We spoke with Q7, an agro-economist invested in indigenous food knowledge and healing. Today he starts a long hike to collect and raise funds for reusable sanitary pads for rural indigenous communities.

The walk is from Graaf Reinet to Derus, Dysselsdorp, Outshoorn, Hermanus and then into Hout Bay, Cape Town where he will get ready to walk to Namibia with Khoi and San people and Canadian indigenous walkers.

If you would like to donate to this fund, please contact:

Vanessa Black on +27824728844 or

Q7 Beckett on +27720501835

Email: thebushmanbeckett@gmail.com

Who is Q7?

My name is Q Beckett known as Q7. I’m a Khoisan huntsman and healer. And what I do is teach indigenous communities how to live sustainably, not just as bushman, but as modern bushman as well. My humanitarian efforts are to assist people in remote areas where basic help is either, hard to get or none at all. I’m co-founder and chairman of a co-op called Project Mantis that does a range of workshops on food security, arts and culture, and youth development.

What would you love people to know about you and your work?

I’d love for people to know more about the Khoe and San, the culture, practices and healings and that our indigenous communities can start having more dialogues with other tribes and people’s.

I perform medicinal plant-based healing and make a wide range of pain oils, with a great variety of herbs and plants. I have facial nerve damage and I control this pain, that I have permanently in my life, with mostly plants and no chemicals. A dentist in Durban KZN left me with dental malpractice. Even this walk I’m taking can affect my face greatly. I’m permanently damaged for seven years to date.

Share one of your highlights from working in your field and what it means to you

This walk means a lot to me because I’m going out there to teach people sustainable living and natural cures, treatment and prevention. But most importantly it’s to do photography of our living conditions and standards. To show what it is to be indigenous in this day and age, and how being marginalized and neglected, creates a gap for abuse, drugs and violence

What do you envision for transformation to happen?

Transformation as an indigenous humanitarian would come to pass when we have full rights in this country to practice our culture and traditions and when we identified correctly as Khoe and San.

Why are collaborative spaces important for communities?

We define our spaces by who we are and what we say and do. I’m Khoisan and space to us is holy. It’s founded not by boundaries, but we are trapped in that space alone. By bringing more people into our spaces we save a large heritage and our culture

Name one person in this broader industry whom you look up to or a person who you really admire.

David Kruiper (the late traditional healer and leader of the ǂKhomani San)

You can find Q7 on Facebook at here and Project Mantis at https://www.facebook.com/projectmantis7/

Instagram: @qaadirse7en