Travelling, and Day 1

After a long 24 hours of travel, we successfully arrived in Gaborone, Botswana. We had a lovely welcome on our first evening at the UK High Commissioner residence, where we talked about everything from solar panels to Glasgow nightlife. We were greeted by the depute, Eunice, colleagues of the UK Commissioner, alumni of University of Glasgow, and Bear the dog! It was such a warm and delightful beginning to our trip.

The next morning, we drove from our accommodation in Gaborone to Palapye, with a stop off at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary which has been active since 1989. Here, we were lucky enough to see the most beautiful animals, including giraffes, Zebras, Impala, Rhinos, including a baby two week old Rhino, and so many more gorgeous creatures. As the tour progressed, we learned all about the sanctuary and the work they are putting into protecting these animals which was amazing to see, and to understand the community that has come from their cause.

The evening concluded with our first meeting with nine female engineering student volunteers from BIUST here in Palapye. We had the opportunity to prepare for our first school, followed by fun games and dinner. All in all, a brilliant evening with brilliant people, sharing the same important values even from thousands of miles apart.