Growing up in the village of Kanye, Botswana, apart from mostly religious books such as The Desire of Ages, The Holy Bible and an impressive selection of books on health; there was a wide selection of decorations in my parents’, rather my mother’s sitting room divider. There was a couple of ditlatlana or winnowing baskets; a painting of 2 if not 3 thatched homesteads, with two women appearing to be pounding sorghum grains from a mortar with a pestle; a blue, black and white mug with letters saying, BOTSWANA, on one side of the cup a brownish portrait of the late President Seretse Khama and on the other a red portrait of the incumbent President, QKJ Masire.
My parents never sat down with me and explicitly taught me of my culture or how to take pride in my country. But I believe, in me, they implanted those fundamental lessons and pride, perhaps, indirectly. The decorations that I got to see every day, in an environment that I felt safe, loved, and valued, in short, complete, were critically instrumental in educating me of my Botswana.
I am forever indebted to mama le papa.
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Blessing Kgosi e tsile Kgasa 