Together with the Bushman, the Damara belong to the oldest nations in Namibia. The Damara are thought to be of Bantu origin who speak a Khoisan dialect. It is speculated that the Damara were the first people to migrate to Namibia from the north. Their original culture was a mixture of an archaic hunter-gatherer culture and herders of cattle, goats and sheep. Due to their loose social structures the Damara were not able to 'defend' their culture during the colonization of Namibia, but today we see this situation reversing and once again the Damara culture is flourishing.

The Living Culture Foundation Namibia (LCFN) is a non-profit, German-Namibian organization, which focuses on cultural cooperation in rural areas in Namibia. The aim of LCFN is to help Namibian communities establish Living Museums.

∙ Fight against poverty in Namibia
∙ Preservation of traditional culture
∙ Creation of a cultural and intercultural exchange

Visitors of the Living Museums can learn about the interesting cultures of Namibian language groups as well as getting to know the people of Namibia. Every visit to a Living Museum actively contributes to the preservation of traditional culture and the creation of a source of income in rural areas.

The Living Museum of the Damara close to Twyfelfontein is the first traditional Damara project in Namibia and the only one of its kind. Within the framework of the Living Museum of the Damara, an attempt was made to reconstruct the 'lost culture' of the Damara. Visitors now have the opportunity to experience the traditional culture of the Damara, and in so doing help preserve it and help provide a regular income for the Damara community that built the museum.

→ http://www.lcfn.info/living-museums

All Photographs, Copyright Living Culture Foundation Namibia. Visit the http://www.lcfn.info/living-museums

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