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

28th July 2020
Sanitiser Refill Donation
CITW Eco-Mentors at Gobojango Primary School in the Bobirwa Cluster yesterday received a welcome donation of sanitiser refill from Craig Lord and Annie Peatling of Jwala-Dopotta Game Reserve in the area. We cannot thank Craig and Annie enough for their personal donation, and ongoing support of our Eco-Mentors in the area at this time! See...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, News
6th July 2020
Food Hampers Donated to Matlapana Village by WS Botswana
On the 26th of June, Wilderness Safaris donated 150 food hampers to Matlapana village in Botswana’s North-West District near Maun. Valued at P78 500, the donation was handed into the care of the Kgosi, Village Development Committee (VDC) and the social workers, and will provide much-needed support to identified vulnerable families who have been most...
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Josephine BesticBotswana, News
3rd July 2020
CITW & the Nedbank Tour de Tuli
At a glance, this infographic provides an illuminating overview of the impact the Tour’s fundraising has on the Children in the Wilderness programme! Thank you to the riders, sponsors, donors and volunteers – without you none of it is possible!
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, Malawi, Namibia, News, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
24th June 2020
Sanitiser and Thermometer Donations for Tshwaragano Primary School in Gaborone
Tshwaragano Primary School is home to Fern Brasem’s Children in the Wilderness urban Eco-Club in Gaborone. “They appealed to me with a wish list of items to help them welcome the rest of the children back to school (there are over 1 000 precious souls in this school)”, says Fern. “I called a local company...
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Josephine BesticBotswana, News
24th June 2020
Bobirwa Cluster Hand Sanitiser and Thermometer Donations
Bobirwa Programme Co-ordinator Tanya McKenzie arranged a donation from CITW of a “no touch” foot-pumped hand sanitiser dispenser for the central area/entrance for each school in the cluster, including Gobojango JSS and Mathathane – Badale JSS. MabolweBadale Tanya noted that each school already has six thermometers per school donated by Steve and Maggie Lansdown, but...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, News
23rd June 2020
300 Food Hampers Delivered to OCT Communities in Botswana
In the face of these challenging times, Wilderness Safaris Botswana, together with the Botswana government, community leaders and a handful of generous donors, have made it possible to bring tremendous relief to rural communities affected by COVID-19. Having been reliant on ecotourism, these villages are facing a tough financial reality, with food shortages increasingly prevalent....
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Josephine BesticBotswana, News
29th May 2020
What it Means to Volunteer at the Nedbank Tour de Tuli
Being part of the volunteer team on the Nedbank Tour de Tuli is certainly an honour and privilege. I enjoy coming back each year, as the Tour gives me the opportunity to be part of a network of people who are dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives – not only for the riders,...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, News
21st May 2020
Outdoor Classroom Day – 21 May 2020
Our vision at Children in the Wilderness is to support sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of rural children in Africa. Our educational programme includes aspects of environmental education and life skills development, as we believe that both of these are crucial in forging an enduring path for informed, dedicated and passionate next-generation leaders...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, Malawi, Namibia, News, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
30th April 2020
Supporting Botswana Community Partners During COVID-19 Lockdown
Further to their core commitment to driving community empowerment in Botswana, Wilderness Safaris and Wilderness Air have donated essential supplies worth P33 000 to its long-term Vumbura Concession partners, the Okavango Community Trust (OCT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Wilderness Safaris also donated food hampers and hand sanitisers worth P27 000 to 80...
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Josephine BesticBotswana, News
29th April 2020
Make Your Own Fabric Face Mask
As part of South Africa’s Level 4 lockdown regulations, it will be mandatory to wear a fabric mask in public from 1 May, 2020. The video has templates for three sizes Regional Programme Manager Janet Wilkinson has shared her tips, and a very useful video, for making your own washable, reusable face masks by hand....
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, Malawi, Namibia, News, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
28th April 2020
Food hampers donated to Botswana’s Sankoyo community
Wilderness Safaris Botswana has donated food hampers and hand sanitisers worth P27 000 to the Sankoyo community, based in the Santawani Concession in the south-eastern Okavango Delta. Like many communities, the Sankoyo have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to village elder Kgosi Gokgathang Moalosi reaching out for help. With assistance from...
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Josephine BesticBotswana
22nd April 2020
Celebrating Mother Earth Day – 22 April 2020
“When we heal the world, we heal ourselves” – David Orr Eco-Club campers in Hwange International Mother Earth Day is celebrated to remind each of us that the Earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and all the things we need to survive. Eco-Club campers creating a map depicting the ecosystems of Namibia It...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, Malawi, Namibia, News, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
16th April 2020
Shashe Primary School Eco-Club – Hands-on in the Vegetable Garden
Up until Botswana’s 28-day lockdown from 2 April 2020, Shashe Primary School’s Eco-Club members were very hands-on in their vegetable garden! The Eco Club members were happy to be in the garden and getting their hands dirty. They have already completed a clean-up campaign of the grounds, and started preparing the garden plots and beds,...
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Josephine BesticBotswana
18th March 2020
Be Safe | Be Smart | Be Kind
The littlest Eco-warriors involved in our CITW programme are learning the three steps necessary to make the world a better place. 1. Be SAFE (and keep your hands clean)2. Be SMART (and keep yourself informed)3. Be KIND (and care for others) Particularly relevant at the moment is Point 1: to encourage hygiene and for the...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana, GMTFCA, Malawi, Namibia, News, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
27th February 2020
Bobirwa Cluster Eco-Club Activities
The Bobirwa Cluster schools Eco-Club activities last week involved many lessons from the curriculum which the Eco-Mentors worked through during their training at the beginning of the month. These are Mabolwe Primary School children Making a Tippy Tap with Aunty Katie Balone, Uncle Khumo Dingalo and Bolokanang Rutang. These are Gobojango Primary School children learning...
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Josephine BesticBobirwa, Botswana