Camp Information

the image of which we have once arrive at the camp is a mixture feeling of how is the camp and what are we expecting from this place.

Treesleeper Campsite as the name is translated from,n they are up platform been constructed in tree and tent can be build in this platform and people can have the feeling of the translation of the name and it orgine people. the camp consist of 12 campsite and the campsite six of them are contructed with the platform and the other six have no platform. the campsite have a private shower and toilet and a braai place and a tablee just in case you did not bring yours, other things needed at the campsite can be ask at the office just in case. some other campsite have a community type of ablution block with water water been provided by our solar system instal in most of the camp.

at the camp to quinst your thirst we have one of the best bar in the area, well relaxing looking at the once a river flowing but only in summer rain season and enjoy your beer or soft drink have a look at some of the birds chanting for you just to make feel welcome and expect the evening with one of the most amazing african sky foul of stars and have one of our qualify guide show you some of the most common way of know our southern africa sky.

for many who like to know more about this hiden, we have a way of reviving it for you at the campsite and our activity will make sure that you catch one thing to two. combine our bushwalk and village Visit just for you to remove the doubt you have in you and been part of this project as your visit contribute troumadasly toward community development and trust of the San people. but if have time why not join us around the and learn more of the way of life of the san with some most touch history of this people, the traditional dance just make it imposible for you to leave without knowing how and when people were happy and not?




our journey is our to make it for you

Background of Tsantsibis

Background


Treesleeper Camp is a community project first of all. The idea is development in this village and promote culture respect.

The Foundation for Sustainable Tourism in Namibia (FSTN) has been set up in order to realise Camp project in Tsintsabis,and It is a Dutch legal body. The FSTN has 5 board members, them being:

Stasja Koot, M.A.: Chairman
Jan Peter Loovers, MA: Secretary
Ferry Bounin, M.A.: Treasurer
Jan Willem den Heeten, M.A. Board member
Dr. Walter van Beek (associate professor): Board member, advisor



the aim of the project of which both the FSTN and the Tsintsabis Trust are as follow:

1. Extra income: in Tsintsabis there is a need for more sources of income besides agriculture. Tourism will stimulate the small scale economy;
2. Employment: many of the local youngsters think positively about tourism. A fair number of them speak English and is looking for work;
3. Extra focus on improvement of the position of women;
4. Increase of self-esteem of the people by a positive approach of their culture;
5. From an ethical point of view the project is very desirable: in the past the Hei//omn Bushmen were driven out of this area, including the Etosha National Park. By including them in profiting from the growing tourism in their region, they ‘get back a little of what was once taken from them’. Realise that Tsintsabis is a resettlement farm owned by the government of Namibia (the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement) and Hei//omn people are the only ethnical group in Namibia without land of their own;
6. Ecological awareness for tourists as well as inhabitants of Tsintsabis.

The building up of the camp site, the fundraising and the trainings have mostly been done by the FSTN during the years 2002 until 2007. The FSTN has also helped founding the local legal body, the Tsintsabis Trust, who are the legal owner of the project.



Currently the FSTN is still responsible for this website. Also, the chairman of the FSTN, Stasja Koot, still writes articles for the website www.hoever.nl, most of them based on the experiences of Treesleeper Camp.



In the whole process of setting up Treesleeper Camp we (the FSTN and the Tsintsabis Trust) have had a lot of help from many organisations. In some cases they are donors, in other cases NGO’s and/or other institutions. We hereby like to thank the following institutions (for more information click on the link):

In Holland:
Cordaid, www.cordaid.nl;
Dutch Embassy of Namibia (in 2006 this has been replaced by the Honorary Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands), www.namibianederland.net;
E3VS, www.e3vs.nl;
Fortis Foundation Nederland, www.fortisfoundation.nl;
Nederlandse Commissie voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling, www.ncdo.nl;
Stichting Emmaus Haarzuilens, www.emmaus-utrecht.nl;
Stichting Kune Zuva, www.kunezuva.nl;
Stichting Wilde Ganzen, www.wildeganzen.nl;



In Namibia:
Bicycle Employment Network Namibia, www.benbikes.org.za;
Embassy of the United States of America, (the Self-Help Programme), www.windhoek.usembassy.gov;
Legal Assistance Centre, www.lac.org.na;
Namibia Nature Foundation, www.nnf.org.na;
Penduka, www.penduka.com;
Raleigh International Namibia, www.raleighinternational.org;
Voluntary Services Overseas, www.vso.org.uk.



