Botswana's future environmental stewards

Dear Friends, 

Thank you for your continued support.

Because of your generosity, rural students in the Boteti region of Botswana are gaining access to high-quality, engaging environmental education, often for the first time. Your contributions are helping to nurture the next generation of conservation leaders by fostering curiosity, knowledge, and pride in Botswana’s natural heritage.

The Elephants for Africa Environmental Education Programme is designed to complement school curricula while introducing students to real-world conservation challenges and solutions. Our lessons are designed to provide comprehensive coverage of a variety of activities, including valuing Botswana’s ecosystems and biodiversity, understanding elephant ecology, behavior, and conservation, exploring the scientific process and critical thinking, and engaging with general scientific and mathematical concepts.

Our approach emphasizes interactive learning, discussion, and hands-on activities, ensuring students are not only informed but empowered to think critically about the environment around them.

In addition to our core curriculum, we like to mix it up by inviting guest speakers into the classroom. These sessions encourage idea-sharing and cross-cultural exchange, benefiting both students and visitors alike.

Most recently, students were especially inspired by two guest speakers:

• David, a visiting zoo keeper from the Memphis Zoo (USA) shared insights into African elephant husbandry in zoological settings. Students were both shocked and fascinated to learn that elephants are kept in zoos in other countries, and they were deeply engaged in discussions about what it takes to keep such large, intelligent animals healthy and stimulated in captivity. Espeically since to them, an elephant is just an animal you may see on your wat to school! 

• Kate, an Elephants for Africa Research Volunteer (UK), presented on her work in rhino conservation in South Africa. She introduced students to rhino ecology, conservation threats, and the real-life applicaiton of the scientific process. By walking students through how she designed her research project and methodologies, she provided a tangible example of how science is used to answer conservation questions and protect wildlife.

Both guest sessions sparked thoughtful questions, lively discussion, and genuine curiosity. Students were attentive, engaged, and eager to learn, leaving with a deeper understanding of conservation beyond their immediate surroundings. Most importantly, these experiences helped foster a greater appreciation for Botswana’s native species and natural heritage.

Your support allows us to continue expanding horizons, sharing knowledge, and building meaningful partnerships that connect rural students with the wider conservation world. Together, we are encouraging curiosity, stewardship, and cross-cultural understanding, planting seeds that will shape Botswana’s conservation future.

Thank you for believing in Botswana’s future environmental stewards with us! 

With gratitude,
The Team at Elephants for Africa 

Dear Ele Friends,

On a bright July morning, the Motopi Junior Secondary School was full of energy. Excited students, curious questions, and inspiring conversations filled the air as Elephants for Africa hosted a Career Fair that brought together organizations from all sorts of fields - each there to open doors for Botswana’s youth.

The idea was simple but impactful: spark curiosity and show students the many paths their futures could take. For those growing up in rural areas, it’s not always easy to picture opportunities beyond what they see day to day. Career fairs like this one don’t just share information, they plant seeds for what’s possible.

This year’s fair showcased an incredible range of sectors: conservation, tourism, healthcare, construction, the arts, and more. Students were able to talk directly with professionals, ask questions, and even try their hand at practical demonstrations. Here’s a glimpse of who joined us:

• Elephants for Africa – We led sessions on elephant behavior, human-wildlife coexistence, and what life looks like as conservationists, researchers and environmental educators. It was fantastic to see so many students light up at the idea of working to protect Botswana’s wildlife one day.
• Natural Selections / Meno-a-Kwena – Their team shared stories from the world of top-notch hospitality and ecotourism, showing how tourism not only protects nature but also creates jobs in remote communities.
• Friends of Photography – With mini-workshops, the founder of Friends of Photography encouraged students to use photography as a tool for storytelling, advocacy, and even career building. The students especially loved getting hands on with a wide variety of equipment.
• Bush Ways Foundation – With interactive demos, they brought safari guiding, tracking, and community-based conservation to life, proving that passion for the land can turn into a vibrant career.
• SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund – From wildlife monitoring technology to conservation law, their session was perfect for students interested in science and policy.
• Estate Construction – Their live building demonstrations were a big hit, showing students how skilled trades are vital to progress in both villages and cities.
• Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) – The CITF booth was buzzing with information about vocational training, scholarships, and apprenticeships, an eye-opener for students looking beyond traditional academics.
• Motopi Social Services; Community Development Office – Their team inspired students to think about careers in social work, youth outreach, and public service, a much needed service that strengthen whole communities.
• Motopi Clinic – Nurses and healthcare staff led heartfelt discussions about public health and the importance of rural healthcare careers, inspiring students who hadn’t considered this path before.

For many students, this was the first time meeting professionals from such a wide range of careers. Seeing role models who look like them, speak their languages, and work in fields they’d never imagined made dreams feel real and within reach.

At Elephants for Africa, we believe exposure leads to empowerment. By connecting young people to real opportunities, especially in rural communities, we help level the playing field and open up futures that might have felt out of reach.

A huge thank you to every supporter that joined us to make the day a success. We’re already looking forward to next year’s fair and to making it even bigger and better. When we invest in our youth, we’re investing in Botswana’s successful future!

Thank you, 

The EfA Team