Life with the desert elephants at Brandberg region Consider what Erenst !Areseb has done in his first 25 years. By European and American standards, his life is thought to be primitive. But with a few resources, he has built a campground with running water, flush toilets and a shower. He had a wood burning hot water shower, too, but, in their search for water, the local elephants destroyed it along with his first shower stall. To Erenst he solved the problem and discovered he could put showers and toilet in the bushes where the elephants would not bother them. Even though he had to quit school after the fifth grade to support his family, he has a natural engineering skill that is the envy of those who have seen his accomplishments.
 Selma, Erenst’s wife, is teaching herself how to use a computer creating a new engineering challenge for Erenst. He is now trying to get solar power into his home so that his wife will be able to put her skills to use.“She said she will leave me if I don’t get power hooked up,” he joked. On days when Selma isn’t at their home, she’s in Uis where she works at the local grocery story to help with expenses. Erenst’s and Selma’s goal is to be able to make certain their children have an education. So, when school is in session, his four children live with their grandmother in Uis and walk to the school.
 Spend a day with Erenst and discover the recent history of the Damara people who live on this communal land along the Ugab River—a river that flows only a few days a year. Before he could establish himself as a goat farmer and build a campground, he needed the approval of the local tribal chief. The government also required a pledge that he would neither harm the landscape nor kill any of the indigenous animals.
That pledge meant that he had to leave the elephants alone even though they destroyed what he had built. Also during that day, Erenst will teach you the four different and distinctive “clicks” of the Damara language. A few more days and he will probably have his guests speaking the language so the locals will understand.
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