African Bush Camps Foundation (ABCF) is cultivating future conservation leaders in Botswana’s remote Khwai region through its Junior Ranger Program, giving children practical, hands-on experience in caring for nature.
The programme brings together 50 learners in Grades 4 to 7 for a mix of classroom lessons and outdoor conservation activities led by African Bush Camps staff, local guides and teachers. Students learn about biodiversity, trash separation, soil erosion, animal welfare, and water conservation, gaining both practical skills and ecological understanding.
Since its launch in 2024, the Junior Ranger Programme and related environmental initiatives have benefited more than 500 students across the Khwai community and nearby schools creating a growing movement of young people committed to protecting nature.
At the heart of the initiative lies the ‘mind, heart, and hand’ principle encouraging intellectual learning (mind), emotional connection (heart), and practical application (hand) to build lasting conservation values.
Crucially, the programme also gives indigenous children from Khwai Village a clear pathway to careers in wildlife conservation and guiding, allowing them to protect and work within the same landscapes their families have lived alongside for generations.
By connecting education, culture, and opportunity, ABCF is transforming how local youth view conservation: not only as a responsibility, but as a viable profession rooted in their heritage.
“The Junior Rangers Program is already changing how young people in Khwai see their environment,” said Selly Kegakamang, Botswana Country Lead, African Bush Camps Foundation. “They’re more confident, more curious, and more hopeful, and that’s exactly the kind of impact we want to create”.
Looking ahead to grow the movement in the future, the Foundation plans to maintain the Junior Ranger Program in Khwai and broaden environmental education across ABCF schools, introducing Coaching Conservation to five primary schools in Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT) in 2026. ABF also seeks to Work with local education and conservation partners to adopt and deliver established environmental education curriculum and programs.
Further to that it intends to,” measure the program’s impact on environmental awareness and behavior in Khwai as well as build pathways for young people to pursue careers in guiding, conservation, and environmental management.”
“The children of Khwai are the future guardians of Botswana’s wildlife and landscapes,” said ABC Founder Beks Ndlovu. “By giving them the tools, knowledge, and inspiration today, we are ensuring that tomorrow’s conservation efforts are led by the people who call this land home.”
