Background
Rudie van Vuuren married Namibian conservationist, Marlice van Vuuren, in December 2000 and in December 2006 their little boy Zacheo was born.
Rudie van Vuuren married Namibian conservationist, Marlice van Vuuren, in December 2000 and in December 2006 their little boy Zacheo was born.
Together, Rudie & Marlice run Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary and Lodge. He is best known for representing his country in both the 2003 Cricket World Cup and the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. As a result he became the first man to compete in the final stages of world-cup competitions in cricket and rugby union in the same year.
He is the only Namibian to have taken five wickets in a One Day International, which he did against England.
In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Australian Darren Lehmann hit van Vuuren for 28 runs in a single over. At the time, this was more runs than any other bowler had conceded in an over in a World Cup, though this was surpassed when Herschelle Gibbs hit six sixes in one Daan van Bunge over during the 2007 World Cup.
Together, Rudie and his wife Marlice van Vuuren strive for the preservation of both animal species and the culture of the country"s original inhabitants (The San community). In 2003, Marlice and Rudie, along with their pharmacist friend, Christ Heunis and January Verburg opened the North/a’an ku sê (Naankuse) Lifeline Clinic at Epukiro, Namibia where the San Bushman community can be treated free of charge. The Lifeline Clinic is entirely funded by voluntary donations and provides primary healthcare to over 3,500 patients a year. In 2004, Marlice and Rudie bought the farm Ovuuyo, 42 km outside of Windhoek to establish their own animal reserve and gave it the name North/a’an ku sê (Naankuse) which means God will protect us. North/a’an ku sê (Naankuse) Charity Lodge & Wildlife Sanctuary opened in 2007. The Sanctuary accommodates mostly orphaned and injured animals that cannot be released safely back into the wild. They have also started the Carnivore Research Project to help conserve big cats and the Clever Cubs School, funded by the Clabile Trust, for the San Bushman children on the farm. One of North/a’an ku sê’s most important goals is to improve the lives of the marginalised Bushman community which they do through providing education, employment, accommodation and improved living conditions. The lodge is an article 21 organisation which donates any profits back into the conservation projects and work with the San Bushman community.
