Help Donkerbos build a better life for its children
On the fringes of the Kalahari Desert, at the end of a long, winding sand track, lies the small village of Donkerbos. After a long period of desperation, the community has ideated a number of self-help projects it wants to start. Help them raise startup capital through this crowdfuding campaign.
Donkerbos – the dark bush in Afrikaans – is a small community approximately 260 kilometres from the regional capital Gobabis in Namibia.
Most community members are Ju/’hoansi speaking San, one the indigenous peoples of Southern Africa. San communities suffer a long history of discrimination and marginalization. Formerly nomadic hunter-gatherers, they now face a reality of having to develop new livelihoods.
The Inclusive and Collaborative Local Tech Innovation Hub is supporting Donkerbos and other San communities in Namibia to crowdfund startup capital for income-generating projects that have been ideated by the communities themselves.
Donkerbos is one of our long-term partners. We support the community in needs-identification and capacity development for the projects they want to implement. Together we also undertake ground-breaking academic research, which focuses on finding ways to preserve indigenous knowledge and help communities keep their knowledge alive.
The income generating projects the community wants to start include a campsite, xxxxxx, and xxxxxxxx. Startup capital for these projects is sourced through crowdfunding and through the sales of augmented reality fridge magnets – an innovative product the community developed together with the Tech Hub.
Looking like a regular fridge magnet, the augmented reality (AR) magnets tell stories of San traditions when they are scanned by a mobile phone. Images and videos for the magnets were developed in Donkerbos. The community members participated in the ideation, scripting, photo- and videography and acting. In the process, they developed new skills in these areas and reconnected with their pride for their cultural traditions.
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Buy an augmented reality fridge magnet made in Donkerbos (deliveries possible only within Namibia)
Read personal stories of the Donkerbos community members who participated in the magnets project
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