San Community Project

Namibia

Council of Churches of Namibia

Global Ministries has a very positive relationship with the main ecumenical body of Namibia, the Council of Churches of Namibia (CCN), which initiated its work during anti-apartheid times. During this period the churches of Namibia, including the United Congregational Church, member of the Council, worked together in CCN to help in the effort for Namibia to gain independence, which finally came about in 1990.

The Christian Council of Namibia’s ministry is to strengthen congregational ministries and ecumenical development. Global Ministries relates closely to CCN. There are currently 15 member churches and organizations within the CCN.

The San people, one of the oldest nomadic nations in Africa, are hunters and gatherers of forest food. Their origin is not entirely known, but their typical rock drawings testify that they have lived in large areas of Africa and especially Namibia. Today, the San Communities are the most marginalized group in Northeast Namibia. As modernity expanded, the San no longer followed their traditional way of living as hunters and gatherers of forest food. Today, neither wild animals nor forest food are available for hunting and gathering.

The Dutch Reformed Church in Namibia (DRCN) has initiated the San Community Project. The Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) and the DRCN are partners in training the San people in a new program called the Goat/Sheep project.

The project goals are as follows:

1. To fight poverty among the San Community.
2. Promote the San people to become self-sufficient in terms of food production.
3. To promote the church contribute to the land reform policy in Namibia.
4. To train San people to become skilled farmers.

Commercial farmer experts visited the Tsumkwe area of Namibia and determined that it is suitable for grazing small livestock, such as goats and sheep. A local pastor was identified to be the manager of the project, while a local San person was trained as a Supervisor/Coordinator.

Commercial farmers in Namibia, individuals, the international community, and donors will be approached to sponsor this project. The donated flocks will be the property of the San Church (Dutch Reform Church in Tsumkwe), and kept in the main training corral. The trainees will attend training under the manager and coordinator’s supervision. A successful trainee will be given ten sheep or goats to being their own herd after completion of the training. The trainee must build a corral for the animals to stay at night.

Every two/three months, the manager and/or coordinator will visit all those who have been given animals to see how they are performing. All profit made with the remaining animals, will be used to benefit the San Community (e.g. schools).

This project began in 2003 when the local commercial farmers in Karas and Hardap regions donated the first 100 goats and sheep. One commercial farmer even donated an nguni-bull.

Since the project’s beginning, nine San men have graduated. Five of them have finished building their own corrals and each received his ten animals. Four trainees have yet to finish their corrals and their animals remain at the training corral. They will collect them as soon as their corrals are completed.

A second training center will open to train the San people of Luhebu, Mangetti Duine, and M’kata villages. Luhebu village is located approximately 100 KM from Tsumkwe. Research has proven that this area is also good for sheep. The local pastor at Mangetti Duine, near Luhebu, will act as the manager at this second training center.

The program anticipates bringing about 1,000 goats or sheep into the training center each year. Each animal is approximately $70.

The goal of the church is to place at least 50 animals in each of the 40 habitats of the San community that lives in Northeastern Namibia. The target is to place 5,000 animals during the course of five years in the San area. The church would like to appeal to all people inside and outside Namibia to assist the church in fighting hunger and poverty among the marginalized people of the San community.