During my stay with the Ju|’hoansi tribe in the Kalahari Desert, they introduced me to the craft of creating jewellery from ostrich shell. The women and children of the tribe collect the broken shells after the ostrich chicks have hatched, utilising a resource that the ostrich no longer needs. They then chip the shells into shape, make a hole in the middle to thread them, grind them on a flat stone to smooth them off and then roast them on the fire to create different colours. I was asked by the women if I could sell some of their pieces on their behalf and I said yes! You’ll find a selection of beautiful chokers and bracelets on my shop page as well as some firelighting sticks made by my guide in Namibia, Komsta Daqm. All proceeds from the sales go directly to the makers, less postage costs, currency exchange and PayPal fees.
Another member of the tribe, Daqm Kxunta is in charge of the village garden. He is trying to grow food crops but this is a harsh climate, the rain is slight and the temperatures are rising, all of which means the yields of bush foods have not been great this year. With the village being in such a remote location, it’s also not easy to get seeds, seedlings or plants. So if you would like to send Daqm some seeds, this would be hugely beneficial to the tribe. To send the gift of a packet of seeds, please do so to:
Daqm Kxunta
Djamta!’ae Village
P.O. Box 2
Tsumkwe
NAMIBIA
They will be highly appreciated! Daqm is married to |Xoan Obbe, one of the jewellery makers. They have one child – a little girl, aged two and a half. Their daughter has cerebral palsy and we are looking for a sponsor. If this is you, please do get in touch.
The Wildbiome™️ Project
The Wildbiome Project™️ involved members of the Association of Foragers participating in a citizen science research study. They ate only wild food for either 3 months or 1 month. They were monitored for changes in body composition, blood tests for health markers. Their gut microbiome was also tested against a reference control of people eating normal shop-bought food. What we want to know is what would happen to our bodies if we had to go back to eating only wild food?
If anyone would like to take part in The Wildbiome™️ Project 2025 please get in touch and ask to be put on The Wildbiome™️ Project 2025 list – to be contacted when there’s more certainty (aka funding!). Keep up to date with it all by signing up to my newsletter and following me on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Pinterest and if you can, please donate to the Wildbiome™️ Project so we can fund the continuing research.
The Wilderness Cure is out in paperback!
I am thrilled that The Wilderness Cure is now out in paperback and is available from all good bookshops! To learn more about it, click here.
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