The San And HIV/Aids
THE San indigenous people, also known as Bushmen, are the oldest ethnic group on the African continent. They've inhabited Southern Africa for an estimated 30,000 years.
The Bushmen have lived by hunting and gathering wild berries, fruits, onions and other edible plants. Nearly 27,000 years old Bushmen rock art are found at the Matobo Hills in Zimbabwe, Tosodilo in Botswana, the Drakensberg Mountains of Lesotho and South Africa; and the Brandberg and Twyfelfontein in Namibia.
The former 'Homeland' policy of South Africa forced them to live in 'Bushman-land', which is a barren area between Omaheke and Kaudom Park. Currently, around 30,000 Bushmen are in Namibia. But nearly 2,000 of them still live in the traditional way. The Bushmen, who have lived by hunting and gathering for thousands of years, were forced to abandon their lifestyle. Hence, it is our moral obligation to provide best solutions to their major problems, such as: education, economics, cultural identity and health services with greater emphasis on HIV/AIDS.
The growing international awareness of the critical situation of the indigenous people and their remarkable contribution to humankind, led the United Nations to proclaim the International Decade for the World's Indigenous People (1994-2004). Recently, the African Commission of Human Rights and Peoples' Rights met the representatives of the Namibian Bushmen to understand their socio-economic and health issues.
After relocating a large number of Bushmen (Bas-rawa) of Botswana, from their ancestors' lands in the Central Kalahari Desert, they were suddenly exposed to the modern culture. But, the Bushmen in the resettlement camps were gradually addicted to the vices of the modern society such as alcohol, casual sex and rape.
And the HIV infection rate amongst the relocated Bushmen began to grow higher.
Mr Price, a western journalist, after visiting the relocation camp of the Basrawa (San), has said: "
There is nothing to do, literally, but sit and drink and die"
Around 2,000 Basrawa who live deep in the Kalahari desert in Botswana have avoided HIV infections as it takes two days to drive through the thick sand to reach their territory.
The majority of the Bushmen in Caprivi (Omega), Kavango, Otjozondjupa, Omaheke and other locations are highly influenced by the modern culture, abandoning their traditional hunting and gathering.
Also, due to the lack of education, trade skills, capital, healthcare and HIV/AIDS services, they have become a vulnerable section of the population in Namibia. Also, they have easily become attracted to the risky sexual behaviors that lead to HIV/AIDS. For example, the Jarawas (one of the oldest Negroid tribes in the world) of the Andaman forests in India, after being exposed to the modern society, their women began to sell sex to truck drivers.
Once a 10 000-stong Jara-was population has been reduced to around 200 after the interaction with modern society that is full of social evils - alcohol, tobacco and risky sexual behavior.
It has been reported that the Namibian Bushmen communities, after distancing themselves from the traditional way of life, have been exposed to alcohol and have begun to lose their modesty and health.
In developing countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, the improvised tribal women have become an easy prey to human traffickers, linked to the sex industry. Hence, the World Health Organization has urged its member states to implement national plans of action on the health of indigenous people.
Furthermore, the World Bank has emphasized the need for indigenous people to benefit from bank-financed development projects.
The Government of Namibia has begun to understand the importance of protecting and empowering the lives of the Bushmen.
Hence, I am very confident, that the Namibian HIV/AIDS Policy designers will recognize the need of HIV/ AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support services, targeting our Bushmen communities.
As the first step of the Bushmen HIV/AIDS Program (BHAP), the Regional Governors and Constituency Members in partnership with the businesses, NGOs, FBOs should launch the awareness programs in San (Khoisan) languages. It is necessary to identify some members from both sexes for the Training of Trainers (TOT), to work with their community.
Moreover, there should be an easy access to the Voluntary Testing and Counselling services. And, health care personnel should demonstrate friendly attitudes in handling Bushmen, who originate from our earliest ancestors who lived in the vicinity of the Kilimanjaro Mountain, since the dawn of human civilization.
The Declaration on Environment and Development adopted together with Agen-da 21 by the Rio Earth Summit in 1992,recommended that states should support the identity, culture, and interests of the indigenous people and should enable their active involvement in the achievement of sustainable development.
Also, it is necessary to protect their cultural inheritances such as art, science, rights of their knowledge of ecology and medicinal plants.
The Bushmen know approximately 250 different plants:
most of them carry high medicinal properties. For instance, the Bushmen know about a remarkable wild plant Hoodiya (or Ghapp) that grows in the southern part of Namibia. It can suppress hunger and thirst for 20 hours. Therefore, in their hunting expeditions, they use it as an appetitive and thirst suppressant.
At present, pharmaceutical companies have produced a drug to control thirst and hunger using Hoodiya.
To my mind, the Bushmen should receive adequate remuneration for their medicinal knowledge and artistic creations that pharmaceutical companies and the tourist industry use to earn profits, without transferring any financial benefits to them.
