05 Feb 2020

Nestled between an array of small hills and authentic natural vegetation, about two kilometres South of Marobela village, Kuminda Farm and cultural village offers a window into traditional rural life of the Bakalanga, who have lived in this part of the country for generations.

The rugged wilderness of the area has bequeathed it with an identity normally associated with the remotest corners of the country.

Visitors to the cultural village are brought closer to nature by the surrounding peace and tranquillity accompanied by basic pleasures to one’s ear brought by the sounds of humming birds.

The place pulses to the rhythm of traditional Botswana’s heartbeat and its architecture is steeped in tradition with colourful decorations on the exterior.

Traditional Bakalanga huts and courtyards have been decorated with artistic variations using local natural resources. These decorations are based on the local people’s own aesthetic perspectives and traditions.

The beautiful home of the cultural village has been built not only using readily available raw materials and local techniques, but also with love and passion, which reflect the aesthetic soul of the people building and living inside of these thatched huts.

The huts reflect the Bakalanga’s past as they built their houses entirely of local materials; soils, wood, and cow dung, with soil and cow dung mixed and moistened to a state of perfect plasticity to shape vertical surfaces.
 

The sophisticated wall decors have been given a finishing touch using cow dung and wood ash from the fire place, a treasured building material in traditional societies from a long time ago.

Decorating the walls among traditional societies was not an individual pursuit, it was mostly a communal effort undertaken by women and dates back to many centuries in traditional African societies.

Visitors to the cultural village are spoilt for choice with the added incentive of spending a night in a traditional hut enveloped by the sounds of pre-colonial wild Botswana, something that brings nostalgic memories of an era gone by.

The huts are set close to a canopy of big natural trees that also provide shade during the hot summer months.

Kuminda Farm and cultural village is suitable for those seeking relaxation, the kind that desires to rejuvenate, unwind, reboot and refresh their minds while enjoying the authentic panoramic views of the rich indigenous bush.

As soon as you arrive, a sense of privacy and deep in the bush feeling engulfs one’s thought processes upon being ushered inside the hamlet.

The place allows visitors to discover the true spirit of the local area while marvelling at the beauty of the surroundings and awakening their senses through interacting with nature.

Dining for visitors takes place under a small thatched gazebo that shelters a traditional courtyard. This place also serves as a meeting place where visitors are regaled with local cultural tales.
This cultural village is also popular for guided walks and hiking to the summit of the small hills that abound for the eye to feast on the scenery at a vantage point.
The place is set in a serene environment away from the noise pollution, which dominates the urban spaces in modern day Botswana.

Here, a variety of birds populate the surroundings, producing a medley of sounds that can be confusing to the untrained ear.

Not only is the place a venue for a thriving eco-tourism enterprise, it is also the epicentre of organic farming practices, the kind that does not destroy the ecosystem.

This form of farming promotes a holistic production management system, which enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.

The objective of these practices is also meant to maintain and improve soil fertility, soil structure and reduce the risk of human, animal, and environmental exposure to toxic materials such as fertilizers.

Kuminda Farm is involved in sustainable food production and combines tradition and innovation to benefit the shared environment.

This place is the brainchild of Ms Lucy Hinchliffe, a 64-year-old mother of three who believes in the preservation of cultural practices and traditions for use by future generations.
 

It is also famous for being the home of the annual Zhizha cultural festival, whose objective is to celebrate good harvest after every ploughing season.

During the festival, Bakalanga traditional music, poetry, local cuisines, cultural exchanges and electric performances by Hosanna groups are crowd favourite.

On arrival at this laid back treasure, one is struck by the manner in which human activity has not been allowed to disturb the natural environment.

The BOPA visit coincides with the hosting of a group of about 20 people from Belgium who are here to learn about Bakalanga culture from former Tatitown Customary Court President, Margaret Mosojane, who has them drinking from her cultural reservoir.

Despite, the fact that the land here has been worked for many decades, there is little evidence of destruction, this proves that there has been careful and sustainable exploitation of resources within the 15 hectare farm.

Narrating the origins of this cultural village, Ms Hinchliffe explains that starting the project has been a challenging battle, which required perseverance on her part to date.

With Botswana working hard towards diversifying its tourism product away from the traditional wildlife in the famous Okavango Delta and Chobe, she said that it dawned on her that she had land back home that she wanted to use both for the conservation of both biological and cultural diversity and heritage, while at the same time empowering people in her community to fight poverty.

 In addition, she highlights that she saw this as an opportunity to contribute towards economic development and to work towards sustainable development locally, as she has always been conscious of environmental protection.

Eco-tourism, she notes, is different from nature tourism as it requires the participation of local people such as traditional dance troupes, which enables them to benefit from the proceeds.

Also, she explains that eco-tourism minimises the impact of tourism and provides a positive experience for both visitors and hosts.

Together with her husband, Ms Hinchliffe mentions that they started from scratch trying to mobilise resources to get a foothold in both the eco and agro-tourism business.

Consequently, she notes that her family liked the idea that she mooted as a concept and both agreed that the land, which they farmed for many years could accommodate a cultural village.

One day, she highlights, she decided to abandon Gaborone and everything that it offered including a successful event hosting career, which was based at the Gaborone International Convention Centre  and the Business Centre, which she operated for many years to head to bush life.

During this time, in 2006, the self-taught entrepreneur, who considers herself a jack of all trades notes that some of her close friends thought she was crazy to leave the glitz and glamour of life in the nation’s capital for a life in a rural setting.

Ms Hinchliffe asserts that she was not fazed by the challenge as she was driven by the passion to tap into the rich cultural heritage in the north, which had not been fully exploited.

 “There was a fire burning inside me, which pushed me to come back to the lands where I was born to start something. No amount of persuasion could stop me from pursuing my dream,” she adds.

She mentions that she saw the conception of Kuminda Farm and cultural village as a continuation of the event and hosting business with a touch of tradition away from Gaborone.

In the beginning, she notes that she did a course in Cape Town specialising in massages, which connected her with clients who recommended many people to her, leading her to buy a trailer and a Land Rover.

When she finally started working on her concept, she decided not to cut the traditional trees in the farm and used to ferry water from Marobela village.

However, Ms Hinchliffe says while she got assistance from the Local Enterprise Authority when developing the business proposal,   funders did not buy into her project.

“I have tried Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency many times and other government funding agencies but to no avail. I am currently funding the project from the little money that I get from hosting visitors,” she regrettably notes.

Ms Hinchliffe says lack of support from relevant departments that are involved in the promotion of culture and tourism has been the most disheartening as she believes she has done everything possible to demonstrate the viability of the project.

She also notes that getting permission to operate an agro-tourism project from the district council was an uphill battle as she was caught up in bureaucratic red tape, with officials taking forever to respond and even give her feedback.

This, she noted, is a killer of many projects that could help in the diversification of the economy, noting that some government officials treat service provision as a favour and that after knocking on many doors unsuccessfully seeking assistance, they decided to build the place at their own pace.

Further, she says that she eventually got the agro-tourism license after seven years.  Getting the occupation permit from the district council, she adds, was emotionally draining.

She appeals to government to remove the contradictory requirements regulating agro-tourism and integrated farming projects as they defeat local economic development initiatives. ENDS