This year brought the worst flooding the Ghanzi District has seen in over two decades – and unfortunately, the Tiisano Education Centre took a major hit. Rising waters in February forced us to postpone our first bush camp of the year for Bere Primary School, as the Centre became inaccessible and much of the infrastructure was inundated.
The damage was extensive, with buildings flooded, solar infrastructure damaged, beds and wooden furniture soaked, and thousands of printed education materials destroyed – including bush camp workbooks and copies of our bilingual children’s book Xabe the Cheetah Hero. Not even our storage shipping containers were spared, with floodwater seeping in through small, rusted holes in the footings and damaging key equipment and supplies. However, our education team didn’t miss a beat to bounce back.
With bush camps on hold, Communities for Conservation Development and Education Officer, Refilwe Baatweng quickly pivoted. She delivered engaging cheetah ecology presentations to students at K’Joe (New Xade), Bere, and Kacgae Primary Schools, using Xabe as the centrepiece. More than 120 students took part, learning about cheetah behaviour, human-wildlife coexistence, and how they can contribute to conservation in their own communities. The sessions were so well received that all three schools requested follow-up visits.
The interest didn’t stop with young children. We also received requests from adult groups, including the University of Botswana’s Wildlife and Environment Conservation Society (UBWECS), Tlokweng Brigade Centre’s Wildlife and Environment Society, and Ramotswa’s Tswelelopele Brigade, who are eager to visit Tiisano to learn more about wildlife and the environment.
Now, with the floodwaters receded and repairs underway, we’re working hard to reopen the Centre in time for the warmer spring months. New resources are being printed, furniture is being restored, and learning spaces are being cleaned and refreshed. Thanks to Refilwe’s quick thinking – and the team’s tireless efforts – our education outreach hasn’t missed a step, even if the bush camp beds may still be drying out.
The damage was extensive, with buildings flooded, solar infrastructure damaged, beds and wooden furniture soaked, and thousands of printed education materials destroyed – including bush camp workbooks and copies of our bilingual children’s book Xabe the Cheetah Hero. Not even our storage shipping containers were spared, with floodwater seeping in through small, rusted holes in the footings and damaging key equipment and supplies. However, our education team didn’t miss a beat to bounce back.
With bush camps on hold, Communities for Conservation Development and Education Officer, Refilwe Baatweng quickly pivoted. She delivered engaging cheetah ecology presentations to students at K’Joe (New Xade), Bere, and Kacgae Primary Schools, using Xabe as the centrepiece. More than 120 students took part, learning about cheetah behaviour, human-wildlife coexistence, and how they can contribute to conservation in their own communities. The sessions were so well received that all three schools requested follow-up visits.
The interest didn’t stop with young children. We also received requests from adult groups, including the University of Botswana’s Wildlife and Environment Conservation Society (UBWECS), Tlokweng Brigade Centre’s Wildlife and Environment Society, and Ramotswa’s Tswelelopele Brigade, who are eager to visit Tiisano to learn more about wildlife and the environment.
Now, with the floodwaters receded and repairs underway, we’re working hard to reopen the Centre in time for the warmer spring months. New resources are being printed, furniture is being restored, and learning spaces are being cleaned and refreshed. Thanks to Refilwe’s quick thinking – and the team’s tireless efforts – our education outreach hasn’t missed a step, even if the bush camp beds may still be drying out.
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