For anybody who is interested in more background information on Tsintsabis, Treesleeper

facts about namibia

Overview of Namibia

Namibia, situated along the southern western coast of the African continent, is truly a land of remarkable contrast with a land surface of 824 269 square kilometers, it is nearly four times the size of Great Britain.

Despite its size, it is one of the most sparely populated countries in Africa with an estimated population of 2 million people. The north central part of the country is the most densely populated area with an average of 26 people per square kilometer, more than ten times of the national average.

Climate

The small population is due to the fact that Namibia is the most arid country south of the Sahara with an annual average rainfall that varies from a meager 10 mm along the coast to 700 mm in the northeast. About 55 % of the country is classified as either Arid or extremely Arid. The national average rainfall is 270 mm a year, expect for the far south which is a winter rainfall area and more than 70 % of the country’s rainfall is recorded between December and March.

Namibia is a country of blue skies and a pleasant climate, the summer months are hot and temperatures of 35 degree or higher are common in the south and in the north of the country.

Winter days are pleasant, but the minimum temperature can drop to below zero in mid winter. Fog is a common occurrence along the coast, but currently lifts around mid morning and settles again in the afternoon.

Landscape

The country’s landscape is kaleidoscope-changing. From the Namib with its sand dunes at the sea in the west to teak woodlands and waterways in the northeast. The Namib Desert in the west and the Kalahari Desert in the east account for 22 % of the country’s surface, while savanna type vegetation are characteristic of 58 % of the Namibian landscape. The remaining 22 % is represented by the African tree-savanna and woodland in the far north and northeast.

People

Namibia’s people are divers; ranging from the pastoral Himba in the northwest, the San in the east. Tall of stature, Himba men somewhat resemble with the Masai of the east of Africa, while the woman cover their bodies in the red ochre. Culturally they form part of the Herero people in the east. The San no longer pursue an exclusively hunter-gather existence, but are struggling to adapt to a new way of life.

The major population groups are the Ovambo, which consists of eight cultural groups. The Kavango people consist of five cultural groups. Further groups are the Damara, Nama and Herero. Smaller groups include the Mafwe and Masubia in the Caprivi, the Busters, San, Coloured, Tswana and the White of European descent.

History: Colonization & Independence

With a history after the arrival of the major colonist, colonize by Germany in 1884, thirty years under the German rules but things just changed after the First World War in 1918 when Namibia became administrated by South Africa from 1917 up to the day of independence.

Between 1966 and 1989, a liberation movement called SWAPO (south west Africa people organization) emerges with the aim to fight the South Africa rule in Namibia to the bitter end. With its wing called PLAN (people liberation army of Namibia) armed struggle against South Africa which finally led to the implementation of the united nation Resolution 435 on April 1st 1989 and one year later to independence of the country. Namibian became independent on March 21st 1990. While only four years later Walvis Bay enclave was reintegrated on March 1st 1994.

Administration

For the administration purpose the country has been divided into 13 regions, administrated by Regional Councils. The bicameral Parliament consist of the National Assembly which has 72 MPs elects on proportional basis every five years and six Nominated MPs, and the 26 member of the National Council.

Economy

Namibia is one of the top Diamond producing countries in the world while Uranium, Tin, Copper, Lead and Zinc are the important minerals. The Agricultural, Fishing and Mining industries account for more than 25 % of the country GDP, Tourism is the major economic activity.

Treesleeper Camp is a beautiful, exclusive camp site in the bush nearby the village of Tsintsabis in the area of Tsumeb in Namibia. It is a community based and sustainable tourism project with a strong focus on the culture of the Bushmen (San) people, the first inhabitants tribe of the Southern Africa. In fact, the name ‘Treesleeper’ is a translation from ‘Hei//omn tribe used to live in the Etosha national park.

Treesleeper Camp is perfectly located nearby the world famous Etosha National Park and has, apart from great community project, some very interest ing activities are offered such as bushwalk village visit and tradition dance around the fire with a professional local tour guide.

join us on this journey of cultural discovery with us.