Okavango Flood Bet Raises P51,000 For Charity
Correspondent | Monday June 15, 2020 15:46
This year, what started as a casual conversation in April between two friends discussing the whereabouts of the flood turned into a fun and educational initiative that ended up raising P51,562 split between Women Against Rape (WAR) and the Polokong Centre for The Elderly in Maun and captured the attention of thousands of people in Botswana and beyond.
Hennie Rawlinson and Lin Cassidy were reminiscing about the old days when the Thamalakane River dried up regularly. At such times it was traditional for people in Maun to have a friendly betting competition to guess the exact arrival of the flood waters at Old Matlapaneng Bridge.
After Hennie explained the tradition to his son, Jake Rawlinson, the duo decided to initiate it again, this time with a twist. During these difficult times when so many people are struggling they decided it would be a much better idea for proceeds raised to go to charity instead of one winner.
Cassidy suggested that WAR and the Polokong Centre for The Elderly should receive equal donations from the proceeds. Helicopter Horizons also generously offered a prize of a half hour Helicopter flight over the Delta for the winner of the competition to encourage more donations.
The Rawlinsons created The Okavango Flood Arrival 2020 Facebook fundraiser page with input and historical knowledge from well-known Maun residents Cassidy, Mark Muller, Mike Holding and Cathy Cays.
The Maun community and even people in other countries eagerly embraced the initiative and donations to ‘bet’ on the exact time of the arrival of the flood waters at a designated line at the Old Bridge came rolling in.
Progress of the flood was tracked daily on the Facebook page using co-ordinates, pictures, videos and live feeds and has been eagerly watched by nearly 7,000 followers from Botswana and other countries.
Pilots flying over the Delta and residents living on the river banks provided daily aerial shots and updates before the flood got close to Maun.
As it drew near, Hennie, Muller and Holding, a licensed drone operator, were given permission by the District Commissioner to follow the flood daily and provided information and pictorial updates to everyone stuck at home during lockdown.
On the day the headwaters approached the Old Bridge thousands of people tuned in and sat up for most of the night to watch regular updates and live feeds from Hennie and Jake and there was huge excitement and commenting as the long awaited water, all the way from the Highlands of Angola, finally crossed the designated finish line in the cover of darkness at exactly 2.50am on May 13, 2020.
The live feed of the water crossing the line has been viewed over 25,000 times by a Worldwide audience! James Stenner, the ultimate winner, promptly donated his prize to some researchers who have never had the opportunity to see the magnificent Delta from the air.
The Facebook page provided much entertainment and the opportunity for thousands of bored and frustrated community members, under strict lockdown in Maun and elsewhere, to virtually watch the progress of the flood through the bottom end of the Delta and into the Thamalakane River online, witnessing its eventual arrival in Maun.
Thanks to a wealth of historical and current data provided by experts and long term community members, the page has also become an excellent way to educate people about the wonders of the Okavango Delta.
Many followers commented that they have learnt so much from this page and now have a much better understanding and appreciation of our fantastic World Heritage Site.