Bring new life in Platfontein

Every moment counts

The people of Platfontein (the !Xun and Khwe tribes) were once peaceful hunters and gatherers. They were forced to join the army and fight against groups that were fighting for independence. Both Angola and Namibia became independent after years of fighting. Fearing persecution, the !Xun and Khwe decided to leave their homelands. When the South African Defence Force withdrew, they went with them and ended up in a military tent camp in Schmidtsdrift. They were forced to move again after a successful land claim by the Batlhaping and Griqua tribes. Although the !Xun and Khwe were eventually given their own piece of land in Platfontein, they were subsequently abandoned by the government.

The situation has hardly changed for more than 20 years. There are still hardly any income and employment opportunities and agriculture is almost non-existent, leading to severe food shortages.

Families in Platfontein have insufficient food and often have only 3 meals per week, suffering hunger every week. Starvation remains a real problem to this day. Most people suffer from chronic malnutrition. Many children lack vital minerals and vitamins, which in turn leads to developmental delays.