Botswana

Wilderness Botswana: First Lady's visit highlights continued support at Sankoyo primary school

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Wilderness Blogger

6/30/2024

Wilderness Botswana: First Lady's visit highlights continued support at Sankoyo primary school

April 2025 – A recent visit to Sankoyo Primary School by Botswana’s First Lady, Kaone Boko, emphasised the school’s thriving partnership with Wilderness Botswana and its Children in the Wilderness (CITW) education programme. Together, they are making significant strides in enhancing rural education, with a focus on environmental stewardship, student wellbeing, and sustainable development.

 

The First Lady’s visit underscored her steadfast commitment to supporting the region’s development and the importance of community-driven initiatives. Her advocacy for education set a powerful tone for the day, highlighting the crucial role education plays in driving positive change. The First Lady’s visit included generous donations, including 129 pairs of leather shoes for students, along with printer cartridges and essential sanitary supplies. She also extended her support to Khwai and Mababe Primary Schools, broadening the reach of her contributions. Wilderness Botswana, a long-time partner of Sankoyo village and the school, contributed BWP10,000 to cover food and refreshments for all guests, ensuring the celebration’s success.

 

“Our support of Sankoyo Primary School reflects our commitment to sustainable and lasting development. We deeply appreciate the First Lady’s visit, which has helped highlight the ongoing needs of the school. As a dedicated partner of both the school and the broader Sankoyo community, we understand that meaningful change comes from long-term, dependable partnerships, which are the very cornerstone of our three-pillar Impact strategy – Empower, Educate & Protect. CITW remains steadfast in its dedication to empowering Africa’s future conservation leaders, ensuring that no child is left behind”. said Joe Matome, Wilderness Botswana Caretaker Managing Director.

Wilderness Botswana has partnered with the Sankoyo community since 2013 through its lodge operations at Santawani and Gomoti camps, providing local employment and contributing to numerous community initiatives. One such initiative is an annual ploughing assistance programme, which in 2024/25 supported 24 local farmers with seeds and mechanical aid to cultivate 16 hectares of land.

 

In collaboration with CITW, Wilderness has also supported Sankoyo Primary School’s educational and environmental programmes. CITW’s weekly Eco-Clubs engage students in conservation and life skills activities, while the school benefits from a fruit tree orchard established as part of an Eco-Club project. Additionally, eight students from Sankoyo Primary were among the 78 children who attended CITW’s annual Eco-Camp in 2024. “We have had the joy of working with Wilderness and CITW for many years to date, as they are always eager to support the needs of the school. It is through support such as this that we are able to invest in strong education experiences for our children. We need this support, and we need others to also come on board to make more of a difference”, said Boago Ontiretse, a teacher at Sankoyo Primary School.

 

Wilderness’s contributions also extend to teacher training, educational materials, infrastructure improvements, and financial support for prize-giving ceremonies. “The ongoing partnership between Wilderness Botswana, CITW, and Sankoyo Primary School underscores the importance of sustained support in driving meaningful change for the community. Wilderness is grateful for the First Lady's commitment to education, which, together with CITW's efforts, will continue to inspire these young guardians of our African wilderness”, concluded Joe.

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