Botswana

Children in the Wilderness

Children in the Wilderness has been operating in Botswana since the inception of our programme in 2001. CITW Botswana runs eight Eco-Clubs in the north of the country around the Okavango Delta and Maun.

Thanks to the extraordinary funds raised by the annual Nedbank Tour de Tuli mountain bike event, which takes place in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA), CITW is able to run our life-changing programme in villages in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe surrounding the GMTFCA. As such, we also have six Eco-Clubs in the Bobirwa sub-district which with we work.

Our newest addition to the CITW Botswana Family, is a ‘city school’ in Gaborone.

Read all about what’s happening on our programme in Botswana below, or sign up to receive our monthly newsletter.

Botswana

NEWS

17th February 2020
Prepping for an Eco-Club Annual Camp
Eco-Mentor volunteer Angelica Mills shares a glimpse into how we prepare for the children before an Eco-Club annual camp. As she says, all made possible through Bobirwa Programme Coordinator, our beloved “Aunty” Tanya McKenzie’s amazing hard work and dedication! “Quirky smiles. I love watching the children experiment and pose with their favourite mentors. We take...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana
14th February 2020
Bobirwa Eco-Clubs in Full Swing
Following on from the enormously successful Eco-Mentor training last weekend, our Bobirwa Eco-Clubs have all held environmental lessons, and introduced their school heads and children to the wonderful, lockable trunks packed with amazing educational goodies. Enjoy this selection of activities from Gobojano, Motlhabaneng, Lentswe-le-Moriti, Mabolwe, Semolale and Mathathane primary schools – from lessons on hygiene...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana
11th February 2020
2020 Eco-Mentor Training at Tuli Safari Lodge
Eco-Mentor training plays a crucial part in the CITW programme. One of the main focus areas of this training is on the teachers and community members who volunteer their time to run the Eco-Clubs in the schools. Practical activity: web-of-life lesson The purpose of the training is to prepare the teachers to facilitate these weekly...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana
10th February 2020
CITW Bobirwa Annual Camps 2019
The 2019 annual Children in the Wilderness (CITW) Bobirwa December camps hosted a total of 32 children between the ages of 9 and 13, with an equal representation of boys and girls. The participating learners were from two schools neighbouring Mashatu Game Reserve, namely Semolale and Gobojango primary schools. The first camp commenced by welcoming back...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana
28th January 2020
Looking forward to the 15th Nedbank Tour de Tuli – Riding for a Purpose in July 2020
This life-changing four-day cycling adventure raises funds for Children in the Wilderness – a programme that is helping to educate and inspire the next generation of African environmentalists and ecologically conscious leaders. It traverses unspoiled wilderness areas in the three African countries that contribute to the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA). Its reputation as...
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Josephine BesticBotswana, GMTFCA, South Africa, Zimbabwe
15th January 2020
NEDBANK TOUR DE TULI WINS INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FILM FESTIVAL AFRICA AWARD
January 2020 – Children in the Wilderness (CITW) recently announced that the 2018 Nedbank Tour de Tuli promotional video has won the Best South African Film in Sports Tourism category at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa awards. “We are delighted to have won this award at the first International Tourism Film Festival Africa...
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Josephine BesticBotswana, GMTFCA, News, South Africa, Zimbabwe
14th January 2020
Meet Moalosi Lebekwe – CITW Botswana Programme Coordinator
Born in Mochudi in southern Botswana, Moalosi is the youngest of a family of six, including his parents, a sister and two brothers. He is a traveller at heart, with a fascination for cultures and languages. For the past six years, he has dedicated his life to learning, observing, absorbing and sharing his experiences from...
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Josephine BesticBotswana
18th December 2019
Read the Latest Eco-Stars Magazine
Out now, Eco-Stars is an annual Children in the Wilderness publication, providing readers with an overview of the programme, and the opportunity to meet some of its Eco-Stars and learn more about their regional successes. In this, our fourth edition of Eco-Stars, we bring you snippets from our programmes across the regions, some updates on...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
18th December 2019
Jacana: Two Decades of Changing Children’s Lives
Cathy Kays, co-owner of The Jao Reserve in Botswana’s wild and beautiful Okavango Delta, shared an impressive fact with us… did you know, the Kays’ magical Jacana Camp has hosted Children in the Wilderness camps every year since 2002! That’s some two decades of changing children’s lives through inspiring positive action, hosting a total of...
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Josephine BesticBotswana
10th December 2019
Eco-Club Camp at Vumbura Plains with Ollie Porote
Botswana guide Ollie Porote volunteered at this year’s Vumbura Plains Eco-Club camp. I was at Vumbura Plains at the beginning of December to help share our interpretation of nature with local Eco-Club schoolchildren. Vumbura Plains North guides and I presented interesting and instructive lessons on the formation of the Okavango Delta formation and its biomes....
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Josephine BesticBotswana
5th December 2019
Jacana Annual Eco-Club Camp Through Don Heyneke’s Lens
Don Heyneke is the co-founder of Escape Safari Co, an intimate specialist safari travel company that offers tailor-made, once-in-a-lifetime safaris that are “inspired by curiosity.” He is also an avid mountain biker, and has attended the Nedbank Tour de Tuli twice as a Cyclist Leader. So what better adventure for Don to join us on,...
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Josephine BesticBotswana
29th November 2019
Get to know our Botswana Eco-Mentors – Auntie Kei
“Let’s meet Botswana’s Auntie Kei”, writes her fellow Eco-Mentor, Lesley. “She was an Eco-Club member at Gunotsoga Primary School and a camper in 2009 at Jacana Camp when I first met her in 2017 during her interview to further her studies at the Southern African Wildlife College (sponsored by CITW). I saw passion in her...
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Lisa WitherdenBotswana
15th November 2019
CITW Bobirwa Annual Eco-Camps
Writing and photos by Angelica Mills Children in the Wilderness Bobirwa operates within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. Children in the Wilderness (CITW) hosted another successful back-to-back series of Eco-Club camps at Serolo Camp in Tuli Wilderness. Tuli Wilderness kindly donated one week of accommodation, from 27 September – 5 October 2019, for the CITW...
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Lisa WitherdenBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, News
16th October 2019
CITW Bobirwa Annual Eco-Club Camp
Children in the Wilderness Bobirwa recently hosted children from Motlhabaneng and Lentswe-le-Moriti Eco-Clubs. Every year Serolo Safari Camp in the Tuli Wilderness closes to tourists in order to sponsor two full camps (eight nights for 16 children plus 11 x Eco-Mentors, all-inclusive) for CITW Bobirwa. The children had amazing wildlife sightings, making the learning so...
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Lisa WitherdenBobirwa, Botswana, News
16th October 2019
Botswana CITW Ambassador and Community Development Drive
Lesh Moiteela, Botswana Cultural Ambassador & Community Relationship Manager reports from Maun: “We are excited to have started working towards, and indeed, are already achieving, some of our four year Children in the Wilderness (CITW) Botswana strategic goals, particularly those of ensuring adequate and ongoing fundraising, as well as engaging staff with materials and background...
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Lisa WitherdenBotswana, News