World Migratory Birth day 2011

BirdLife Botswana received a grant of $9,661 from the Embassy of the United States of America to organize a celebration titled “World Migratory Bird Day - Promoting Indigenous Knowledge of Bird Conservation in Botswana.” It was an annual global awarenss-raising campaign day for BirdLife to highlight the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. The event took place in Otse on the 9th of April with the participation of over 500 school children, OVCs (Orphans & Vulnerable Children), teachers, local community members, and our stakeholders. The day was a resounding success and the collaboration with the local community was meaningful. 

The celebration aimed at:

• to raise awareness and promote conservation of migratory bird species,
• to develop an interest and knowledge of birds among children,
• to promote Botswana’s indigenous knowledge on conservation at the grassroots level.

The atmosphere was electric as the children performed choral singing, dancing, drama, playing musical instruments, and reading poetry depicting conservation issues. The sparkle in the children’s eyes and their rapt attention were testimony to their enjoyment of the occasion. The children proudly wore their T-shirts, depicting a migrating swallow in full flight and specially prepared for the day, and obviously thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Lastly, BirdLife would like to acknowledge their appreciation to the Embassy of the United States of America for providing this outstanding opportunity to implement such a rewarding project for the children in Botswana.