'Mini-diamonds' empower BoBirwa

Though the precious stones they have dubbed 'mini diamonds' have existed in their area for a long time, little did BaBirwa know that they could make a living out of them. That was until 1968 when an English couple came along and empowered them to turn the stones into a profit-making venture. In Botswana, these stones are found only in the BoBirwa region. Bafedile Motsamai, also known as Mma Kealaola, is one person who is putting the knowledge she acquired from the English couple to good use.

As they do with the nutritious and delicious caterpillar worms, phane, BaBirwa women go out to camp in the bush for gathering as many stones as possible. Because the stones are too heavy to haul on the back, buyers come to the camps where harvesters can stay up to two months at a time.