2021 Annual Report

The three artworks featured in the 2021 Ditikeni Annual Report are formed from hand-made ostrich eggshell beads on cloth, and represent different traditional healing plants found in the Kalahari. They have been created by three Ju/‘hoansi artists from a San resettlement farm in the Omaheke region of Namibia: MARA BRITZ, MAGDALENA STUURMAN AND LENA TSUEB. They employ a traditional style hundreds of years old, and their portrayal of medicinal herbs enlivens our theme of “healing” in the midst of the pandemic. The women belong to the Omba Arts Trust, a social enterprise which has been working in Namibia since the early 1990s with 400 rural artisans in nine regions of the country. In particular Omba supports San living on resettlements, most of whom depend almost entirely on the income they receive from their crafts or art. The majority of Omba artisans are women, and many are single heads of households.