Gallery

In our 'gallery' you can find stories, pictures, and movies from the Nyae Nyae region.

Ronald Oma N!anni (Teacher)

“I am a teacher from the Nyae Nyae Lower Primary village schools. Now I teach here at Tsumkwe Primary School.

I sleep in a tent under a tree. When the rain comes myself, my things get wet in the tent. During the day the tent gets very hot to stay inside. I don't have good accommodation or place to be. I have enough materials like text books but the exercise books are not enough. I teach grade 1 A and Grade 1 B in mother tongue which is Ju/'hoansi.”

Ronald Oma N!anni

Ti!ae Cgaesje (Child Care matron Tsumkwe Secondary School)

“I am Ti!ae Cgaesje, born in Tsumkwe. I left school in 1988. Why I dropped school is that we started school at older ages. The Tsumkwe school was nice with few classes. But lack of support from parents. Previously the San people were still moving from place to place, that is why children also dropped out of school to follow the parents. That was before independence.

After independence I see the changes like children start school at early ages, learning nicely but still drop out because of poor education and accommodation, mostly of the children coming from the village schools. In these years not like in the past, children want to go to school.

I send my son to Grootfontein Senior Secondary School because of poor education here in Tsumkwe, because I pay for him I don't want him to fail because of the school. I don't want my son to be like the mother. I want my son to be educated to get a job. We are suffering paying N$1600 per year from our salaries and the trip from Grootfontein is 303 km, we worry about our son from the long distance. I could not send him to Grootfontein, but because of the poor education in Tsumkwe. I am employed by the Ministry of education as a Hostel Child Care Matron. My duties are to look after the children, ages 7-14.

I will appreciate if there will be any support supporting our school, rebuild our school and have grade 11-12 so that our children can finish school here, instead of going long distances for education. Our place is safe in crime, but outside Bushmanland is very dangerous in crime. Rebuild the hostel for more accommodation, build places for the teachers too, so that they feel happy and offer good classes, and are not staying in a garage. Fence up the school and the hostel. Children wouldn't drop out if they had good support.

We are seeking support to help the San people through education. Please we are seeking your support top give the San people a better life. I appreciate your consideration and co-operation and I am forward to your support.”

Ti!ae Cgaesje

Calvin Kazibe (Tertiary student)

Click here to read Calvin's story written by himself in 2008. Against all the odds Calvin passed Grade 12 and is now studying to be a teacher at Windhoek College of Education.

After finishing Grade 10 at Tsumkwe Combined School in 2003 Calvin went to Otjikoto Senior Secondary School 300km from his parents to complete Grade 11 and 12.

“Even though I was away from my parents, that could still not discourage me. There were seven other San learners at this school. Together we went through several obstacles, such as discrimination, we were called Bussies. They said our school fees were covered from their parents tax money. They said Bushmen are never absent from the dining hall because they do not know this type of food and only used to wild bush food. Most of this bullies did not happen to me because I was open with everyone, I socialized with any other tribes, irrespective of colour.”

Calving Kazibe

• Read Calvin's Story (5 pages in Word).