Kwara

We have just begun a cultural project with
the members of the Young San Cultural
Performance group.
Above you can see a picture of a tree with
some poles around it and people underneath it.
That is the beginning of our project to build what
is called a 'Kwara'.
What a Kwara is is a traditional San homestead.
The idea of the Kwara was to build a place that
was safe from animals, such as lions.
What the San would do when the resources
started to get low, they would leave food and water
for the elders while the young people went
out and found another bountiful area.Then
they would build a new Kwara and come back
and get the elders who had stayed safe in the
old one.
Though we haven't near completed this Kwara and
I think that it may take a little time due to the fact
that we will need some dry grass to build some
traditional huts. There will be some available in a
few months after the rainy season.
Still, we need to put more poles around the tree
in the vertical position and also require more
to put around horizontally. Enough to make at
least three rows.
The great part about this Kwara is that since I
arrived, David (the leader of the cultural group) was
talking about making a cultural center. I think that
he was waiting for a proposal or project to come
along.
One day a few months back he mentioned that
we should make a traditional structure that could
serve as a cultural center.
So, here we are in the process of making this
Kwara.
Thinking about it, this seems to be the best solution
for a cultural center, as it should. Also, it costs
virtually nothing to make and the members of
the group are participating and in the process
learning about the old way.
We are thinking of the possible usages of this Kwara.
As mentioned above, a cultural center and with this
as a base things like ... a place for the group to practice,
a traditional area to greet and have meetings with
government officials and also as a fantastic traditional
space if any tourists or visitors come. I can just
envision the Young Cultural performing in the Kwara
and how fantastic it is going to be to see.
David is about 30 years old and told me that he was
lucky that when he was a child he had the chance
to see one of these. In the last 25 years or so he's
never heard or seen of one. So, it is really
important that we make this Kwara as original as
we can.
We are hoping that the elders will come out and
tell us exactly how the Kwara was, in it's design
and in it's usage. Such things as where the headman
had his hut and where the cooking fire was and
so on.
So, even though we aren't finished and there are
still many things to do, I am grateful to be a part
of this and to have the opportunity to learn first
hand about the old ways of the San.
It is important that this project goes well, seeing
as there is virtually no one under 30 to 25 years
of age that's ever seen a Kwara.
In one generation, all the past traditions have been
left behind and are only a part of the elders.
Building this Kwara is not going to change the
direction that the San people are heading in.
They will eventually all have the cars and
the luxuries but we are hoping that through
efforts like these, that the young will know and see
what was their incredible way of life that ended
only a short while ago.
I am thinking that I would like to be able to continue
posting articles concerning the progress of this
Kwara and one day have a finished Kwara to
present instead of a 25% completed one. I think
that I prefer that there are a few entries before it
is done. The slower and surer it goes it seems the
more details about the how and why come out.
This project I am really excited to be a part of.