Kalahari San Safari, Botswana

INVITATION

"REACH OUT AFRICA"
(Humanitarian & Empowerment Aid)

 

 

 “Kalahari San Safari”

 New Xanagas, Botswana

 

“Reach Out” & help isolated disadvantaged hurting and needy Kalahari San (Bushman) communities

Over a 100 000 Kalahari San (Bushman) still live in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. One of these San Communities have begun with a Business & Empowerment plan to start a Values-based Cultural & Educational Training Centre in the Ghanzi District, Botswana. The Training Centre will work towards offering business & empowerment opportunities to isolated San and other communities in SA, Namibia and Botswana by offering easily accessible education & training facilities in Christian Ministry/Evangelism, life skills, sustainable farming, tourism & hospitality, arts & culture, business management, sport development & training and various other fields.

www.african-rock-art.com / www.paintingangles.blogspot.com

 

San communities need your help and hereby invite you to “Reach Out” on a “Kalahari San Safari” to the San Village of New Xanagas, Botswana.

 

Spend your next family holiday with the “Kalahari San”. Camp among the San and experience their current lifestyle as well as be entertained in a traditional San village with stories of the rich heritage and culture, hunting & gathering stories. Learn about herbs, plants and food found in nature and how to make fire, while being entertained with traditional San music, singing and dancing.

All visitors and guests are welcome and are encouraged to walk through the village and visit, chat and interact with the people. By prior arrangement a guide / translator can be arranged to accompany you. Many younger residents speak English or Afrikaans but most speak Setswana, Naro or Herero.

"Hullo Sir" = "Dumela Raa"
"Hulo Mrs/Miss" = "Dumela Ma / Me".
Remember this is the heart of the Kalahari Desert. Take a torch/light with you at night and wear shoes. Be aware of scorpions at night and snakes in summer. When walking / hiking in surrounding bush do not wander of to far, as you can very easily get lost – stick to pathways/roads and use the telecom tower in the Village as a beacon. Although this is the Kalahari desert, it is not only desert sand but many trees, bushes and shrubs. Internet and cell phone reception is good in the village – many Bushman have cell phones. We have a manned Police Station in the village and medical assistance is available at the village clinic with a staff of two qualified Nurses (one in gap year studying to be a Doctor).

 

How to plan a “Reach Out” Kalahari San Safari?

As a result of the isolation of many Kalahari San Villages, the San live in utmost poverty. They urgently need humanitarian assistance and guidance/training to enable them to acquire a lasting sustainable future and livelihood. Your help to visit, assist, teach or train in your specific field, profession or talent will be greatly appreciated.

You can start a “Reach Out” by deciding on a date (normally a school holiday), informing your family, friends, home group, school, church, business, club, community and all your contacts of your intended “Reach Out”. Inform all to collect much needed clothing household items, etc - see list below.  Inform all that on the “Kalahari San Safari” and during your stay in the San Village, they can assist the San through labour in building homes/shelters, teaching, training, visiting, helping the sick and old, playing & teaching sport/games, praying and worshipping etc. When you have decided on a date for your Safari please inform us and we will contact you to assist with finalising finer details. We will also have a list of any group that may accompany you and/or groups that can travel together. Depending on the responce and if you do receive many donations and lack storage space, the plan is that you inform us and we will arrange for collection/storage.

 

If there is positive interest for a “Kalahari San Safari”, we suggest you elect/choose a Tour Co-ordinator /Team Leader, Assistant Team Leader, Cooking Team co-ordinator (will be responsible for the team/group food/menus) and a Logistics/donations co-ordinator.  

The vision is that "Reach Out Africa” Kalahari San Safaris, will be arranged and co-ordinated from Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria and “Reach Out Africa” convoys will collect donations from specified organising teams/groups/storage facilities.

Safari & Camping/Accommodation

Normally a bakkie or 4x4 vehicle and trailer is needed to travel in the Kalahari, but as the Village of New Xanagas is situated on a gravel road, 45 km from the tarred Trans Kalahari Highway, a normal motor vehicle and trailer will reach New Xanagas without any difficulty. The current campsite for “Reach Out” teams are on the New Xanagas secondary school ground (limited electricity/solar power), school ablutions (showers & flush toilets) and use of school kitchen facilities. No fridges or stoves are available and all cooking is done with gas or on a fire.

 

Bring

Passport and ID – South African citizens do not need a Visa to visit Botswana. Make sure your passport is in order and up to date. You are allowed a three months visit in Botswana on your passport.

