Luxury tour operator, Great Plains Conservation has launched an innovative initiative which aims to provide personal and community enrichment opportunities for individuals in northern Botswana. The initiative, dubbed the Great Plains Academy, will tackle the lack of accessible, quality educational opportunities for young people in the area. These enrichment opportunities will be facilitated through vocational training and supplemental education with a conservation and tourism focus. The Academy seeks to improve the participants’ understanding of their local environment and wildlife, promote conservation and sustainable land management practices and will also invest in the skill and capacity building of the local community and workforce.
“At Great Plains, we also understand that thriving conservation programs are only possible when communities living alongside the wildlife and protected areas are afforded opportunities to learn, interact and benefit from these conserved areas.” – Great Plains Academy.
Great Plains Foundation has been planning and building the facility over the last few months. The company held a small opening ceremony on the 13th of October to celebrate the completion of the first phase of construction of the Great Plains Academy in Seronga, Northern Botswana. Dignitaries and special guests included Kgosi Maeze, who welcomed the attendees to Seronga, the Deputy District Commissioner, the Dikgosi from the region, Councillors, the Village Development Committee and the Great Plains Solar Mamas.
“Earlier this week, we opened a humble training facility which will eventually form part of the Great Plains Academy. We were joined by enthusiastic community members and officials to celebrate the opening of this facility. The location of this site is central to a number of villages between Mohembo (on the Namibian border) and Gudigwa.
The training facility, and later the Academy, will play a vital role in progressing the careers of the youths of these villages. The three days I spent in this area this week highlighted to me the enthusiasm for all to learn. With training and education, the door opens so many opportunities and community involvement in the tourism industry of Botswana,” Dorian Hoy, Managing Director of Great Plains Conservation – Botswana and Zimbabwe said at the event.
Hoy explained that the objective of the academy was to facilitate relevant, accessible and free-of-charge training workshops for the residents of the Okavango Community Trust villages. For his part, Bruce Petty, Great Plains General Manager, invited Ben Gothusamang, an employee at Duba Plains Camp, to read a poem he penned for the event on the importance of education.
“Education is the pillar of our independence. It will lead us to find a meaningful purpose in life. So let’s get educated while we still have a chance and good opportunity because it is light. We are nothing without education. Education must be our daily bread.
I see a bright future due to education. Education is the pillar of our lives, by just looking at our nation, I see a bright future due to education. Education brightens our faces and our minds because it is the most powerful weapon,” read Gothusamang’s poem.
A series of training sessions formed part of the opening of the first phase of the academy, with 40 participants receiving training on Professional CV Writing and Interview Skills over the week. The next planned workshop will focus on the development of small business enterprises.
“We plan to host training on various topics that will be inclusive of all members of the community. We are blessed that we are able to move forward with this project during these uncertain times, thanks to the assistance of the Great Plains Foundation and the generosity of our guests,” Tracey Taylor, Environmental Manager said.
This is just the beginning of the wider dream the Academy hopes to grow and in so doing, help more young adults to reach their potential and, in turn, grow the opportunities in their communities.
Source: http://www.atta.travel/member-news/2020/10/the-launch-of-the-great-plains-academy-in-botswana/
