Children in the Wilderness Botswana ran a number of successful camps in 2011. These took place at the end of the year and were hosted at Jacana and Vumbura Plains camps in the Okavango Delta. In this way the annual target of 96 children was reached.

Curiculum Topics
The primary activities of course were the wildlife activities, being game drives, mokoro and walks. In addition, on each daily schedule, the children were given lessons based on the core values of our objective – the 4Cs of Conservation, Culture, Community and Commerce – as we are aiming at creating future responsible conservation ambassadors. Other topics that we dealt with included HIV/AIDS, Culture, Tourism and Friendship, and Conservation and Responsibility – this last focusing on the areas around the villages in three mini-topics: Me and my home, me and my river and me and my wildlife  conservation. The main concerns here are poaching, water pollution, veld fires, littering and the effects of all this on our environment. A favourite topic was Delta Day – which looked at the formation of the Okavango Delta, where it comes from and the animals that help in its formation. Children got to understand its importance toward tourism and its benefit to our country and citizens.

Follow-up Programmes
Children in the Wilderness Botswana is in its seventh year of conducting Follow-up Programmes, the aim of which is to strengthen the relationship between CITW, the children, the schools and the parents. CITW Botswana runs four Follow-up Programmes a year at each of the village schools in which past CITW camp participants are living. Eco Clubs have been established, which promote culture, tourism and conservation. Follow-up Programmes are also one of the primary tools with which we can measure our camps, as we are able to obtain feedback from teachers and parents on the changes they have seen in the children before and after camp. All feedback so far has been extremely positive. Parents, for example, mentioned that they noticed changes in the children’s behaviour with regard to taking responsibility for their actions, taking care of themselves (in terms of hygiene), as well as smaller siblings, and taking on the role of looking after their homes.

NUMBER OF CAMP PARTICIPANTS AGE VILLAGE OF CHILDREN CAMP
16 10-14 Tubu Jacana Camp
16 10-14 Gumare Jacana Camp
16 10-14 Sankoyo Vumbura Plains Camp
16 10-14 Shashe Vumbura Plains Camp
32 10-17 Okavango Community Trust Villages Vumbura Plains Camp
96 Total

In schools, teachers have seen big behavioural changes, where the past participants can now be seen in leadership roles, excelling in teamwork, socialising better and helping others with kindness and care.

Plans for 2012

2011 has been an exciting year and the success of the programme has been tremendous. The Follow-up camps began in the second week of February 2012.

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