Poverty and ignorance are the key root causes of the HIV epidemic in developing countries. Therefore, the benefits of the government poverty alleviation and human development agenda, should embrace the Bushmen groups, too.
When we empower them, in return, they will actively contribute to the prosperity of our country.
During the past 30,000 years, the Bushmen have maintained a healthy and emotional relationship with Mother Nature, and she tutored Bushmen to become the hardest survivors of the earth.
Hence, it is our holy duty to nourish and protect these wonderful people from extinction.
The growing international awareness of the critical situation of the indigenous people and their remarkable contribution to humankind, led the United Nations to proclaim the International Decade for the World's Indigenous People (1994-2004). Recently, the African Commission of Human Rights and Peoples' Rights met the representatives of the Namibian Bushmen to understand their socio-economic and health issues.
After relocating a large number of Bushmen (Bas-rawa) of Botswana, from their ancestors' lands in the Central Kalahari Desert, they were suddenly exposed to the modern culture. But, the Bushmen in the resettlement camps were gradually addicted to the vices of the modern society such as alcohol, casual sex and rape.
And the HIV infection rate amongst the relocated Bushmen began to grow higher.
Mr Price, a western journalist, after visiting the relocation camp of the Basrawa (San), has said: "
There is nothing to do, literally, but sit and drink and die"
Around 2,000 Basrawa who live deep in the Kalahari desert in Botswana have avoided HIV infections as it takes two days to drive through the thick sand to reach their territory.
The majority of the Bushmen in Caprivi (Omega), Kavango, Otjozondjupa, Omaheke and other locations are highly influenced by the modern culture, abandoning their traditional hunting and gathering.
Also, due to the lack of education, trade skills, capital, healthcare and HIV/AIDS services, they have become a vulnerable section of the population in Namibia. Also, they have easily become attracted to the risky sexual behaviors that lead to HIV/AIDS. For example, the Jarawas (one of the oldest Negroid tribes in the world) of the Andaman forests in India, after being exposed to the modern society, their women began to sell sex to truck drivers.
Once a 10 000-stong Jara-was population has been reduced to around 200 after the interaction with modern society that is full of social evils - alcohol, tobacco and risky sexual behavior.
It has been reported that the Namibian Bushmen communities, after distancing themselves from the traditional way of life, have been exposed to alcohol and have begun to lose their modesty and health.
In developing countries, such as India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, the improvised tribal women have become an easy prey to human traffickers, linked to the sex industry. Hence, the World Health Organization has urged its member states to implement national plans of action on the health of indigenous people.
Furthermore, the World Bank has emphasized the need for indigenous people to benefit from bank-financed development projects.
The Government of Namibia has begun to understand the importance of protecting and empowering the lives of the Bushmen.
Hence, I am very confident, that the Namibian HIV/AIDS Policy designers will recognize the need of HIV/ AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support services, targeting our Bushmen communities.
As the first step of the Bushmen HIV/AIDS Program (BHAP), the Regional Governors and Constituency Members in partnership with the businesses, NGOs, FBOs should launch the awareness programs in San (Khoisan) languages. It is necessary to identify some members from both sexes for the Training of Trainers (TOT), to work with their community.
Moreover, there should be an easy access to the Voluntary Testing and Counselling services. And, health care personnel should demonstrate friendly attitudes in handling Bushmen, who originate from our earliest ancestors who lived in the vicinity of the Kilimanjaro Mountain, since the dawn of human civilization.
The Declaration on Environment and Development adopted together with Agen-da 21 by the Rio Earth Summit in 1992,recommended that states should support the identity, culture, and interests of the indigenous people and should enable their active involvement in the achievement of sustainable development.
Also, it is necessary to protect their cultural inheritances such as art, science, rights of their knowledge of ecology and medicinal plants.
The Bushmen know approximately 250 different plants:
most of them carry high medicinal properties. For instance, the Bushmen know about a remarkable wild plant Hoodiya (or Ghapp) that grows in the southern part of Namibia. It can suppress hunger and thirst for 20 hours. Therefore, in their hunting expeditions, they use it as an appetitive and thirst suppressant.
At present, pharmaceutical companies have produced a drug to control thirst and hunger using Hoodiya.
To my mind, the Bushmen should receive adequate remuneration for their medicinal knowledge and artistic creations that pharmaceutical companies and the tourist industry use to earn profits, without transferring any financial benefits to them.
Poverty and ignorance are the key root causes of the HIV epidemic in developing countries. Therefore, the benefits of the government poverty alleviation and human development agenda, should embrace the Bushmen groups, too.
When we empower them, in return, they will actively contribute to the prosperity of our country.
During the past 30,000 years, the Bushmen have maintained a healthy and emotional relationship with Mother Nature, and she tutored Bushmen to become the hardest survivors of the earth.
Hence, it is our holy duty to nourish and protect these wonderful people from extinction.
-
13 Septembre 2005 à 13:04 dans
- English
