Empowering the educators of Ngamiland

“The inhabitants of these islands lived nomadic lives. They lived this way because when an island could no longer sustain them, they would migrate to another one.”

An involved discussion floats in the otherwise still morning air around a group of men and women clad in sun hats, hiking boots, and backpacks. The group’s guide, Motswana wildlife expert and National Geographic Explorer Gobonamang “GB” Kgetho continues the discussion, speaking in Setswana: “This is one of the reasons why we didn’t have permanent structures, we didn’t use strong materials to build our houses; we used logs and grass, which made it easy to migrate from one island to another when resources depleted.” The group “hmms,” agreeing on how the early inhabitants of Botswana’s Ngamiland, also known as the North-West District―and an area that includes the Okavango Delta―lived generations ago. This group of trekkers isn’t comprised of tourists, they’re teachers from Beetsha, a local village, and they are immersing themselves in the natural landscape thanks to Educator Expeditions: A program designed to empower them in their mission to sculpt the great minds of the next generation.

From her dream of helping to nurture a generation of local conservationists, scientists, and storytellers, Okavango Wilderness Project Country Director Koketso “Koki” Mookodi created the Educator Expedition program based on her own experiences taking local elementary students out into the bush. “I worked with young kids, taking them out into community camps or luxury camps to expose them to wildlife and inspire them to be part of the hospitality or the conservation industry,” Koki explains. Realizing that, next to parents, teachers influence children the most when it comes to what they aspire to be when they grow up, Koki now aims to inspire teachers. The eventual goal is that the years-long relationship between teacher and student will enthuse the latter to continue to advocate and work for the protection of areas around the Delta for generations to come.

These expeditions draw their inspiration from arguably the richest natural resource in Botswana—the Okavango Delta. Living in such a remote space comes with its own challenges, though. Sparsely populated villages around the Delta often lack the teachers necessary to sustain the educational needs of the children there, creating the need to bring in teachers from more urban areas of Botswana to live and work in these communities.

“These are people who [may] have never seen large bodies of water, elephants, human-wildlife conflict,” Koki explains. “A lot of these teachers come from areas that don't have any wildlife.” Feeling like outsiders and not used to the wild spaces in which their students have grown up has historically meant a high turnover of teachers in the area. “It’s discouraging for the students, for them to keep seeing a revolving door of teachers,” says Koki.

Taking groups of educators on guided walks into the wilderness helps acclimate them to their new surroundings as they learn about how to navigate wildlife encounters, along with the history and the traditional cultures of their students. “We start off from the primary school itself, where we’ve met and had a debrief about animal behavior and safety precautions,” Koki explains regarding the nature walks, or “backyard excursions” as she refers to them. “We always have two guides―one professional guide and one traditional knowledge expert.”

The hope is that while learning more about the Delta, its natural history, wildlife, and the heritage of the communities they’re joining, the teachers will also become more emotionally invested in the area―and their students.

The expeditions also let their participants experience different ways of teaching, bringing traditional knowledge and nature into the syllabus. Long term, the aim is that teachers who feel invigorated and supported will pass along their own enthusiasm for science and the natural world to their students, inspiring the Delta’s future guardians and educators in the process.

Under the Okavango Eternal partnership, National Geographic and De Beers are supporting the roll out of Educator Expeditions across the communities of Ngamiland―the area that is home to the Okavango Delta. So far, expeditions have been held in a third of the region’s villages, helping around 50 teachers connect with nature and community members. The effort is a part of the partnership’s wider goals to improve resources for teachers, educators, and learners of all ages for conservation education, cultural heritage knowledge sharing, and skills development. Through programs like Educator Expeditions, Okavango Eternal aims to help the people of the Okavango Delta understand that their traditional ecological knowledge and culture are two of the most important elements in conservation.

So far, word continues to spread about Koki’s epiphany and the Educator Expeditions program she started to inspire those who inspire the next generation. “Every single teacher who has participated has left the experience with a profound appreciation for nature,” she confirms. “There’s a new energy in them when they go back to school―they’re reinvigorated. And the next group that goes out from Beetsha will include the headmaster, who’s very excited at having a partner that incentivizes the use of nature in the classroom.”

It may take a generation or so to come full circle, but the Educator Expeditions program is here for the long run. It takes a village to raise a child, but sometimes just one teacher to inspire them—one step, one day, one expedition at a time.

Find out more about how De Beers creates positive impacts here.