Projects

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.

Devil’s Claw (harpagophytum sp) is a protected plant in Namibia and permits are required to harvest and sell it.  Extracts from the roots of the plant act as an anti-inflammatory and are widely used in Europe and elsewhere in the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis.  Namibia is the largest supplier of devil’s claw in the world. In both the Nyae Nyae & N≠a Jaqna conservancies the sustainable harvesting and sale of Devil’s Claw makes a vital contribution to income generation for their members and conservancy management. 

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.

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.

What started out as a micro-project 30 years ago, has evovled into a viable way of generating income for the, largely female, population of craft makers in Nyae Nyae Conservancy. 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 being exported and sold in Europe.

The project now supports over 200 craft makers and their dependents.

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 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.