Goodbye South Africa, Hello Again Botswana 6/7

Yesterday/Monday we rose bright and early (actually it was still dark) to adventure on our last safari ride at Madikwe Game Reserve. Although our group was split into two different Land Rovers, we collectively saw the Big Five: lion, rhino, elephant, leopard and buffalo. We were all sad to leave our weekend 'resort lifestyle', but glad that we got to see all the animals we did!

Once we crossed the South African-Botswana border and arrived back to Gaborone we were off to work with Somarelang Tikologo. After previously meeting with the community and discussing the organic garden project we discovered that one of the problems facing the success of the gardens was preventing chickens, dogs and other animals from getting into the crops. Fortunately we completed the 19 gardens faster than planned and we had time to address the fencing issue.

From working in the community, one thing many of us have noticed are the innovative ideas that the people devise using the limited resources and supplies they have available. Our innovative skills were put to the test as well when trying to figure out what to use to connect the fencing. We ended up using a recycled dog food bag, that we cut into strips to use as ties to connect the fencing material together...we have Brit to thank for that bright idea.

As we ventured back to the gardens that had been planted a week prior it was evident that the families appreciated and cared about them because they had already tried to create their own barriers to serve as protection. There were still many houses who did not have any fencing or some that used materials that were potential hazards, so we worked together to set up as many as we could. Below is a picture of some of the children in the community next to the first fence we completed:After our work was completed for the day, three of the students were surprised with gifts from some of the kids they had previously played with.This is just one example that has made us feel like we're integrating ourselves into the community well. Although our work here may be on a smaller scale, we hope to continue to make positive contributions with the community in Gaborone while learning, exploring and enjoying our time in Botswana!

Maegen Rainwater
Senior, Health & Kinesiology