Volunteer activities

Committed volunteer Caroline tells us about some of the fun & games on the farm.... The staff went out of their way to ensure we had activities to do each weekend which enabled new volunteers to get to know the existing volunteers and get everyone working as a team. Here’s just a few of the things I got to join in with during my time at the farm....

The treasure hunt
One afternoon we were given a treasure hunt to carry out; this definitely brought out my competitive streak as we raced from clue to clue to try and beat the other team.
Our first clue led us to the Wild Dog camp where we went inside with Jo & Dara keeping the dogs and their crazy yapping back and ended up wading into their waterhole to get the next clue. We had a few more clues leading us all around the farm until we ended up in the chicken pen searching for hidden eggs, each with a letter on. We found a few and worked out we needed to head for the baby baboon camp where we had to complete a wordsearch to take us to our final clue. After a brush with Mowgli our team managed to finish the hunt and make it to the lapa about 30 seconds before the others which gave us an advantage in the next challenge. It turned out to be a game of pass the orange without using your hands and we got a head start. The race was on with a few comical moments, the other team sped past us but after a clumsy drop we managed to hold steady and win the day! We all got to enjoy a Stuart cooked Poikie in the evening.

Climbing the mountain
That weekend we had the chance to climb Neudamn mountain which sounded like a great experience and one that everyone was keen to take part in. We decided it was going to be a fun day out with a bit of a walk to the top of a mountain…it turned out to be a bit harder than that! Hardus, a great hulk of a man, was in charge of setting the pace and leading us to the top. After about ten minutes of climbing the altitude started to affect mine and Anna’s breathing. We took it slowly and made regular stops to try to catch out breath whilst the rest of the volunteers marched on ahead of us and then waited for us to catch up.

With a lot of help from Jo (and her singing) we made it to the top although I don't think either of us really appreciated the view; we were just pleased to be able to breathe normally again. The trip down was a little more eventful with a climb down a rockface. Erika and Kathi ended up going too far up and a cry from Kathi saying 'I think I'm going to stay here for the rest of my life' made everyone laugh. Thankfully we all made it down without any injuries and then it was home for a very well deserved rest.
A couple of weeks later we were told we were going to climb again. I didn’t think I could do it again and to be honest was dreading after the first experience. I wasn’t going to be beaten though and so I started the climb led by Nathan. I was feeling anxious but Jeff kept us company and I think the laughter distracted me from worrying. This time we got to appreciate the actual climb and enjoy it which was great. Rather amazingly Anna and I were amongst the first four people to get to the top along with Nathan and Mike. We looked at the views and took in the fact that we were standing on top of a mountain in Africa. The sense of achievement I felt was amazing and it is one of my favourite memories of my time on the farm. I'm glad I was pushed out of my comfort zone to do it again, it was definitely worth it.

Paintballing
A few weeks ago we got the opportunity to test out the new paintball field. As someone who had never played before I didn't know what to expect other than it was going to hurt…. and I was right!

We were divided into teams and it ended up being staff vs volunteers; not too bad except the staff team consisted of Cila, Arno, Hardus and Erika who all turned out to be incredible sneaky and quick! The aim of the game was to try to hit someone from the other team four times on their chest or back to get them out which was easier said than done as I found out.The whistle blew for the start of the first game and before I knew it Casper and I were hidden in the car being shot at from all directions. We could see Cila but there was paint flying from all angles and no chance for us to escape. All of a sudden it was the end of the game even though we'd only been playing for what felt like two minutes.
We started another game and once again the staff were literally on top of us. Milan and I managed to hide with a clear view of Cila but couldn't get a good shot.

Hardus and Arno quickly made it down to where we were and we knew Erika was nearby; we couldn't see her but we could hear her gun. Nathan was out so it was down to me, Milan and Casper to get to their flag. We saw Casper run and then there was shouting that she was down. After a couple of bad shots in the back from Hardus she received a paintball in the neck and that was the end of the game for her. Milan and I knew that we wouldn't win but we were determined to play the game; we split and he tried to run but was hit too many times. As soon as he said he was out Arno was at the flag and that was the end of it.

Although the staff beat us twice we had a great time and the teams that played after us seemed to have just as much fun. We watched from the sideline and cheered as Kat made a run for it and got the flag and won for her team. All in all it was a great day out and one I hope to repeat someday soon.

N/a'ankuse chef wins award

When Mr Jan Verburg and Burgland Charitas agreed to support the dreams and ideas of Marlice & Rudie van Vuuren and Chris Heunis in 2004 they committed to making a difference to the lives of the poverty stricken Bushman community in Namibia. Now, five year’s on and N/a’an ku sê is proud to say that we employ 23 Bushman families in a variety of roles at the sanctuary and lodge including leisure and hospitality, mechanical and farm work roles. We are dedicated to improving the lives of these historic tribes people through training, education, healthcare and improved living conditions.

