botswana: Girl's desperate plea from the desert

A desperate plea from a 'Bushman' girl holding out in Botswana's Central Kalahari Game Reserve has been received by Survival International. The letter was handed to an Italian tourist visiting the reserve, who passed it to Survival. In the letter the unnamed girl says, 'Tell other countries [about our plight] so that if we die they will know there were people in this area... Margaret Nasha [minister in charge of the relocation] has sentenced us to death because of water... The government of Botswana forced Basarwa (Bushmen) from Central Kalahari Game Reserve to new villages... some people of Gugama (village) we refused to move... Help us with food and water.'