16 Nov 2023

 Residents of Tsutsubega settlement on the outskirts of Maun have hailed And Beyond safari company for easing their water woes and improving their living conditions in various forms

The company recently handed over a new solar powered borehole to the  residents giving them access to potable water.

Residents praised the company in random interviews, saying it had relieved them as they had endured water shortages for long. 

They said the portable water would improve their health as they used to drink contaminated water.

Ms Oganeditse Tsatsilebe said residents used to walk many kilometres to fetch water, but that they would now have easy access to clean drinking water. 

She noted that the company had also connected public water pipes for residents as well as allowing them to water their livestock and to connect to their farms.

She said most residents depended on farming hence the borehole would be of good use to them to increase and diversify production.

The company operates some lodges at the world famous Okavango Delta and its vision is to leave a legacy and to make a meaningful difference to the land, wildlife and people of the areas it operates in.

Ms Tsatsilebe also noted that the company helped them during the COVID-19 pandemic by giving them food hampers.

She urged fellow residents to take care of the borehole for the benefit of everyone and future generations.

Another resident, Mr Keorapetse Sepoya also praised the safari company. 

He said their management was friendly and tolerant to poor residents. He also noted that the company had once drilled them a borehole in 2021, but the water was salty and not suitable for human consumption. 

“God has answered our cry in a way we least expected,” he said, adding that they highly appreciated efforts by the company.

Mr Sepoya said the borehole project was in response to their plea to the company to help them as far back as 2018, noting that they engaged them on their critical needs ranging from water, healthcare, education and human-wildlife conflict.

He said residents had controlled access to the company’s private concession where they harvested grass and reeds as an added income generator. 

In addition, Mr Sepoya said the company created employment opportunities for their youth many of whom were idling.

The company prides itself for putting guests, land, wildlife and communities at the heart of its business, and it strives to leave the world a better place by building brighter futures for rural communities. ENDS