Elsie Vaalbooi

Elsie Vaalbooi was a member of the ǂKhomani ethnic group. In the 1990s, ǂKhomani elders became upset because their language was dying out. They finally found out about her. Linguist Anthony Traill interviewed her in 1997. The South African San Institute became involved in the pursuit of information on the language, and with the help of Vaalbooi they were able to track down 25 people that could speak or at least understand the language. She came up with the motto "Saǁʼa ǃainsi uinsi" (We move towards a better life).