Tent and camp equipment – gas/solar/battery cooking equipment/fridge, chairs, stretchers, sleeping bags/blankets, buckets for washing, water bottles, containers for water, cooking utensils, lamps, torch, matches, first aid kit…etc (plenty of fire wood available)

Personal / Clothing – pack summer and winter clothing, raincoat, hiking shoes, towels, hats, sun-block, sun glasses, etc

The Kalahari days can be very warm (40degrees) and the nights can be very cold (–6 degrees). Rainy season (August to February). Malaria - The area that we are in is not a high-risk malaria area therefore precautions are not needed. Many people however do take preventative medication as they tend to travel or tour further into tropical areas of Botswana. Ask your GP.

Food / Groceries / Toiletries – Bring your own drinking water and containers for keeping borehole water (washing-up / cooking). Bring mostly pre-packed instant food, cans/containers/long life milk/milk powder/condensed milk etc. Do not bring fresh vegetables, fruit or meat – as a result of the possible outbreak of fruit fly and foot-and-mouth disease these items will be confiscated on the Botswana border. We will assist you in buying fruit/vegetables and meat from Spar/Food wholesalers at the closest town, Ghanzi (160km from New Xanagas). Bring toothpaste, soaps, shampoo, toilet paper, refuse bags etc.   

 

Explore and Tour further

We always suggest that “Reach Out” families/teams/groups make the most of their visit and depending on time and budget, should take a round trip and visit The Okavango Delta, the Caprivi (Namibia), Chobe National Park & Forest Reserve, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) and or the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Travellers from Cape Town can enjoy many wonderful and interesting camping and tour opportunities en-route through Namibia as well.

Routes & Distance

As a result of the long distance, it is not possible to travel through to New Xanagas from South Africa in one day and particularly if there is a convoy of vehicles. We suggest that “Reach Out” groups/teams sleep over half way to New Xanagas and arrive on the second day of travel. There are many affordable camp sites/B&B’s/lodges/motels en route to Botswana and we suggest that teams/groups plan and book theire trip accordingly in advance.

Cape Town to New Xanagas (Via Namibia – Windhoek)

1^st day          Cape Town to Windhoek       = 1 450km (sleep over)

2^nd day          Windhoek to New Xanagas  =    390km

                                                     Total      = 1 840km

As you are travelling through Namibia you also only need a passport. You will pay

R 250 (250 Namibian dollar) road tax at the Namibia border per car/bakkie/trailer. You will also pay R 180 (180 Pula) road tax at Botswana border per car/bakkie/trailer.

JHB/PTA to New Xanagas (Via Zeerust - Skilpads gate border post)

1^st day          Jhb / Pta to Kang                     =     653km (sleep over) 

2^nd day         Kang to New Xanagas             =     386km

                                             Total                 = 1 039km

 

Your interest in our efforts is much appreciated and if you need any further advice or assistance in this regard please feel free to contact us.

Please help us by collecting all your unused or old household items from your family, friends, church, bible study or cell groups, business or work.

The people in most San Villages live in extreme poverty and many rely on government support and handouts. Your visit to their community means so much to them and to avoid misunderstandings and/or favouritism during your visit all visitors/teams/groups must adhere to well-organised and stipulated guidelines and procedures through the “Reach Out Africa” Office. When visiting in the village please do not give / hand out food / sweets / clothing to the community, many children will ask/beg. All handouts, donations and humanitarian aid must be well co-ordinated and all donations and offers of assistance must be done and offered through the “Reach Out Africa” office. During your stay specific “Reach Out” hand–out programs/days will be in place where visiting teams/groups will have an opportunity to assist all in the community.

WE URGENTLY NEED!!!

Clothing, shoes, blankets, any sport equipment (cricket sets, tennis, soccer, rugby balls), musical instruments, electrical appliances/equipment, any building material/tools, shade-net for temporary shelter/homes, office furniture /equipment /computers /printers, Christian /music & nature DVD’s, Bibles, books, pens, pencils, art materials /equipment. Any unwanted items are welcome.

CONTACT: MARTIN ERASMUS

                      "REACH OUT AFRICA"

Email: martin@art-me-africa.com / www.paintingangles.blogspot.com /
           www.KalahriSan.blogspot.com  

Mobile: SA +27 79 605 1049 – Botswana + 267 738 73730.

“So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without actions/works is dead” (James 2:26)