My journey

About two years ago I stubbornly decided to embark on a very challenging, isolating and fulfilling personal mission. Partly inspired by my exciting experience in Scotland (both positive and negative); my quest to study my family World War history led to me, with great interest, studying the socio-economic environment of Botswana, arguably at the highest level.

I did not only study about the much vaunted success story of Botswana, but also the grinding poverty, amid plenty. I studied about legends of the motherland: Mme Edith Mmusi, Rre Roy Sesana, Captain Atamelang Koboyankwe, Judge Unity Dow. I studied of the Wayeyi’s oppression in the Tswana-dominated spaces, courtesy of the great Professor Lydia Nyati-Saleshando(Ramahobo).
More importantly, for my research study, I sat down with the hale and hearty 92 year old Rre Mogotsi of Gasita, in Gasita. Before I went to Gasita; my 92 year old grandmother sang a song, from the 70s, about Mogotsi, his wife, and daughter.
Although this is probably a lifetime journey, I’m very pleased to claim that I have arrived, rather, I have found the path, my route.
P.S. 2 Years Ago:
“I studied History at Secondary School. I loved History at High School. I passed History with an A at High School. I studied about Mzilikazi, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, World War 1 and the Peace Treaty of Versailles, World War 2, Mfecane Wars and The Great Trek.
World War 1 and 2 Veterans: My father’s uncle, my mother’s grandfather and my grandfather’s cousins were definately not mentioned or even acknowledged anywhere in the World War History that I excellently studied at Seepapitso Secondary School. Of course, the ‘Other’ Armies were self-congratulatory mentioned. Clearly, “curriculum reform to reflect the relevance of the African setting did not take place. Western curricula values continued to be reinforced after independence” (Sifuna 2008).
I want to study my Family World War 1 and 2; and I am studying that History. This time: I am not after an A, I am after knowledge, knowledge of myself and maybe of others?”

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Botswana Born and Raised. Alive. Lively. Living. Life.

One thought on “My journey

  1. Amazing…just last year prior to BOT50, I followed Dr Jeff Ramsey stories on the Battle of Dimawe and Kgosi Sechele. It was quite interesting to learn of these and yet we were never taught that history at school. Sechele liberated this nation before it became captive

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