24 San tour guides graduate in Otjozondjupa

TWENTY-FOUR San people from two communal conservancies in the Otjozondjupa Region successfully completed a Level One Tour Guide course recently.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Libertina Amathila gave the graduates, from the newly established N‡a Jaqna conservancy and the Nyae-Nyae conservancy, their certificates on Tuesday. Amathila said the high marks scored by the graduates was evidence that, given the opportunity, San people would excel, adding that her San development programme was progressing well now.All of the trainees passed with high marks of between 80-90 per cent and three of them have already secured jobs with Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR).The training was organised by the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) and the local Tsumkwe Environment Education Project (TEEP) while guides from the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH) conducted additional lessons in March this year.The N‡a Jaqna conservancy is the largest communal conservancy in Namibia, populated by about 4 000 – 5 000 !Kung San and was already deriving income from trophy hunting and a focus on tourism initiatives.The introduction of game was set to increase the tourism potential of the area.It’s new offices, which were funded by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) will give the conservancy the space, facilities and independence it needs to operate to it’s full potential.NNF Executive Director Dr Chris Brown said he was happy that progress was being made in the Tsumkwe area.The event took place amidst concern about the small scale farming development planned by the Minister of Lands in the conservancy, which many community members are opposed to.The community is still waiting for an inter-ministerial task team report on the matter, which was due in March this year.Amathila said the high marks scored by the graduates was evidence that, given the opportunity, San people would excel, adding that her San development programme was progressing well now.All of the trainees passed with high marks of between 80-90 per cent and three of them have already secured jobs with Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR).The training was organised by the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) and the local Tsumkwe Environment Education Project (TEEP) while guides from the Namibian Academy for Tourism and Hospitality (NATH) conducted additional lessons in March this year.The N‡a Jaqna conservancy is the largest communal conservancy in Namibia, populated by about 4 000 – 5 000 !Kung San and was already deriving income from trophy hunting and a focus on tourism initiatives.The introduction of game was set to increase the tourism potential of the area.It’s new offices, which were funded by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) will give the conservancy the space, facilities and independence it needs to operate to it’s full potential.NNF Executive Director Dr Chris Brown said he was happy that progress was being made in the Tsumkwe area.The event took place amidst concern about the small scale farming development planned by the Minister of Lands in the conservancy, which many community members are opposed to.The community is still waiting for an inter-ministerial task team report on the matter, which was due in March this year.