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By Pat Graham
July 28, 2009
From mid-afternoon to well after dark, trucks rolled into the rustic Wereldsend camp. The passengers set up their tents, then joined others around the campfire. Kettles simmered over the coals as they would for the next few days.
It’s a familiar pattern for these Namibians. They come here every quarter to represent communal conservancies with names like Anabeb, Omatendeka and Torra and report on accomplishments and plans.
As a guest, I had a privileged place in the camp. I was near one of the three primitive stone houses that had outdoor showers.
Sonya, who manages the camp, taught me my first job—feeding the donkey.
This “donkey” is a blackened tank with a smoke stack and a fire box underneath. I would need to tend the fire if I had any chance of a warm shower.
Sonya grew up on a farm about a 100 km north, near Sesfontain. Turns out Boas, the rhino tracker featured in my previous update, is her brother.
Getting Down to Business
After a hearty meal of maize and stewed springbok (the Namibia version of antelope) we settled in for the night. The next morning as I walked to the fire, I saw people emerging from their tents, polishing their shoes, putting on their nice pants, shirts and blouses and hovering over flip charts.
The day began with reports from conservancies from as far away as the Kunene River bordering Angola. Some reported long lists of accomplishments ranging from conducting game counts to constructing tent camp facilities to revising their constitution to offering AIDS/HIV awareness programs.
Then the questions started.
Why didn’t you do wildlife vehicle patrols? Why didn’t you hold your annual meeting or produce a financial report? Point and counterpoint.
In a process that many of us would find uncomfortable, they were holding each other accountable in a very public way. Their candor was remarkable. Yet, there were no raised voices.
Good People Doing Good Work
Several conservancies had short lists of accomplishments. They are just starting up and aren’t yet recognized by the government. But they have to meet an unwritten requirement that the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) be established: They must attend several meetings like this and continue to show progress.
In this way, they demonstrate commitment and then qualify for financial and technical support. One conservancy had accomplished nothing. When the chiding ended, one leader stood up and reminded everyone, “It is our role to help them achieve success.”
He then admonished the conservancy representatives to take responsibility and produce results before the next meeting.
One conservancy reported on the livestock and predator conflicts—jackal, karakul and cheetah preying on goats. Human-wildlife conflicts are real issues that affect every conservancy and must be addressed. The questions flew: Were your goats herded with your cattle? Why not? Are there different grazing systems you could use?
I could see the pride many of them had in their conservancy. A few of the conservancies are led by people who also work for IRDNC. Good people get asked to wear many hats in rural Namibia.
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Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Pat Graham/TNC (Namib Desert); Photo © Pat Graham/TNC (Local conservancy gathering); Photo © Pat Graham/TNC (Sonya feeds the fire).
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