Grande Maison

Giving the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen a voice for the future

We live in a time of rapid globalisation; billowing homogeny swallowing up the rare and the different, history is being stripped away. The subjects of photographer David Bruce’s lifelong project - The ‘Ju/’hoansi Bushmen of the Kalahari - a sui generis tribe of Namibia, make up the last remaining indigenous culture on their ancestral ground of the western Kalahari. A rich past is being swallowed up by an all-too-hasty future.

The Bushmen call David Bruce “The man who hears” - for although he wears a bone-anchor hearing-aid, David is an artist who truly listens. 26 years of his life has been dedicated to lending his lens to this indigenous culture, raising real awareness for their struggle and preserving their traditions for the benefit of all our futures. These fading values of a true community are priceless for the development of our own Western societies, but without a strong education they will continue to be marginalised.

Now “The man who hears” takes a new and crucial step in his work with the Ju/’hoansi. Realising his vision of secure and sustainable village schools for the next generation of the Ju/’hoansi. These schools will strengthen the Ju/’hoan children’s connections with their ancestral traditions, culture and language, while also introducing them to the ways of a globalised, digital world. The Nyae Nyae Village Schools project will cultivate a loud and unique voice for the future of the Ju/’hoansi.

Mirroring this crucial step in the Ju/’hoansi bushmen’s journey, David Bruce will also create a new photographic collection entitled The Ju/’hoansi . A rich, detailed project, depicting the life of the tribe today. The Ju/’hoansi will raise even more awareness where it matters, increasing support for The Village Schools project and letting those of us in the West learn from the Ju/’hoansi’s incredible connection with the world around them. Be part of it. Stay connected. Donate today.

Why should we listen?

Cultures like the Ju/’hoansi can teach us so much about the world we live in. They are a
beautiful reminder of what we all once were, native to nature. However, it is our
responsibility to help them survive. Photographer David Bruce, founder of the Ju/’hoansi Development Fund, left a life in bustling London, a career in creative advertising, and instead made a pilgrimage: a quarter of a century with the indigenous bushmen of Namibia - learning from them, and becoming deeply inspired by their traditions.

“The Bushmen lived not outside the realm of nature, but as part of nature. Each plant and each animal has its own being, its own life and purpose, which the Ju/‘hoansi Bushmen are a part of.” - David Bruce

By learning from the fading values of the Bushmen, we can save our own futures from ultimate digitalisation. As the technological revolution grows click by click, we must also strengthen our own connection to the natural world, lest we lose touch. We must use the power of technology for good, to forge those links once more, and donating through platforms like this.

“The Ju/’hoansi ” - a voice for the future
Click by click, photographer David Bruce will make his way across the startling plains of Namibia, photographing with unflinching honesty the native ground which the Ju/’hoansi are having stripped away from them. The power of one machine - the right camera - in the hands of David Bruce can raise real awareness. The right photo can inspire real change, giving the Ju/’hoansi the voice they deserve.

"Southern African landscapes are bound by a common thread: the biological importance and fragility of wilderness regions and the human-wildlife conflict that exists. This is a subject has that not been explored from an art perspective. It focuses not only on the threat of wildlife species, but attempts to create the atmosphere and beauty of the subject. Working with well known conservationists will give the project added depth. " - David Bruce

The rich resolution of each of David Bruce’s photographs creates depth like no other, a true feeling of ‘being there’. By putting the viewer inside the photograph, David Bruce creates a real connection with these landscapes. When a real connection is made, real awareness is possible, and with that awareness comes the possibility for change. Photographically this is uncharted waters, and gives the Ju/’hoansi the voice they need and deserve, and the power to raise more awareness for the village schools project.

Education in the Nyae Nyae Village Schools

Educating children arms them with the courage and self-confidence to better
themselves, their families, their communities, and ultimately the next generation. The importance of education in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy is to promote the social and cultural development of the Ju/'hoansi people, and it is in schools that this can safely and enjoyably be realised.
The Nyae Nyae Village Schools were initiated in 1993, to provide education to young Ju/'hoan learners closer to their home villages, in their own language, by teachers of their own community. The schools consist of five small lower primary Village Schools (Grade 1-4) located in five villages, each with there own catchment area. The Village Schools are the only schools in Southern Africa where Ju/’hoan learners are taught in mother tongue.
The birth of the the Village Schools project was step towards a safer, more familiar and
more comfortable environment. 25 years later, the Village Schools are on the brink of
collapse with no infrastructural development since their inception. Three schools currently consist of rudimentary classrooms in various states of decay, and two schools are in a large tent. Teachers and visiting learners are forced to sleep in tents or classrooms.

Currently, the lack of school infrastructure and food storage means the Village Schools
do not qualify for the Namibian 'Hostel Feeding Program'. Food delivery to the schools therefore consists only of maize meal. The schools have no access to transport, and the school principal /Ui sa /Ui, currently uses his own vehicle to deliver school supplies. Lack of transport effects visiting learners, who have to walk home on weekends, often encountering elephants. Teachers are forced to hike to obtain pay and supplies. As a result schools learners and teachers are absent, and countless school days are lost.

(Re-) Building the future

David Bruce’s vision of restructured Village Schools (Grade 1 - 4) is based on holistic
Ju/‘hoan values, incorporating traditional and formal education systems, with a design that reflects Ju/'hoan culture, and the security needs of young learners. This is a vision based on 26 years living with the Ju/’hoansi people, from the “man who hears”. With environmentally friendly, sustainable, functional and low maintenance rebuilding, using local materials and Ju/‘hoan labour, these schools will be structured in a strong,
sustainable manner. The services of Nina Maritz Architects, well-known for her
appropriate design in Namibia, have been retained for that purpose.

The Nyae Nyae Village Schools project will do more than build these schools: it will be
support learners and teachers for a period of five years, facilitating ongoing teacher
training, community involvement, support to school staff, parents, and the community at large. In addition, the issues with food and transport that currently affect the schools will be addressed. A transport network will service the schools, including a school bus and a delivery vehicle, transporting learners, teachers, food and school supplies. The new Village Schools will qualify for the government Hostel Feeding Program, and be supplemented with vegetable gardens at each school.

Costs

The estimated costs of building one Village School, including furnishing, school materials, feeding, transport and teacher training over a period of 5 years is N$ 5 million (Namibian Dollars) / US$ 326,500 (US Dollars), or €256,530 (Euros) .
Individual donors have been approached for their contributions by the Nyae Nyae
Conservancy, but we intend to use this page as a start-up fundraiser where potential
donors like yourself can make a real difference, give the Ju/’hoansi a voice for their future, and get something special in return.