During her farewell reception hosted at her residence yesterday, Anderson reminisced on how nervous she was when she first arrived in Botswana but she fell in love with the country. She expressed sadness that she was leaving the country she had come to consider as her other home. Anderson said the United Kingdom (UK) and Botswana have strengthened their relations and she is proud to have played a role in nurturing that bond. "I have met thousands of Batswana who were trained in Britain in the years after independence. "I have also met many Britons who came here to assist Botswana, some of whom decided to become permanent residents," she said. She also pointed out that during her tenure in Botswana the British High Commission and their colleagues at the British Council sought to update and renew relationships between Britain and Botswana through high level visits such as Britain Foreign Secretary also a committed fan of Botswana, Princess Anne, Prince William and his Brother Prince Henry. They have also participated in high working level, joint projects and support for local initiatives.
"We sought to portray Britain as we see ourselves: as a modern and changing nation, albeit one with an ancient history. We have shared our own hopes and dreams. We have sought to publicise Botswana, its successes and opportunities," she explained. Anderson and her colleagues were involved in many activities such as supporting bilateral projects, including support for the Independent Electoral Commission, Gender Pitso on the SADC gender and Development protocol. She also celebrated some joint milestones such as the move of De Beer's sale and aggregation from London to Botswana that she regards as one of the two significant events that stand out for her, as it marks the fundamental change in the nature of global diamond market and one which they wholeheartedly support. She said she was thrilled to watch Botswana win her first Olympic medal at the London 2012 Games. "For 18 months we worked with Botswana National Olympic Committee, raising awareness about the games across Botswana and the opportunities that awaited team Botswana.
