By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK One of the pacesetters of the conservancy concept in communal areas of Namibia, ?Khadi //HÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚´as, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. Scores of people are expected in the conservancy, located in the Grootberg area in the Sesfontein Constituency, to celebrate a decade of conservation in the conservancy on Friday and Saturday. ?Khoadi //HÃÆ’Æ‘Æ‘ÃÆ”šÃ‚´as, meaning Elephant’s Corner, was gazetted in June 1998, and is among the first four that were established after the government introduced legislation in 1996 that gave conditional use of rights over wildlife to communities in rural areas of Namibia. The other three are Salambala in Caprivi Region, Nyaenyae in Otjozondjupa and Torra also in the Kunene Region. Since then, 50 local communities in communal areas have embraced this opportunity to manage their own wildlife and tourism activities. The conservancy concept, according to a Review of Progress and Challenges of Namibia’s Communal Conservancies, has proved effective as a rural development strategy for income-generation and for bringing in new jobs, and also a conservancy strategy for increase in many rural areas. In the ten-year period of its existence, conservancy chairman, Arthur Ndjitezeua, said the conservancy concept has brought in employment opportunities, infrastructure development and more wildlife. He told New Era this week the conservancy would be celebrating achievements that the concept has brought to the rural area such as the Grootberg Lodge – a joint venture partnership with Ecologistics and the Hoada (everyone’s) campsite. Among other benefits, the conservancy distributed its first small-stock loans to some of its members, it operates a soup kitchen for the elderly, gives financial assistance to some schools in the area and also supplies diesel for livestock farmers. So far around 30 community members have been employed at the conservancy office, Grootberg Lodge and the Hoada Campsite. It also derives an income from trophy-hunting. The conservancy prides itself on its wildlife and culture, with its major wildlife source being elephant, black rhino, leopard, mountain zebra, kudu, oryx, ostrich, springbok, steenbok, giraffe, duiker, klipspringer, warthog, hyena, jackal and cheetah. Environment and Tourism Minister Reverend Willem Konjore and Kunene Regional Governor Dudu Murorua are among the invitees to the celebrations that will also bring together non-governmental organizations working in partnership with the conservancy. The celebrations to be held on May 25 and 26 will be marked by speeches, cultural dances and sports activities.