Training measures for female guides on the cultural heritage of the region

Project management: Tilman Lenssen-Erz

Cooperation partners: Namibian Association of CBT Support Organizations (NACSO); Daureb Mountain Guides; Tsiseb Conservancy

Funding: Jutta Vogel Foundation of the University of Cologne

The Brandberg, locally known as Dâureb, attracts an ever-growing number of tourists, who come primarily to see the rock painting of the “White Lady.” But hundreds of visitors now also come every year for challenging trekking tours in the upper reaches of the mountain. With the establishment of the Daureb Mountain Guides (DMG) by the National Heritage Council, the management of tourist flows, especially in the area of the “White Lady,” has improved significantly in recent years. Among these DMGs, all young adults from the nearby town of Uis, there are several highly qualified female guides, but none of them have ever climbed the upper mountain – mainly out of unjustified respect. Their male colleagues, on the other hand, are happy to accept the necessary hardships simply because of the higher income they can earn.

A training course on Mount Brandberg aims to help change this gender imbalance. Under the guidance of Angula Shipahu, the best local expert on the mountain, as well as Marie-Theres Erz and Tilman Lenssen-Erz, the women will learn everything that makes a good mountain guide: specialist knowledge of the upper regions, knowledge of vital water sources and passable routes in the pathless mountains. In addition, they will learn about communication techniques, leadership principles, safety, health, hygiene, and ecology—and, of course, archaeology, rock art, and natural history. Acquiring such knowledge and skills as part of an extraordinary and demanding physical experience will strengthen the young women's professional qualifications as well as their self-confidence.