Through conversation, we learned that part of the solution lies in creating diverse work opportunities, based on traditional skills. There is a crucial need for local jobs that enable them to live partly from foraging and allow them to stay on their ancestral lands. 

For the past 18 years, the camp has created work opportunities for trackers, hunters, jewellery makers, wood sculptures, traditional sandal makers, nature guides, chefs, waiters and many more. 

Through the income generated, the village nearby is able to stay on their ancestral land and partly continue their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life, but also buy the foods and products they need and wish for. We see this collaboration as healthy symbiosis and are interested to deepen this relation for the both benefits.

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The voluntourism program is structured in a two-week rotation and you can repeat for a maximum of 8 weeks. Every two weeks, a family of the village (in total ca 180 people) is supported by the group of volunteers to build a new traditional dome house. The dome is made from locally cut grass, which is the way they build their shelters for thousands of years.

Why a thatched house?
 

Ju|'hoansi stress that the kxa|ho, "the land­scape of home," is under threat, and they want to use their traditional knowledge of building in combination with the environment around them to regain access to the resources they have lost (including skills for hunting & gathering).

As the voice of indigenous communities is often not heard and cultural heritage is being swept away or commoditised by market forces, this program wants to show how ancient and modern concepts of constructing can be combined to create an alternative for future building and housing that does not have a negative impact on the planet.

Often less advantages communities all over the world start to build housing with corrugated iron, waste material like plastic sheets or concrete. Yet, at Nhoma, we believe we can make use of the local resources to create sustainable housing for the whole village.

To reduce carbon emissions, the goal is to adopt low-cost, local materials that could be used without the need for special training or heavy equipment, so that the construction itself is accessible to everyone in the community and any volunteer with little building experience. In addition, the project uses thatching technique for the whole dome, created from the dry reeds that grow abundantly in the region.

The use of renewable materials allows the dome to decompose naturally when it has reached its end of life. 

Positive aspects of a dome house for people and planet:

✔️ Regenerative, local and decomposable materials used.

✔️ Shelters a family in an extreme climate.

✔️ Preserves traditional sustainable building technique and craft.

✔️ Cutting the local grass in the field helps slowing down annual bushfires (so-called fire corridors)

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