Bana Ba Ditlou
Children of the Elephants
Vission & ideas for BaBaDi
Ideas for Bana Ba Ditlou Project

* Facilities: Building with kitchen, office, storage room, reception & shaded verandah
* Play-ground for children
* Sport equipment
* Artistic equipment: paper, paints, brushes, pencils ...
* Musical instruments: traditional and classical
* Educational aids on various topics
* Bush equipment: binoculars

** Hobby clubs: fishing, birding, frogging, plants, mammals
** Nature club, safari club, conservation club
** Games, sport activities, treasure hunting
** Bush skills, survival, foods
** Safari skills, tracking
** Theatre group
** Choir
** Traditional dance & songs
** Traditional music & instruments, traditional drumming
** Marimba group
** Flute, guitar
** Cooking & baking club for girls
** Traditional handicrafts: basketry, pottery
** History & archaeology club

*** Morals & ethics
*** Behaviour, HIV-AIDS
CONSERVATION & Bana Ba Ditlou

Botswana is one of the few remaining places in Africa with vast areas of incredible wilderness and wildlife. It is a treasure that many people from around the world come to see. The country became one of the prime safari destinations with booming tourism industry. And yet, on the fringes of this areas there are people, whom most of the visitors would never see, people of this country, owners and custodians of those wonders of nature.

However, many of them still do not benefit from the opportunities around them, especially many young people - out of school, unemployed, living in poverty and desperation, sometimes pushing them into prostitution, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual irresponsibility and so often HIV-AIDS.

The true victims of this situation are children.
Most of them have never been to the national parks to see their fascinating animals. So, why should they care about them, they are dangerous, they are for the rich and visitors...

We recognised already some years ago that true conservation efforts must be always accompanied by social and development efforts among the local population.

By helping our children we are doing a long term conservation work, especially if we help them to see the value of their animals, if we help them to own them and to appreciate them - among others, as a treasure and asset that might help many of them to have job in the future in the lucrative tourism industry and necessary supporting services.

We want to expose our children to the beauty of nature as an aesthetic value and not just dangerous threatening reality and potential source of bush meat. We dream that some of our children would become best safari guides, biologists, ornithologists, herpetologists, officials of Wildlife Department, nature photographers and filmmakers. We believe there is no better way to ensure the success of long term conservation of natural resources in Botswana, in Africa.
Cooperation with other partners, sponsors

* Cooperation with filmmakers
* Cooperation with Wildlife Department
* Cooperation with Tourism Department
* Cooperation with Safari Lodges & Companies
* Cooperation with artists
* Involvement of celebrities & government officials
* Cooperation with the new Snake Park & Environmental Educational Centre in Kasane

Mission Statement

“Bana Ba Ditlou” aims to make a positive lasting difference in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable children, through psycho-social support and creative stimulating activities, enhancing their dignity and self-esteem rooted in Christian moral values.


Our main aim is to help the pre-school and primary school children. However, there are many children just about to finish their primary education. This seems to be the most dangerous period for them, especially for the girls. There is also a growing problem of “out of school youth”. Our children will be growing fast, and so, hopefully, our project with them.

As for now, the hungry and malnourished children will be provided with food. When not in school, we want to provide creative activities for them, keeping them busy, inspiring, stimulating and developing them, and keeping them out of streets, trouble, abuse, crime and antisocial behaviour. We would like to see them growing into responsible, good and dignified people; believing in themselves, with positive pride and self-respect, and, ultimately managing well their lives; getting jobs (perhaps in the local tourism and safari industry); becoming good and responsible parents, wives and husbands, artisans and artists. We would like them to become the future HIV-free generation.
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