The Kyaramacan Association which comprises of semi-nomadic San engaged in anti-poaching in Bwabwata National Park was recently handed a vehicle and uniforms for its commnity game guards.
Kyaramacan received a vehicle that will help the community game rangers to extend the area they patrol, specifically to prevent elephant poaching.
Omega 1 Combined School also received school uniforms from Hunt Africa Namibia, a company specialising in trophy hunting in Bwabwata West.
Kyaramacan is an organisation of the community living within the park. It helps with patrols to curtail poaching and sustanably uses resources in the park for the benefit of the community.
The community live in settlement zones and comprise 12 clustered villages or settlements in Bwabwata, which is divided into West and East.
“We came to realise there are some other needs and took up the idea given to us by the community to look for uniforms for school kids. We were given the number of kids that need uniforms and we bought these uniforms for them,” narrated James Chapmaan, one of the partners of Hunt Africa Namibia.
Chapmaan added: “We also realise we need to give the people a vehicle to transport people on patrol in the area and now we are handing over to Kyaracan Association a 2.5 4×4 double cab, which is ideal to assist the community in times of need, like taking people to hospital,” said Chapmaan.
“We want the nation to know that within conservation there are good things coming out – not only human-wildlife conflict. Although there are problems in conservation it does not mean that people don’t benefit. This is an opportunity for us to educate the young ones that if the natural resources are well and sustainably looked after people can benefit,” he said.
“People can co-exist with wildlife,” stated Karel Ndumba, an official from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for Kavango West and Kavango East.
The used 2012 Toyota double cab bakkie cost Hunt Africa Namibia N$250 000 while the 133 school uniforms cost N$13 000.