Khwai Village, situated on the banks of the Khwai River in northwest Botswana, hosts a population of approximately 400 people near the borders of Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The hunter/gatherer culture of Khwai Village, so typical of this region of Botswana, has not traditionally engaged in crop or vegetable cultivation. The introduction of horticulture and gardening education within the village’s only pre-school/elementary school and the establishment of essential infrastructure (water source, distribution and storage, proper soil, seeds, and tools) aims to foster better nutrition and health for the population which was long a desire of village leadership. Historically reliant on imported crops, the new “Teaching” garden provides a space for local children to learn about growing/cultivation of plants as well as serving to inspire parents and adults to realize the possibility and importance of freshly grown vegetables to their diet.
Thanks to the efforts of several Colorado USA based Rotary Clubs, in collaboration with Charitable Foundations in South Africa and Rotary Clubs in Botswana, that desire is now a reality, and the village school students are now harvesting the crops and enjoying fresh, nutritious, home-grown vegetables in their meals. Importantly, parents are now expressing the desire to have their own gardens and emulate the schools “Teaching” garden in their own home plots. Such a transfer of interest is a sign of the success of this project.
The Teaching Gardens Project was a collaborative effort involving the Colorado Rotary Clubs led by the Rotary Club of Longmont and joined by the Boulder Rotary Club and Twin Peaks Rotary and funded in part by matching funds from the Rotary District 5450. Within Botswana, the host club: The Rotary Club of Gaborone, and guided by the charitable partner, Natural Selections Foundation. The project's conception occurred when Longmont Rotarian, Andrew Lee, a Wildlife Photographer, visited the village during a photo safari to Botswana sponsored by Natural Selection Travel, the foundation's commercial entity.
The Teaching Gardens Project was a collaborative effort involving the Colorado Rotary Clubs led by the Rotary Club of Longmont and joined by the Boulder Rotary Club and Twin Peaks Rotary and funded in part by matching funds from the Rotary District 5450. Within Botswana, the host club: The Rotary Club of Gaborone, and guided by the charitable partner, Natural Selections Foundation. The project's conception occurred when Longmont Rotarian, Andrew Lee, a Wildlife Photographer, visited the village during a photo safari to Botswana sponsored by Natural Selection Travel, the foundation's commercial entity.
Commencing in June 2023, the project began with the drilling of a well for irrigation, complemented by the installation of a solar-powered pump system for the garden. The garden, located within the village’s preschool, spans approximately 50 feet in length and 80 feet in width.
The sponsors are betting that with the “Teaching Garden” project not only will children’s nutrition improve but the project will serve to inspire the entire village to embrace the joys and benefits of gardening.
The sponsors are betting that with the “Teaching Garden” project not only will children’s nutrition improve but the project will serve to inspire the entire village to embrace the joys and benefits of gardening.