyed by elephants looking for water, so water point had to be protected from the elephants as well as the maintenance of game water points to ensure they have access to water and keep elephants away from villages.

What started out as a micro-project 30 years ago, has evovled into a viable way of generating income for the community at Nyae Nyae. The truly artisanal craft makers of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy produce traditional jewellery using ostrich egg shells. This jewellery is of such an exceptional quality that it is now being exported and sold in Europe.

In April 2009, cattle farmers from outside Nyae Nyae Conservancy and Community Forest unlawfully and without authority, entered our area.  The Chief has never given any of them permission to settle or graze here, but many refuse to leave and are still grazing their livestock illegally every day on our lands.

The Nyae Nyae Conservancy and Community Forest II Project have taken an pro-active approach to dealing with fires in their communal areas with tangible visible positive results.
In 2012, 50% of the whole Nyae Nyae area burnt, resulting in the loss of life as well as damage to rangeland, wildlife and the environment through CO² emissions. The late hot fires of September and October are particularly damaging and uncontrollable, causing widespread devastation. The new approach taken in Nyae Nyae fits with the San cultural tradition of selective burning in the cooler months of May-July. This allows the fires to be better controlled and the fuel load reduced to prevent the later and more damaging hot fires.

Recently seven San agricultural and livestock champions from Nyae Nyae and N≠a Jaqna Conservancy visited the “collective style” commercial farm, Krumhuk, just outside Windhoek. Krumhuk operates on bio-dynamic, organic and holistic management principles that the champions are introducing in their villages in the Otjozondjupa Region.

This newsletter is the follow-up to the Dealing with Climate Change brochure distributed in 2015. The purpose is to provide an update on the EU-funded Climate Change Project and also to provide regular tips and suggestions about how everyone can take action to deal with the impacts of Climate Change.

The Community Based Fire Management Training Manual was developed as a component of the natural resource management capacity building programme of the Nyae-Nyae Conservancy and Community Forest and N≠a Jaqna Conservancy in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia.

In cooperation with the EU, NNDFN created a brochure about climate change in the N≠a Jaqna Conservancy, Nyae Nyae Conservancy and Community Forests. This brochure was produced in three languages English, Afrikaans and Ju/'Hoan.

The craft project was started over 20 years ago as a means of generating income for the, largely female, population of craft makers in Nyae Nyae Conservancy.

The Living Culture Foundation Namibia build up two Living Museums in the area of the Ju/'Hoansi-San. The Living Museum of the Ju/'Hoansi in the N#a Jaqna Conservancy and the Little Hunter's Museum in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy. Since opening the Living Museums are receiving support from the NNDFN. The Living Museums combine three goal: The conservation and transfer of traditional culture, the creation of an income source in local areas in Namibia and the development of a cultural and intercultural educational institution. More information can be found on the website of...