African Creatives worked with Wild Artefacts on Dinaka Lodge project in the Kalahari. Incorporating locally made spears, leather works, wooden items and ostrich egg shell tied the heritage of the Kalahari into the design.
by supplying people with art materials, they were able to make and sell their traditional crafts
Sandi Albertson is the founder of Wild Artefacts and is an artist and a healer. Wild Artefacts has been her brain child for more than 10 years ago. She discovered that the communities her husband was involved with needed support in order to make a living from their traditional crafts. She found that by supplying people with art materials, they were able to make and sell their traditional crafts. Enabling livelihoods out of community skills is a great way to continue traditional ways of life and be able to achieve an income.
Sandi works mostly with Ju/Koansi San within the north west of Botswana. In these areas there is not much money and their way of life has needed to adapt over recent decades. The geographical line between Botswana and Namibia cuts through their traditional lands. With no passports and family on either side of the boarder, it’s not been possible to continue the nomadic way of living. However they do seasonal gathering in their specific territories and currently continue many of their traditional practises. When it comes to the crafts they make there is not easy access to thread and beads. Wild Artefacts is a passion and a way of life for Sandi. Please contact her for more information: wildartefact@gmail.com.
Written by Amy Fletcher
