For the last 7 years the villagers who left Tsumkwe to follow a traditional life in Djamta!’ae have been living in second-hand tents and shacks made of sticks covered with fabric. There is only one small built structure in the village by the well. We are making a hut kit prototype to trial in both Djamta!’ae and Di//xao#oha based on a traditional Ju|’hoansi hut. Traditional grass huts are no longer built as the termites eat the sticks that support the thatch within 3 or 4 months. They were suitable for a semi-nomadic lifestyle but not for a sedentary village where villagers are tied to a well as their water supply.

The hut kit prototype, being installed in November, uses low-cost, bent steel rebar, that is resistant to termites, and a simple fabricated steel roof circle and door lintel, that ties the structure. !Amache has designed a double thatch system using local grasses to cover the hut. The aim is to support the Ju|’hoansi in living closer to their traditional way but with more space, convenience, longevity and a character that accords with their ancestral heritage.

If the hut prototype is well-liked, this can be rolled out to families in many villages who currently lack any decent huts. It could also be used as a basis to create a campsite area for visitors that is in harmony with the environment and sustainable as the kit can be easily moved, rethatched and relocated as desired. The huts could be rented to tourists to create income for the villages.

Cost

The cost of the prototype is £750 (EUR€860 or USD$1000)
We welcome your donations to fund this project.