Africa-Press – Botswana. A total of 4,800 hikers from Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and eSwatini braved the Saturday morning chilly weather to support the annual charity initiative organised by CSI Concepts Foundation.
Now on its ninth edition, Desert Bush Walk was conceptualised in 2014 with an objective to contribute towards community development, particularly the education sector. Despite the initial plan being to focus on communities within the peripheries of Jwaneng, where the event is hosted, the scope has since been broadened to reach those beyond the Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency.
Speaking on the side-lines of the walk, the Minister of Wildlife and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi hailed the initiative for its impact not only on the tourism sector but also on the wellness benefit for the participants. He appreciated the boost in the local businesses, particularly those in the hospitality industry providing accommodation for those coming from outside Jwaneng.
“The fact that we have hikers from outside Botswana means they will see our country and spend money on the local businesses. They are also likely to come back at a later date as tourists with their families. We also support these kinds of wellness and tourism activities and we want them to grow in order to reduce the health burden on government,” he said.
His counterpart from the Ministry of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng said as a ministry that believed in the commercialisation of sport and arts, they supported initiatives such as the Desert Bush Walk which resonated with the government’s objectives.
“The government cannot do it alone and therefore initiatives such as this one shows that private entities are doing something which also attract a lot of people. We are therefore here to support with the hope that more people will get interested in such events and Botswana will be known as a hosting nation,” he said.
He implored the private sector to rally behind such initiatives and contribute towards their growth, and subsequently the charitable work they stood for. Even though appreciating the Desert Bush Walk and its impact on the commmunity, Member of Parliament for Jwaneng/Mabutsane, Omphemetse Kwapa said his wish was for the event to rotate among the villages in the constituency. Kwapa said this would ensure that other villages reaped the economic benefits for hosting the event.
The Desert Bush Walk Local Organising Committee chairperson, Gabobofane Gabobofane said their main target was improving the education sector, primarily lower education. Gabobofane said lack of resources in schools across the country motivated them to expand their mandate and reach out to schools outside the region.
He also said as they prepare for the 10th edition next year, they aimed to grow the event and maximise the impacts. Sharing her first hiking experience in Botswana, Lebohang Machini from Lesotho said even though she was used to hiking in the mountains, it was challenging to manoeuvre the Botswana sand. However, she said completing the 30km walk was worthwhile in support of charity.
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