Certain people use it while others abuse the wetland...." a citation from a book published last year titled 'Okavango Delta: Floods Of Life. For the people of Sankoyo, a village on the southern edge of the Okavango Delta whose of 700 inhabitants are predominantly Bayei, the positive side of the above assertion is apt. The Sankoyo community is an integral part of the Okavango Delta. In fact, the life of this community is so intertwined with the delta that their customs and traditions have become part of the beauty that attracts many local and foreign tourists to the Wetland. As the saying goes "every river has its people".
Supported by the Wildlife African Foundation, the Sankoyo community developed the Kaziikini and Shandereka cultural site under the community-based Natural Resources Programme. Shandereka, a Yei word, means suffering or Tshotego in Setswana. The cultural village is a living negation of the sentiments that tourists flock into northern Botswana only for the Big 5. The cultural village, which is operated by the Sankoyo community through their community trust, Sankoyo Tshwaragano Management Trust (STMT), showcases the Bayei ancient heritage and folk traditions to the many tourists who visit the delta. Last year, 2,956 visitors passed through the cultural village where they were treated to the customs and traditions that underpin the Yei culture.
