09 Aug 2023

As urbanisation continues to threaten cultural and traditional values, Xere villagers resolved to preserve and document their culture through the establishment of a cultural centre while improving the village economy.

Located 15km west of Rakops and 30km to the eastern side of Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Xere is the hub of the Basarwa culture, possessing undisturbed ecosystem.

The serenity, tranquil of the area, the existence of indigenous plants, the rich indigenous knowledge and wild animals found in the area is a wonder, with the lowest population amongst all Boteti West villages which stands at 400.

Their efforts are plain that they do not want their existence to be a history.

Xere’s formation dates back to 2002 after one group of the Basarwa was moved from CKGR, while some relocated to New Xade, and others to Kaudwane. They still have some relatives in CKGR in Metsiamanong and Molapo.

The community formed and registered a Community Based Organisation in 2012 called Xere Conservation Trust to help manage natural resources in their area and generate revenue.

The aim was to document their indigenous knowledge, traditional dance commonly known as Tsutsube, traditional songs, medicinal healing products from natural resources and processes.

University of Botswana was brought on board to assist in documentation of knowledge, skills and culture of the people of Xere.

The chairperson of Technical Advisory Committee in Boteti Ms Keitumetse Kewagamang, said the University of Botswana conducted workshops to profile indigenous knowledge and skills of the people of Xere.

Through the workshop the residents realised that they could trade and generate income through their unique traditional dance skills, the exceptional knowledge of traditional medicinal products such as mochancha which is a protein supplement, and another medicinal product used for protection of those going on a hunting spree against an attack by wild animals among others.

Initially the community had planned to establish a cultural village along the road leading to CKGR which would comprise of mogwaafatshe rooms, administration block, museum and campsites.

Due to low funding they had to downsize the project from a cultural village to a cultural centre. The project was funded at a tune of P451 000 through Small Grants Programme.

Funding will cover three key areas cultural centre establishment, training and undertaking of a cultural event.

With the low budget, they started  the first phase of the project which is five megwaafatshe rooms (Sesarwa traditional huts). The trust has three plots 7.7 hectares cultural village, two hectares farm and 50 metres by 50 office plot.

Each mogwaafatshe has its own significance and it comprises of a nursing mother’s confinement room, the nursing mothers’ care takers’ room, a traditional doctor’s consultation room and a storeroom for medicinal products.

Xere Conservation Trust Deputy Chairperson Batshwanetse Keabuile said the aim was to showcase how a nursing mother is taken care of during the confinement period, the traditional doctor’s consultation room will be used to showcase how a traditional doctor assists patients, as well as the storeroom to display the medicinal products used by the traditional doctor.

The trust applied for extension  of the cultural centre to add an artefacts display centre which would comprise of a reception, administration office, conference room, kiosk and a mini-museum display.

Entrance to the cultural centre will  be at a fee and the funds raised will be invested into the community as the project is expected to create employment.

University of Botswana Centre for research has engaged six students from Xere on residential internship, to equip them with management skills to run the centre. The internship is also  aimed at developing human capacity within Xere to manage economic programmes and conserve cultural resources.

As a move to create employment opportunities and empower the people of Xere, the intention is to train nine youths from Xere to undergo professional tour guide course, accounting and Bookkeeping business skills.

Socio-economically, Xere is one of those villages still struggling with the most basic of necessities, such as high poverty rate and almost non-existent economic opportunities.

Other challenges in the village are heavy dependence on government social safety nets provided for under the Remote Area Development Policy of 2009.

With assistance from Technical Advisory Committee and Birdlife Botswana, Xere Conservation Trust accessed funding to do their first ever project in 2017 from GEF/SGP.

Kewagamang said they have planned Xere Cultural Festival scheduled for September 2023, and the objective is to enhance local economic benefit using the most available and unique and services in the area.

It is also intended to provide additional tourism product experience to the traditional photographic and hunting tourism in Botswana.

Kgosi Molaodi Moipolai of Xere said the project would address illicit behaviour amongst the youth as it would create job opportunities.

He expressed concern with regard to the diminishing understanding of the native language of the Basarwa amongst the youth in Xere, calling for the use of the language in schools.

Most of Basarwa according to Kgosi Moipolai are slowly moving away from their culture, and were in to churches while some use drugs, citing that he used to assist people who were in pain using knowledge he acquired through guidance from the ancestors and has since lost that knowledge.

Kgosi Moipolai said the Basarwa were knowledgeable and skilled in curing children illnesses, leather tanning and basket weaving.

The Basarwa natives used to design handmade clothes using animal skin, indicating that they used gemsbok leather to make shorts, long-pants and jackets. They used fairy animal skin called mothose to make blankets.

Their aim is to teach the youngsters hunting skills, teaching them how they could trap wild animals, therefore they ache to be allocated a portion of land within CKGR so that they could showcase their culture. Ends