One of the Bushman is trainee chef Lientjie. Lientjie has been trained by the Lodge manager, Rhona Strauss whose dedication and passion for not only her work as a chef but also to improving the lives for the Bushman has enabled Lientjie to win 3rd place in the recent Namibian Chef of the year competition. This is Lientjie’s story;

My name is Lientjie Lodewyk. I was born in 1987 on the 19th of November in Gobabis State Hospital. I grew up at Plessis farm, a small village where my mother was working in Nico Swartz Shop. In 1993 my mother started working at Gqaiha Primary School which is a school for Bushmen children. I started school in 1995 at Gqaiha until Grade 5 and completed my Primary Course at Ben van der Walt in Gobabis. I attended high school at Johannes Dohrën High School from 2002 until 2007.

I am currently a trainee-chef and started on 16 May 2008 at N/a’an ku se Lodge. I have experienced a lot of things and, learned more things that I have not known. N/a’an ku se has made me to be proud of myself and has helped me to become more independent.

My dream is to become a chef and to cook very good food for the guests. I also want to become as famous as my manager, Rhona Strauss. My biggest dream for N/a’an ku se is that it becomes the most famous lodge in Namibia. I am so happy that I have ended here at the lodge and I know for sure what I want to be in life.

We opened the Charity Lodge with the aim of allowing paying guests and visitors to experience African wilderness and wildlife up close, whilst educating them about conservation and creating much needed employment opportunities for the Bushman community. The Lodge now employs mainly Bushman with all of its profits going directly to benefit N/a’an ku sê’s work with wildlife conservation and our Lifeline Clinic which is dedicated to the health and welfare of the Bushman community. Last year the clinic provided free treatment to over 2200 Bushman as well as delivering affordable primary healthcare to those living in Epukiro in the east of Namibia.

Our sincere thanks go to Mr Verburg, Burgland Charitas and everybody who has supported and shown commitment to the work of N/a’an ku sê for making Lientjie’s dreams of becoming a top chef a reality and making a difference to the lives of many Bushman and their families. We are incredibly proud to of the achievments so far and creating a sustainable charity investment.

To experience one of Lientjie’s sumptuous meals and enjoy the tranquil surroundings of the lodge visit www.ecotourism-namibia.com or email naankuselodge@iway.na

Our carnivore tracking experience

Driving down to Namib Rand we had a full van of fridge, beds, enough food for a small army, four sleepy girls and Flo, our ever-enthusiastic male researcher, in the front driving. The first time we felt that we were actually far from N/a´an ku sê was when the road changed to deep earth red and the landscape went from constant scrub-land to giant canyons and red sand as far as the eye could see.

We were greeted at the house by the last group who got a braai going for us and regaled us with tales of the country and indecipherable German songs. The thing you could see in all their eyes was the fact that they loved it here and would stay forever if they could – we knew we were in for an amazing time.
The following day we spent networking with local landowners and farmers – it’s vital to build a rapport and good dialogue with the people who work with this land otherwise they will never understand why we want to release “dangerous” animals and then go off and leave them. We were treated to lunch at a luxury lodge and although we tried to convince Flo that we would be much better trackers if we stayed there, he wasn’t entirely convinced. Everyone was unstintingly lovely and we were showered with water and friendliness wherever we went.

The following day the real tracking began, our male Cheetah Kyan had decided that he too deserved the good life and had wandered into Sossusvlei, so, with heavy hearts, we followed him into the reserve – life’s hard for a research volunteer! Sossusvlei is on the edge of the Namib desert and is a stunning vista of giant red sand dunes – one of which our Cheetah friend decided to stroll up so in the mid-day burning sun we toiled up this colossus before collapsing at the top for melted cheese sandwiches and a surprising lack of Cheetah. Although Flo kept insisting he was just there… just over the next hill… the very vertical hill. The beeps from the receiver were loud so he couldn’t have been far off.

We knew that if the Cheetah had the stamina to run up those mountains he was obviously in good shape and so for the next three days we turned our attention to tracking the female leopard who was rather more sensibly still in the Namib Rand reserve where it’s comparatively cool and there’s lots of game – she was a different animal entirely.

The night of the Cheetah tracking, we went on a night drive together with James. The drive was very interesting but still the cats eluded us – was it just bad luck or did they take one look at us and scarper? The following morning our luck was in and we saw five male cheetah. It was an awesome sight well worth waiting for.

Tracking the female leopard involved a lot of mountain climbing (very scary on occasion!!) and not a lot of leopard. We brought the vitals with us – a good book and a pair of binoculars. Flo, on the third day finally spotted her for ten seconds and so we bedded down on the most uncomfortable rocks we have ever come across for nearly nine hours. She wasn’t having any of it and although Flo, again, (and the receiver) assured us she was directly ahead we did not spot her, which was a shame but we knew she was okay which was what mattered most.

We celebrated that night with a final braai and insightful talk of ground squirrels.

Would we come back? In a heartbeat.

Sonya, Rachel & Emma

Get involved
Take part
To experience your own life changing African adventure, wild carnivore tracking and volunteer at the project visit www.volunteersnamibia.com or email bookingsnaankuse@iway.na .

Make a donation
The research work at N/a'an ku sê is providing crucial insights into the lives and movements of large carnivore including cheetah and leopard. N/a'an ku sê relies on voluntary donations and sponsorship to fund their work, provide tracking collars and to feed and ensure the animals welfare. To make a donation to support this vital work email donationsnaankuse@iway.na

We hope to see you soon!