The Desert Research Foundation of Namibia, in collaboration with Canada, launched a new project to equip San girls to understand the importance of health, women's rights, and cultural preservation, among other key areas.
Speaking at Gobabis, the Desert Research Foundation Project Manager, Belinda Thanises, stressed that as part of the foundation's goals of promoting sustainable development among local communities, they saw it fit to assist young San members to attend short courses in South Africa in the areas of nutritional foods and cultural diversity, among others.
Thanises added that it is expected from the trainees to transfer the skills gained from SA to more rural women and fellow young girls.
The project manager says that there is a pressing need to promote cultural preservation and traditional norms among the San communities given their rich cultural history.
"Because we found the need in the community and it was expressed that they want to work with and learn from other San women who have already gone out and equipped themselves, and when we have this training, you can see how appreciative they are for this information from these young women, and this training is in a local language so they feel free to share or talk about or express themselves. It's not about nutrition only but women's rights, as women take care of households, and where can you go when you need help in a relationship or with something?
According to Maritjie Stuurman, a young San woman from the Kalahari Constituency, their recent exposure trip to South Africa was an eye-opener, more especially in the area of cultural heritage.
"We were shown how the San people were hunting, going to the field as always, the first older people and the youngest behind, and when the people were in the field, also we were doing animal tracking, different types of things like tour guides showing them what type of bird this is, and also at restaurants, what type of food this is and what it is made of and how it is healthy for your body."
The Foundation also engaged with local key stakeholders in the region, which deals with marginalised communities.