By Allegra Klein of the University of Vermont
Botswana Student Program – Spring Semester 2020
Hello everyone! Or should I say, “Dumela!” in Setswana, one of the primary languages spoken in Botswana. Our first week here has felt like a complete whirlwind. After months of preparation for our semester in the bush, and almost two days of traveling, we finally arrived in Maun to be greeted by 90 degree weather and sunny skies. Arriving at our campsite in Maun, vervet monkeys scattered throughout the trees and watched us as we set up our tents and took in all the new sights and sounds. Before the sun even set we had seen a red-billed hornbill, a red-eyed dove, a Meves’s Starling, and a plethora of new trees and bugs. Our student group of eight beginning this semester-long journey, sat together by the fire and shared our excitement late into the night. The first sleep in our canvas tents consisted of the pitter patter of rain and donkeys braying as we drifted off.
Waking up the next morning to brush my teeth, I was amazed to find the vervet monkeys active and eating fruits from the magic guarri tree right outside our tents. It is unbelievable to think that this place is our classroom for the next three months.
As someone who knows almost nothing about birds, I was super excited to start learning about the variety of species that live in Botswana. Briefly flipping through my ‘Birds of Southern Africa’ guide book, I saw so many beautiful birds I had never seen or heard of before. We woke up early Thursday morning to learn how to use our binoculars and start identifying birds in our Maun campsite. By the end of the hour and a half we spent walking around, I was able to identify more birds by ear or through my binoculars (or binos, or nocs) than I had in my twenty years of living. We spent the late morning with class outside, the birds talking to each other in the background. Our afternoon allowed us some free time which was the perfect opportunity to introduce my favorite sport to some of my classmates: hacky sacking.
After sunset, we switched out our sandals for closed-toed shoes and got our headlamps on; it was time for a night hike. Our tour guide, who grew up here and studied at the University of Botswana, explained to us in detail how termite mounds are created. You can see these mounds all along the roads of Maun and throughout the landscape – they’re often over 6 feet tall, but as we learned, what you see is only 20% of what’s actually there. The termites build extensive colonies underground before creating what you see above ground, and this can take years and years to make. Some of these termite mounds can even measure over 30 feet high!
The next night we were lucky enough to visit Bonty’s house for a traditional dinner and cultural activity. Bonty runs a program that educates the youth of Botswana on the traditions and history of Botswana culture. When we arrived we were individually greeted by the many people staying with her. Everyone gave us a long handshake and told us their name, each carrying a warm smile. We were given time to walk around and look at art that some of the locals have made and were selling. Talking to these artists and looking at their creations, you could see the passion they have for their country, the wildlife, and the traditions they share.
Bonty shared with us how children are given their names in Botswana, and how Bonty and her siblings were named. She knew someone who named their child ‘Barack’ after the 2008 election. She taught us some drum beats and told us about how the native people used to use different beats to communicate different warnings or messages. She told us stories of how in traditional Botswana cultures, puberty was explained for boys and girls, and what lessons were taught to children as they enter adulthood. These traditions are carried through generations orally as opposed to written form, as so many cultures are today. As we live in a world so focused on screens, it is incredibly important to teach these things to the youth of Botswana so their history is not forgotten. We ended the night with traditional Botswana food. We ate seswaa, morogo, veggie stew, chicken stew, pap, and samp, then had tea before we left. The food was delicious and the cook expressed to us how much she loves preparing this food.
So far in my time here in Botswana, I have noticed that everyone is incredibly kind and welcoming. Walking around the campgrounds and around Maun you are greeted with a ‘Dumela!’ by everyone who passes. The people here seem to love sharing their culture and knowledge of this country with us, and also love learning about us too. It’s not even a week into our semester and I already feel at home. We leave for the bush tomorrow and I am incredibly excited to experience the magical wildlife and culture this country has to offer.
