Children in the Wilderness’ profound annual camps

I was lucky enough to be part of an annual camp this past month at Wilderness Vumbura Plains in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. It ran from the 7th of December until the 10th, and was one of four camps hosted in Botswana during this month. In this time, two Wilderness camps were closed to guests and 78 Batswana children experienced the richness of the Delta. When told this, while standing on the luxurious and expansive main deck at Vumbura North, it slowly dawned on me as I tried to crunch the numbers – Wilderness truly walks the walk. To close your doors to paying guests in the name of education is a costly affair and is certainly not something I have seen done on this scale anywhere else. But as we prepared for the children to arrive, I slowly realised that certain things are worth more than money, and these camps are filled with profound moments that money can’t buy.

This annual camp consisted of 11 Eco-Mentors lead by Gabaineele Modirapula (CITW Botswana Camp Coordinator), 28 children, 4 teachers, and 1 representative from the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education Botswana.  At their disposal was the full staff of Wilderness Vumbura Plains (North), Wilderness’ premier camp in the Vumbura Concession on the north-eastern side of the Delta. Most importantly, this camp, and the concession it is situated on, is leased by Wilderness from the Okavango Community Trust which comprises five villages that border the Delta here. As a result, the majority of the Wilderness staff who work at Vumbura hail from these areas. This made this annual camp extra special, as the teachers and children were from the exact same villages – Gudigwa, Eretsha, Beetsha, Gunotsoga, and Seronga – where they attend primary schools in. This full circle moment, Wilderness staff showing the youth of their villages their natural heritage and what they as staff do, was and is, truly special. 

Upon arrival the children were met by Wilderness staff and Eco-Mentors singing and dancing. Each chorus, clap, and shuffle was performed with so much joy. They were singing for their future. This welcome was accompanied by posters titled Welcome to Vumbura and Go Roga Ka Pula; the second being a Setswana phrase requesting the children bring the rain with them, a prayer based on the fact that Southern Africa had been suffering its worst drought in decades up until that point. The children, although excited, were wide-eyed, shy, and rather quiet. They had just flown in from Maun and Kasane with Wilderness Air, a first flight ever for all of them. If that wasn’t exciting enough, they were then greeted by our Wilderness guides who collected them from the airstrip, driving them into camp on their first ever game drive experience. Perhaps this combination of firsts was too much excitement for one day, or perhaps their shyness came from being in a completely different environment. After all, a luxury camp in the Delta is a far-removed experience for most, especially a child from a rural village. Seeing a guide, a lion – a rhino  for that matter! – they might as well have seen an astronaut, such was their amazement.

But as always with education – there is a programme and lots of learning to be done. Can’t always be fun and game drives. We watched as the Wilderness staff and Eco-Mentors took the children through their paces and outlined the safety rules that come with being in a wild area. The children were then provided with bright yellow Children in the Wilderness shirts, bucket hats for the sun, and backpacks containing gifts, and educational requirements such as a tailored programme book designed for learning during the camp, and afterwards. Once that was done the children were escorted to their designated luxury tents where they were watched over by their teachers and Eco-Mentors. With temperatures at well over 40 degrees Celsius (104° Fahrenheit) and a long morning of travel, it was time for a well-deserved rest.

For the next three days, lessons took place in the main area and were broken up with fun activities on the deck and in the sandy parking lot. From learning about food chains to soccer games and quizzes, the children experienced a diverse programme. Game drives were always the highlight, but so too was a talk given by CLAWS, a Wilderness supported non-profit organisation that mitigates conflict between lions and humans in the OCT villages and elsewhere. When not learning or playing, time was spent in the tents reflecting and talking to new friends. The children loved the outdoor showers, so much so that often there was no hot water for the teachers and Eco-Mentors. When not spotting wildlife on game drives the children were doing so back at camp. Warthogs moved about below the boardwalks and hippos noisily made their presence known in the waters below the main deck. Two leopards were even spotted by one of the boys from his tent, which resulted in the whole camp trying to spot them as they walked past. A very exciting moment. Not even the heat seemed to deter the children. It did however, like clockwork, result in a massive build-up of clouds throughout the day. And as it cooled in the evenings – rain fell. The children had brought it with them and the prayers had been answered.  

As much as the rain was a blessing, it did mean that certain activities had to be adapted. One such activity was the boma dinner which was moved indoors. As the wooden shutters around the dining area rattled from the rain, we all gathered inside around the tables and prepared for an evening of traditional singing and dancing performed by the Wilderness staff. What followed beautifully reflected what these annual camps are truly about:

All the Wilderness staff, from front-of-house to back-of-house, moved as one. With women in the front and men behind, rich baritone voices set the foundations for the women’s ethereal higher notes. For an hour they sang and danced, Obonye Baitseng (Relief General Manager at Vumbura and CITW Ambassador) setting the tone, and the rest joining in. Nshembiro was also performed, a form of traditional dancing in which cut reeds from dried sorghum is strapped around the waist and rhythmically shaken. As their performance came towards its end, the staff moved single file through the dining area, taking the hands of the children as they went. They then circled back to the front with the children in tow and proceeded to ease them into their own performance. A girl no older than 10, like Obonye, would set the tone, and then the rest joined in. For an hour, the children performed as their elders had. The baritone voices were not quite there, but their rhythm, their unity, their movement as one, was a sight to behold.

If I was to summarise the profoundness of this camp, I would say it is a slowly measured changing of the guard, one generation imparting their wisdom, their traditions, and their skills onto the next. As the current custodians of some of Earth’s wildest places, they are showing the future custodians the path, and these children are slowly walking it. CITW provides the framework – an education that enables an understanding of the environment and the skills needed to protect it. But it is the CITW annual camps that take that understanding and create tangible connections. Experiences, emotions, a love for the wild.

For that child who sees their first leopard walking gracefully past camp, it is a moment they will never forget. It is a wild animal they will come to respect and love. For that child who watches a guide in action, confidently revealing the secrets of the wild, it is a person they will always remember. A role model they will aspire to be one day. And for all the children who see their traditions proudly woven into the fabric of the safari experience that is Wilderness Vumbura Plains, it shows a way. A way that authentically and sustainably brings people and wildlife together to live harmoniously side by side. Now that is profound.