School & Community introductions

We woke up to bad news this morning. Rani Ritchie had received a message that her mother had been hospitalised and transferred to intensive care: and the decision was made that she and Luca would return to Australia on the first available flight.

We all breakfasted in a very somber mood. The group travelled into Maun on a benched truck (which went to Sedie School) and a jeep which went looking for a travel agency in town to book the Ritchie flights.

Once the flights were settled we all met at Sedie and were introduced to their Sedie ‘buddies’ in an introductory meeting in the computer room. There was an M/C, and speeches by the school head, deputy head, and a primary school representative. We were made to feel most welcome.

Afterwards the student groups intermingled before we all left the school, Oxley students going to the town museum and the Ritchies to the airport. It was a sad farewell and we all wished them a speedy trip and a successful outcome.

An interesting tour of the museum was followed by a picnic lunch in the museum grounds.

From the museum our truck took us to the Maun tkotla (tribal meeting place) where we were the guests of honour at a formal ceremony acknowledging how important our link to the schools is regarded locally. The paramount chief’s representative was there, as was the Sedie chief, the school head and other dignitaries. Much of the welcome was spoken in Tswana but it was interpreted for us.

At the end of a long afternoon we were taken to the local mall where we all shopped for drinks and snacks. From there it was back to our camp at Sitatunga and a swim or volleyball before dinner.

There were bush babies in the nearby trees. After dinner we rehearsed our lessons for our first day at Mathiba Primary School tomorrow.

It had been a emotionally taxing day - both at farewells and at very formal occasions - and the Oxley group came through it most impressively.Read more