OUR STORY
During a family holiday in 2011, we visited Namibia for the first time. Together with my husband and our two children, we started our roadtrip at N/a'an Ku Sê, an organization dedicated to empower the San Bushman people, conserve wildlife and protect landscapes in Namibia. At N/a'an Ku Sê we booked the Ancient Skills Academy, a program where visitors can learn about the San Bushman culture - the oldest culture alive on our planet.
I had heard about the San Bushmen before, but I never really looked into it. I must even admit that my initial thought by hearing the words San Bushmen were:
'It sounds like a culture that is way behind compared to modern society.'
I clearly had no idea of all that awaited me in the next thirteen years......
It was a very nice first experience, but it was Marlice van Vuuren's remarkable story that inspired me to come back as a photographer to capture the San people. Marlice recounted how she grew up with the San, sharing her experiences, what she had learned from them, and how these experiences still enrich her daily life. Together with her husband, Dr. Rudie van Vuuren, she co-founded the N/a'an Ku Sê Foundation in Namibia in 2002, a testament to their shared commitment to making a difference in the lives of the San Bushman people.
About a year later, I went back to N/a’an Ku Sê, where I met Annie. An 80 year old sculpturist from Paris. She told me she never brought her camera. She observed and once back in her studio, she started working on her sculptures…..
It was the best lesson one could have taught me at that very moment.
I stayed with the San for a week, not being able to communicate, since I don’t speak their click language. Just to be with them, in that remote beautiful environment, while observing and learning, it brought me back to the very essence. In the ratrace of my life back home, this was something I seemed to have lost.
In the years that followed, I went back many times. With my camera though. But reflecting back in time, it was not only the photography that made me travel up and down for 12.000 km’s. I realized it was the urge to learn about the oldest culture alive on our planet. About their age-old survival techniques, their resilience while living in such a harsh and dangerous environment. To learn how they live in harmony with predators. To experience how they take care of each other and the world around them. I wondered how they have been able to survive for over 20,000 years. It was the adventure for the unknown, since I realized that I came from such a different planet.
I got so inspired by the way they found food, medicinal plants, and even water. How they read animal behavior. How they track animals even though there are no visible footprints. I was touched by the way they care for each other and the world around them, ensuring that those who come next also have something to eat. Together is what matters, not individualistic desires. Every aspect of the San’s life is a lesson in harmony, conservation, sustainability, and regeneration. With over 20,000 years of experience, it is their very blueprint. My initial thought turned into:
‘The San are a living proof that insight and clever strategies lead to succes even in the most challenging circumstances.’
In my opinion, their knowledge and key to survival serve as a metaphor for the unpredictable challenges in modern society.
I felt it became important to share their stories and wisdom. Since they don’t have a written down history, I started to document and record everything they shared with me. With the help of translators, we talked about the pictures I showed them, and we started to create art works together whereby the San literally added their stories to my photo prints. Step by step, a mutual trust and respect started to grow.
On the other hand, I witnessed firsthand the challenges the San Bushmen face as they navigate their transition to modern life. They struggle with a lack of acknowledgment, neglect by the government, and marginalization by other tribes. During my visit to the projects led by N/a’an Ku Sê, I came even more to deeply appreciate the incredible value of their work, and the projects they have realized to improve the lives of the San Bushman people in the past 21 years.
N/a’an Ku Sê empowers the San Bushmen to live better lives and to receive the recognition every human being deserves. At N/a’an Ku Sê, they are given opportunities to work, and to grow. It's not a school certificate that matters, but talent and drive. The San Bushmen receive training and education, becoming role models for those still suffering. Their resilience and determination are a powerful inspiration, proving that dreams can come true, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
In December 2022, Dr. Rudie and Marlice told me that they took over management from Harnas, the farm where Marlice grew up. Together with the San Bushmen, they are dedicated to develop a SAN Eco-Lodge at Harnas as an upscale to the ongoing Ancient Skills Academy program. This San Eco-Lodge will be run entirely by San people, dedicated to preserving irreplaceable and invaluable knowledge about the natural world and thereby their cultural heritage. A project that ensures economic independence, gives them back their worth and pride, offers them a safe place to live, and inspires a global community.
At that very moment all dots connected. Over all those years we had built a relationship based on mutual trust and respect, the San Bushmen and I felt that we could strengthen each other in making this project a reality.
We came up with the idea to create a book together. Their knowledge, skills, and stories, captured in my own creative way, whereby the book would be used as a lever to raise funds for the San Eco-Lodge project.
A place that serves as a bridge between worlds that benefits both the San people, a global community, and therewith Mother Earth.
In may 2024 'ANCIENT Wisdom in Modern Society' and the 4People and Planet Foundation were a fact.
We hope to raise awareness and bring global recognition to the San people. Therefore we are - in collaboration with the N/a’an Ku Sê Foundation - on a mission to making this San Eco-Lodge project at Harnas a reality.
With love,
Alice Braat