Classrooms, Camping, and Culture

Dumela! 

Please forgive the absence, we've been runnin' all over town! Where did we leave off? Oh, right! On Friday, the Global Navigators headed into Gabs (short for Gaborone). We went to Legae Academy, a private school. This particular activity was so that our Global Navigators would appreciate the similarities and differences between their home schools and schools in Botswana. The morning started with a heartfelt welcome by the local students as they serenaded us with a few songs on the marimba, blowing us away with how beautiful it sounded. We then split up and went to different STEM classes, like chemistry, and biology…one class even went over planets and stars!  Afterward, we had traditional food that Legae students brought in, played rugby, and practiced marimba. But the coolest activity to see was the traditional dancing. Our Nagivators jumped right in, we Program Leaders were jumping for joy like soccer moms at our kid's big game. We were almost in tears seeing them enjoy themselves so much and strutting their stuff in the limelight! Our Global Navigators had giant smiles and laughs all around (just check out those photos!), few things compare to how important these experiences are, we were truly in awe. This experience taught our Global Navigators that learning a different culture also helps them understand their own culture a little more, and opens them up to learning more about the world. We challenged assumptions and the students were pushed out of their comfort zone in the best way. They were able to interact with the locals and Our Global Navigators truly had the experience of a lifetime.

When I tell you I had to drag away some of our Global Navigators, I am not exaggerating. This was after staying an extra hour at school! Our Navigators didn’t want to leave and the local students didn’t want them to either. But how could I blame them, it was absolutely magical to see how quickly our Navigators clicked with the locals and became fast friends. So many numbers were exchanged! We would have felt bad for leaving so quickly, however, this wouldn’t be the last time our Navigators got to see these students. 

We had to rush back to Mokolodi afterwards… we had camping to do! We quickly freshened up, then jumped onto the truck and headed to our campsite, extra blankets in tow. Students got settled into their new digs for the night and we gathered around the campfire. We played storytelling games, trivia, and got to know each other better, all in front of a warm, crackling fire under the starry night sky. We took a break to eat a big dinner of chicken, sausages, pap (palache, which is like a maize meal), and students tried chakalaka (a chilly dish of mainly beans with fresh veggies, onions, pepper, and tomatoes). 

Two of our rangers joined us at the site and we buckled in for a serious conversation about rhino conservation. Mokolodi Nature Reserve currently hosts nine white rhinos. They have had many babies born over the history of the reserve, helping the populations of the species. Poaching is the reason that rhino numbers have been dwindling to concerning numbers across the globe. We discussed the implications of dehorning, hunting bans, militarized anti-poaching units, and community-based management systems. All have their pros and cons. For their final project, the Navigators will dive into these topics in detail, and present them to the group. While we went back and forth on these ideas, one thing was certain, education is the best tool to help keep rhinos, and so many other species, alive and thriving.

After the sun had set and dinner was finished, Dennis, who works at Mokolodi, came to our campsite to tell us more about the stars! He pointed out constellations and shared old legends of Batswana (the people of Botswana). For example, there is the Southern Cross that points south, and giraffes are depicted by the constellation. We were able to see Venus in the sky as well! We called it a night after this and headed to our tents. 

We were awoken by the birds and sunlight on Saturday. Once again, we piled into the truck and headed back to our dorms to get ready. Today, the students were able to experience staying with a host family! We met back up with some of the students from Legae Academy and their parents to hand off our precious cargo for the day. The families all took great care of our Navigators, and many were reluctant to drop them back off. Some went shopping, some were taken to their host family's cattle posts/farms, and some even went go-karting (jealous!). Students were able to see the similarities and differences between a Batswana household as opposed to an American one, meet new people, and of course, have a great time. They all came back raving about their families and everyone was just so excited to tell us about their day. Our Global Navigators came back all smiles as we bid everyone farewell to go back to base. A truly successful day of intercultural exchange!!!!!

The Program Leaders were filled with so much pride and excitement for the Global Navigators over the last couple of days. They jumped in headfirst, all participating in discussions and cultural experiences. Currently, they are helping out in the kitchen at Mokolodi, learning to cook and helping clean (make sure to ask them to put these skills to use when they get back home!).