About the Bushmen / San Living in Botswana
The term “Bushman” gained worldwide fame through the 1980s film “The Gods Must Be Crazy,” but they are also known as the San or Khoisan people.
They are a hunter-gatherer ethnic group spread across southern Africa, with Botswana hosting the largest population of Bushmen. Traditionally, Bushmen lived off hunting and gathering in the vast, arid landscapes of the Central Kalahari, located at the heart of Botswana.
However, changes brought about by the resettlement policy of 1979 resulted in a significant transition for the Bushmen community. This included a relocation away from their traditional hunting grounds and a shift towards settled life in other areas. Consequently, their way of life underwent substantial transformation, moving from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one more reliant on participating in the modern economy through monetary transactions.
With the challenges of suburban living, language differences with the Tswana people, lack of job opportunities, and other factors, they face tough living conditions in modern times.
Despite these challenges, the villagers have passed down their ancestral survival skills, traditions, and spirit to their descendants. To preserve their traditions and create income sources, they have engaged with people from around the world through tourism.
Bushman Experience
However, in reality, they often engage with travelers through one-time activities, and this hasn’t generated sufficient income for the entire village.
Therefore, we have thought about whether there are plans that allow us to interact more deeply with them. Our idea is for travelers to stay in the village where the descendants of the Bushmen live for a few days, directly learning about their way of life, mindset, traditional spirit, and survival skills.
Through experiencing environments vastly different from our daily lives, we believe there is much to learn and realize, as well as opportunities to contribute to the villagers, creating a mutually fulfilling experience. Furthermore, after the village stay, you can also experience a Botswana safari!
This experience plan is recommended for those interested in their traditional culture, those looking to refresh their minds, and those wanting to experience more than just a safari.
If you’re interested, please feel free to contact us. Participation with three or more people can lead to significant contributions to the village!
We look forward to your warm support.
