Eretsha’s new classrooms ‘a beacon of hope’
Perched on the banks of the Okavango Delta floodplains lies the small, isolated village of Eretsha.
Sandwiched between similar sized settlements Gunotsoga and Beetsha, these peaceful, rural communities are characterised by traditional homes, with mud-thatched huts and reed fences a reoccurring theme.
Located over 100km from the iconic Mohembo Bridge in Shakawe, to reach Eretsha, one must brave a bumpy, dusty gravel road, where zebra and livestock graze happily together by the roadside.
At the very entrance sits the village’s only school, a satellite primary built with reeds by the Okavango Community Trust (OCT) ten years ago.
Initially limited to lower-primary level, the North West District Council expanded the school into a fully-fledged primary in 2021, constructing four classrooms.
“Before then our children had to track on foot to and from neighbouring villages to access education. Some had to be separated with their parents from a young age to stay with relatives so that they can be closer to the schools and also to avoid accidents as we stay in wildlife areas where animals move freely and can endanger the children’s lives,” explained Kgosi Boitshwarelo Mosenyegi.
The Chief was speaking on the sidelines of a recent ceremony where one of the country’s major tourism companies, Okavango Wilderness Safaris (OWS) handed over a P2 million project.
The donation included a two-classroom block as well as a secure perimeter fence, complete with solar lighting, designed to deter wildlife, including elephants, from entering the school and interrupting lessons.
Speaking on behalf of his people, Kgosi Mosenyegi said the gift was much-needed and gratefully received, as the school currently has 294 pupils and was struggling to cope.
“The classrooms were not enough so lower primary school learners continued to use the reed school while the older ones went to the modern built school,” he highlighted, adding the reed structures attracted rats and insects, endangering the children’s health.
Officially handing over the project to the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Wilderness Safaris Caretaker Managing Director, Joe Matome revealed they took up the initiative last year.
“We began this journey with one goal: to give our children in Eretsha a safe and empowering environment to learn. This is not just a physical structure, it is a beacon of possibility. It is a space where dreams will be born, confidence will be nurtured and young minds will take their first steps towards becoming the leaders, scientists, rangers, entrepreneurs, and change makers of tomorrow,” Matome declared.
Like most schools in North West and Okavango regions, Eretsha has not been doing well in Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE).
However, results are slowly improving.
After recording a six percent pass rate in 2023, it was cause for celebration last year when the figure rose to 36 percent, coinciding with the school getting a Head Teacher for the first time.
Demanding more, area Member of Parliament (MP), Gabotsholwe Disho pointed out a 36 percent pass rate was nothing to get excited about.
“This is one of the regions that have been disadvantaged for many, many years. For a whole primary school to achieve a 36 percent [pass rate] and be celebrated, that is not normal, we cannot celebrate this! We have 15 primary schools in our constituency and out of them are four satellite schools. Including Eretsha, there is Mokgacha, Mohembo and Shaikarawe Primary Schools. Some have done better with 70 percent pass, but from these schools learners will go to the two Junior Secondary Schools: Ngambao and Gowa. Results from these two schools are shocking, there is nothing like that in the world where the entire school gets 10 percent pass! You can only get that in Okavango West, Okavango East and Ngami,” Disho decried, noting dilapidated infrastructure contributes to the poor performance.
For her part, Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Nono Kgafela praised OWS for making a difference and proving exactly what is possible when ‘vision meets commitment’.
“This is how you shape a future of progress and possibility for our children today and for many more generations to come. I am reliably informed that Wilderness Safaris has long been a partner to this community not only through ecotourism but through their sub lease of NG 22, but also in the realm of education and community upliftment, The classrooms we inaugurate today are not just a building but a sign of long standing partnerships, mutual respect and a shared belief in the power of education,” applauded Kgafela.
Other partners who made the project possible include: the Council, Government, community members, Daunara Foundation, Cophan and Hilton families, Wild Bird Trust and Lodge Builders Botswana.
