Mbunza infrastructure project (part 1) completed

Thanks to a very generous donation of €3,600 from Ms. Ute Schmidt-Rohr, we were able to successfully complete the first part of the water infrastructure project at the Mbunza Living Museum.

A pump was installed at the Samsitu campsite very close to the Living Museum and it continuously pumps water via a small mini-pipeline into a 2500m³ tank at the museum. Thus, for the first time since the opening in 2011, the museum project workers have a regulated water supply directly at the project site.

The overflow of the water pumped into the tank flows into the Samsitu Lake right next to the Living Museum. This lake is a small paradise for birds. Unfortunately it had been drying up regularly in the last 10 years, since the Kavango has often had low water and hardly ever leaves its banks even during high tide. Due to the steady inflow from the tank, the Samsitu Lake will no longer dry out and will form a reliable water reservoir for animals and birds.

The water you see in the picture came from the overflow of the tank within a month

In addition to the access to drinking water, this is advantageous for the Living Museum for two other reasons:

1. First, the number of fish, which have regularly been in decline because of the drying up of the lake, can recover. In particular the Mbunza fish, after which the Mbunza ethnic group is named, is one of their basic foods and can now reproduce permanently in Lake Samsitu and contribute to the food security of the project workers. Other species of fish such as tilapia (an African perch species) and catfish can also be introduced into the lake.

2. Secondly, a boat trip with the traditional canoe - a really special program point of the Mbunza Living Museum - can now always be carried out thanks to the constant waterlevel in the Samsitu Lake. This will help increase the Mbunza's income.

Dear Mrs. Schmidt-Rohr, we would like to thank you once again as Living Culture Namibia e.V. and on behalf of the Mbunza community for this generous donation!

Part 2 of the Mbunza infrastructure project

For the second part of the project we are waiting for further donations. The aim is to build a small toilet and shower house to support a local campsite that can contribute to the project's income.
For this development project we need another ca 9,000 €.

Call for donations: Mbunza

If you would like to help the Mbunza in northern Namibia, you are welcome to participate in the donation project:

• Living Culture Namibia e.V.
• IBAN: DE26 8105 0555 3060 0115 66
• BIC-/SWIFT-Code: NOLADE21SDL
• Kreissparkasse Stendal
• Subject: Projekt Mbunza