Sustainability can be described as a way to satisfy human needs while still taking into consideration what the impact will be on the surrounding community, environment, and economy. As part of the bigger picture, some individuals have already started to be more aware of their actions for their own benefit, but also for the people around them. Sustainability and conservation are at the core of Gondwana Collection Namibia and in return also a passion for the Gondwana Care Trust.
How Gondwana Care Trust strives towards sustainability
Gondwana Care Trust strives to have a sustainable impact but also to empower communities within Namibia to be more self-sufficient and independent. Gondwana Care trust believes in helping local rural communities to better their current living standards. They do this through projects such as MealforTwo, the Back-to-school Christmas bags and the “adopt a Quiver tree” initiative. All these projects aim to make some difference in the lives of the Namibian community, youth and the environment.
In association with local Namibian soup kitchens, other organizations and Gondwana Self-sufficiency Centre, food is distributed to communities in need. This is done to ensure that Namibians do not sleep on an empty stomach and that they get sufficient nutrients to start each day. MealforTwo is currently distributing about 8000 meals a day to communities in need.
The Back-to-School Christmas bag project is an initiative to help communities and the youth to perform well in school as well as to stay in school and ultimately receiving a grade 12 certificate to enter the workforce with more confidence and to receive a higher income. This is a positive cycle, ensuring that a larger group of individuals work towards a better living standard and ultimately contributing to Namibia’s Gross domestic product (GDP). The bags can also contain products made by Namibians, this ensures that there is an income for small and female-owned businesses.
In a partnership with The Narrative Namibia, the Gondwana Care Trust launched the “Adopt a Quiver tree” initiative. The hollow branches of the Quiver Trees were used to make quivers for the arrows of the San people and through intensive stock farming has become endangered. This initiative aims to re-introduce the Quiver tree back into the environment at the Gondwana Canyon Park in the South of Namibia.
Gondwana Collection Namibia’s steps towards a sustainable Namibia
Gondwana Collection Namibia has been part of conservation in Namibia for the past 26 years and is constantly looking for new ways to incorporate sustainability into everyday activities.
Gondwana Collection properties stretch far and wide over the regions of Namibia and that includes cultures. A major part of sustainability is to not intrude on the local culture but to contribute by educating tourists about the traditions of the specific culture and also giving the opportunity for tourists to buy from them, allowing the locals to generate an income. These interactions create mutual respect and a viable income for the foreseeable future.
Gondwana Collection Namibia has adopted eco-friendly every day practices in all lodges with sustainable building materials, solar energy, recycling and running their own sustainability center where vegetables are grown and meat is sourced organically for the use of Gondwana Properties and the Namibian community.
Sustainability and the movement toward Namibia being a self-sustainable country is a continuous process and needs constant monitoring. This can only be achieved if all Namibians take hands and make this sustainable mind shift to ensure that future Namibians have a country to be proud of.