In Eretsha, a village in the Okavango Panhandle, nestled in the Okavango Delta, a long-awaited sign of progress has taken shape in the form of infrastructure investment in education.
Local tourism giant, Wilderness Safaris has funded and delivered a P2 million project that includes two newly built classrooms, a storeroom, and a secure perimeter fence for the local primary school. The assistance offers relief in a region where education has struggled under the weight of under-investment and human, wildlife conflict.
For years, Eretsha Primary School operated with just four classrooms, serving nearly 300 students. The result was overcrowded learning spaces, outdoor lessons, and rotating classes that disrupted continuity and undermined learning outcomes. Teachers were stretched, resources were thin, and students often sat shoulder to shoulder, or on the floor, trying to absorb knowledge in an environment that gave them little structure — or hope.
The village chief, Boitshwarelo Mosenyegi, said that Wilderness had demonstrated the true spirit of patriotism and commitment to the future of Botswana through the much-needed investment in education.
“This is more than a donation,” he said at a handover ceremony recently. “It’s a commitment to our children’s future. “Our community feels seen, and we are sincerely grateful to Wilderness Safaris for their partnership.”
With the additional two classrooms, the school now has six functioning teaching spaces enough to ease congestion and allow teachers to work with more focus and flexibility.
The storeroom provides secure space for valuable learning materials, and the new fence enhances student safety, especially critical in a region where elephants, hippos, and even lions often roam near homes and schools.
The donation is part of Wilderness Safaris’ broader effort to invest in the communities surrounding its operations — ensuring that the benefits of Botswana’s thriving tourism sector are shared more equitably.
Wilderness Botswana managing director, Joe Matome, said that the company was committed to sharing the fruits of tourism and making sure natural resources benefit communities and society especially those closest to them.
“We believe that conservation is not just about protecting land — it’s about uplifting the people who live closest to it,” said Matome. “This P2 million investment in Eretsha is a reflection of our long-term commitment to the region and the next generation growing up in it.”
Despite its ecological importance and international recognition, the Okavango region remains one of Botswana’s most underdeveloped. Electricity is still absent in many homes and schools. Classroom shortages are common. Exam pass rates in the region lag far behind national averages, with poverty, long travel distances, and human-wildlife conflict contributing to high dropout rates.
In Eretsha, students often come to school on empty stomachs. Some walk several kilometres through terrain shared with wildlife. Others help herd cattle or fish with their families before and after class, balancing childhood with survival. Teachers carry the burden of not only instructing, but also uplifting, often without basic tools.
Yet, in the middle of this quiet hardship, the new buildings stand as a symbol of what’s possible when public and private interests align around community development.
Beyond bricks and mortar initiatives, Wilderness Safaris extends its impact through the Children in the Wilderness initiative which is a non-profit programme supported by the company that uses eco-clubs, annual camps and scholarship and nutrition schemes to foster leadership and conservation ethics among rural youth.
By hosting four-day camps at safari camps, running weekly Eco-Club meetings in partner schools and training local teachers as Eco-Mentors, the programme aims to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of children in Africa.
Since its launch in 2001, Children in the Wilderness has enriched the lives of more than 40,000 children across eight countries, including Botswana, creating ambassadors for their natural heritage.
For years, Eretsha Primary School operated with just four classrooms, serving nearly 300 students. The result was overcrowded learning spaces, outdoor lessons, and rotating classes that disrupted continuity and undermined learning outcomes. Teachers were stretched, resources were thin, and students often sat shoulder to shoulder, or on the floor, trying to absorb knowledge in an environment that gave them little structure — or hope.
The village chief, Boitshwarelo Mosenyegi, said that Wilderness had demonstrated the true spirit of patriotism and commitment to the future of Botswana through the much-needed investment in education.
“This is more than a donation,” he said at a handover ceremony recently. “It’s a commitment to our children’s future. “Our community feels seen, and we are sincerely grateful to Wilderness Safaris for their partnership.”
With the additional two classrooms, the school now has six functioning teaching spaces enough to ease congestion and allow teachers to work with more focus and flexibility.
The storeroom provides secure space for valuable learning materials, and the new fence enhances student safety, especially critical in a region where elephants, hippos, and even lions often roam near homes and schools.
The donation is part of Wilderness Safaris’ broader effort to invest in the communities surrounding its operations — ensuring that the benefits of Botswana’s thriving tourism sector are shared more equitably.
Wilderness Botswana managing director, Joe Matome, said that the company was committed to sharing the fruits of tourism and making sure natural resources benefit communities and society especially those closest to them.
“We believe that conservation is not just about protecting land — it’s about uplifting the people who live closest to it,” said Matome. “This P2 million investment in Eretsha is a reflection of our long-term commitment to the region and the next generation growing up in it.”
Despite its ecological importance and international recognition, the Okavango region remains one of Botswana’s most underdeveloped. Electricity is still absent in many homes and schools. Classroom shortages are common. Exam pass rates in the region lag far behind national averages, with poverty, long travel distances, and human-wildlife conflict contributing to high dropout rates.
In Eretsha, students often come to school on empty stomachs. Some walk several kilometres through terrain shared with wildlife. Others help herd cattle or fish with their families before and after class, balancing childhood with survival. Teachers carry the burden of not only instructing, but also uplifting, often without basic tools.
Yet, in the middle of this quiet hardship, the new buildings stand as a symbol of what’s possible when public and private interests align around community development.
Beyond bricks and mortar initiatives, Wilderness Safaris extends its impact through the Children in the Wilderness initiative which is a non-profit programme supported by the company that uses eco-clubs, annual camps and scholarship and nutrition schemes to foster leadership and conservation ethics among rural youth.
By hosting four-day camps at safari camps, running weekly Eco-Club meetings in partner schools and training local teachers as Eco-Mentors, the programme aims to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of children in Africa.
Since its launch in 2001, Children in the Wilderness has enriched the lives of more than 40,000 children across eight countries, including Botswana, creating ambassadors for their natural heritage.
