CITW BOTSWANA | WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
NAME: KAONE MONNATSHIPI
CITW SCHOOL: SHASHE PRIMARY SCHOOL, BOTSWANA, 2016
During a recent search for former campers, the Children in the Wilderness Botswana team had the pleasure of reconnecting with Kaone Monnatshipi, who happily shared the story of her journey through the programme.
‘I still remember how nervous and excited I was, as it was the first time I had attended an annual Eco-Camp. It was my first real trip away from home. I was in Standard 5 (Grade 7), and our destination was a Wilderness partner camp in the Okavango Delta. Little did I know that those few days in the bush would grow into a collection of memories that would shape how I see nature and my role in protecting it,’ Kaone remembered.
CITW Annual Eco-Camp
It was my first time boarding a plane too. When we arrived at the camp, I felt a mixture of curiosity and shyness. Everything was new to me: the smell of the grass, the hot earth, the sound of owls calling after sunset, and the way the sky opened into a million bright stars at night.
We walked along tracks, learning to recognise bird calls and noticing small signs of animal life: a fresh pile of dung, tiny footprints near a waterhole, and the sudden burst of wings as a kingfisher flew up from a reed bed.
Our guides taught us simple but important lessons on the ‘web of life’: how to move quietly, how to observe without disturbing nature, and why every plant and insect matters in an ecosystem.
I remember our mentors, Aunty Gaba and Aunty Kelly, who welcomed us with warm hearts. Their smiles made us feel at home.
That camp gave me my first experience of the wilderness as a classroom. The lodge felt open to nature, and the lessons came from listening and watching. I returned home with a new knowledge of bird and tree names, and with the feeling that I belonged to this beautiful world.
My experience on the camp also taught me to be strong. Every night, we listened to guides telling stories about animal behaviour and conservation efforts. I learned how to track animals by reading the stories they leave on the ground, and how to respect boundaries – knowing when to observe and when to step back.
This camp deepened my love for wild places and made me more curious about how conservation works behind the scenes.
The Wilderness Experience: What Camping Taught Me
Being in the bush taught me that camping in the wilderness is more than just sleeping under canvas; it awakens your senses and changes how you think about the interconnectedness of ‘everything’.
I appreciated the daily small discoveries: a track leading to a den, a flower I had never seen before, or the way ants build their roads. The nights came alive with sounds – frogs calling, a hyena howling in the distance, the sky so clear that you can see the Milky Way.
Those experiences taught me observation, patience, humility, and respect. I learned that true conservation begins with observation – paying attention to what is changing and what remains constant.
I also learned how small actions can accumulate and make a difference: leaving no trace, recycling, and teaching others about protecting nature. These small actions can create a ripple effect.
I learned to value local knowledge as well – the wisdom that elders and rangers hold about the land and its creatures.
Where I Am Now
I am currently in my second year at the Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies, studying Forensic Accounting and Finance.
Forensic accounting teaches me how to follow financial records, identify irregularities, and help hold institutions accountable. In conservation – where funding, permits, and governance are essential – these skills are extremely valuable.
I can see how finance and oversight can support conservation efforts by ensuring that funding reaches community projects, that anti-poaching resources are used effectively, and that transparent partnerships are built between NGOs, governments, and local communities.
Conservation is a long journey. It requires patience, courage, and creativity. It also offers rewards that are impossible to measure in a single lifetime: clean water, healthy soils, thriving wildlife, and the continuation of the natural songs that first inspired me.
If you care about the world, keep going. Learn all that you can, share what you learn, and remember that every small action helps protect the wild places we love.
Wise words indeed – thank you Kaone! We are never not in awe of the lasting impact that a few days in the wilderness can have on a young person’s life.
