'Kubu Island - Island of the Hippo'
The Makgadikgadi Pans 30km Walk
Standard Seven Students – Northside Primary School
Botswana
17h30, Wednesday, 08 August 2007
The first 4x4 vehicles, pulling 4x4 trailers pull into the Northside car park and the logistics team of parents and students start the packing of food, tents, water and gas stoves and utensils. This team worked for three months, building up a comprehensive list of the supplies that would be necessary to ensure a ‘comfortable’ stay on the inhospitable salt pan that stretches out across the center of Botswana.
For five months, the Standard 7 students (age 12) from Northside Primary School, (accredited by the Council of International Schools) had been preparing for this historical undertaking by training and getting physically strong and fit and developing a deep understanding about the importance of healthy diets. Along with these understandings was a unit of inquiry that taught students to explore ways that the human body could also be cared for and nurtured in the areas of emotions, socializing, intellect and spirit.
The aim of all this physical work and classroom learning …
'Wearing our Cancer Assocation T-Shirts at Gaborone Private Hospital'
to build awareness of community service and raising funds for the Cancer Association of Botswana by walking for thirty kilometers across the pans.
06h15, Thursday, 09 August 2007
The logistics team of 4, 4x4’s drove out from Northside and headed North-West into the heart of Botswana. The truck that collected the water from the mining town of Orapa was ready and waiting with 1800 liters at Letlhakane and after re-fueling, the five vehicles headed towards the village of Motsume where the well traveled dust road becomes a track that varies from stone through to fine, powdery sand. At 17h30, as the students were busy packing the 7 4x4’s that would leave early on Friday, the call came through on the satellite phone that the logistics team had arrived safely at Kubu Island.
Karla Jooste gives us a personal account of this trip. ‘I left with my dad on Thursday for the great ‘Makgadikgadi Trip!’ There were a few setbacks like when my dad’s Landrover wouldn’t start and also when the truck that was carrying the water got stuck in sand.
'Driving twoards Kubu Island'
Dilan Sri Daran adds to this saga: ‘There were two roads that led around and back to a single road and we took the shortest route. But wouldn’t you know - this road was filled with very deep and soft sand. Al the four-wheel cars were fine, but the rest were in a lot of trouble. Finally after an hour of pushing and shoving, digging and heaving, we finally got all the cars through. Now we were almost there!’
Paige Pledger had another view of the trip – two boys in the car! ‘After about two hours in the car, I was ready to throw the two boys (Mathew and Shaun) out of the car! We eventually swopped and in their place came Nina and Fifi. We then had live entertainment because Fifi sang the rest of the way.’
Karla: But in the end we arrived at Kubu Island at about four ‘o clock. I helped set up the tents and after that Hannah and Nina showed me a baobab tree that was so big, I could not believe my eyes!’
‘When we arrived late at Kubu Island on Friday afternoon the first thing we did was set up our tents. I had never been to Kubu Island and didn’t know what to expect. As I looked around anxiously, I saw the island and the pans that seemed to go on and on. I couldn’t believe that we were going to walk that. After we had settled and had lunch, we decided to go for a walk. We were becoming more and more close as a group of friends as we did everything together and helped each other.’ Lebo Gaetsaloe
06h00, Friday, 10 August 2007
The students met in the dark and the air of excitement was immediately noticeable.
Jeanine Coghlan describes her personal feelings of this morning: My heart was pounding, pumping blood through my body. For the first time in my life I was going to the Makgadikgadi Pans and I was so excited becuase I was also travelling with my best friend, Lisa.
Parents and students said their last goodbyes and as the sun rose, the convoy set off towards our first stop, Mahalaphe, 250km from Gaborone. After a quick re-fuel and a take-away coffee, we set off to Orapa gate where the SPAR truck was waiting with the last of our provisions, 200 freshly baked bread rolls. The distance from Orapa -one of the largest diamond mines in the world – to Kubu Island is approximately 75 km. It took two and a half hours for the convoy to cover this distance. As the temperatures climbed into the 30’s vehicles got stuck in the thick sand and had to be dug out and pulled out - by a government tractor! -which all added to the great sense that this was no ordinary school excursion!
Marc Mogwe-jansen tell the story: We got to a very sandy part of the trip and would you believe it, one of our cars got stuck. It was the Barloworld car a.k.a. Sahana's dad's car got stuck. But even before that Opi's dad also got stuck and Basi pushed it out by himself! After that, Mr. Kala got stuck too but this was a bit harder and almost everyone had to puch him out! Then it came to the Barloworld car. This was the worst of all. The car wouldn't budge but some nice people (Government tractor!) came to help. We let air out of the tires and the tractor pulled it out!
Paige Pledger at Kubu Island
At Kubu Island, the logistics team started to get the camp ready for the next group that was coming. We all did a walk around the island which only took us about half an hour. It was a fantastic experinece to see all the beautiful baobabs plonked all over the peaceful island.
Shaun Sharp - Today we set up tents for the other group that were arriving today. When we were done with that we walked around Kubu Island and saw so many great baobabs. Before the next group came we climbed and sat in the great trees.
Megan Smith tells of the Friday journey: Early on Friday morning, we got up at the crack of dawn to get ready to drive down to the pans for the 30km walk. We all jumped into the cars and set off. I was with Caroline and Kayenaat and they were so much fun to be with! We laughed and joked and then, finally, we were on the top of a hill looking down onto tthe pans in the distance. Everyone froze for there in the distance were the pans that looked so wonderful!.
'4x4 Adventure!'
When we arrived in the campsite, the sun was already low in the sky and the pans were starting to reflect the bronzes, blue-greys and mauves of evening. Directly behind our camp, a 3000 year-old baobab tree stretched its branches out over our tents and we were all filled with a deep sense of awe and respect for the privilege of being in this unique and ancient place. ‘ It (Kubu Island) was probably the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen; and I also especially loved the way that that the snow-white pans meet the bright blue horizon.’ Andrija
‘The arrival at Kubu Island was FANTASTIC, especially for those of us who had never camped before. It is so serene and peaceful. It is a place where you can really appreciate and connect with nature. We arrived to tents that had thankfully been erected by the advance logistics team that had arrived on the Thursday. We unpacked the vehicles after our 8-hour drive and set up our beds (after we had fought about who was sleeping where, with whom and in what tent!) Once we were settled, we were all eager to rush off and explore the rest of our campsite. We looked at our ‘bathrooms’ – (the bush!) – we climbed the rocks and some of us went down on to the ancient sea of salt, the Makgadikgadi Pans! When we were tired out, we walked to the central area of the camp where we found the ‘kitchen’, a fireplace and the parents’ tents. This central area was important because it was where we gathered for our meals around the fire.’ Kayenaat Bhatnagar.
An example of the food that we enjoyed from Matilda's Kitchen! When I arrived at the Makgadikgadi Pans, I expected food that would have expired due dates and would be stale but our first dinner on FRiday night was fantastic! We had a lovely braai with potatoes, salad and chicken. The meat was fresh, juicy and tender. I usually don't like potatoes, but the mashed potatoes were delicious! Cyrus Jamali views on Friday night's dinner.
Kubu Island means, ‘hippo island’, and is a outcrop of volcanic rock that was thrust up through the salt pans. It rises no more that 20 meters above the pans and is comprised of black and pink granite stained white by apatite, a fossilized guano.
Opelo Matome’s description of the rocks:
There are big boulders abandoned in the middle of nowhere, scattered all over the island. Some smooth, some rough with some that have patterns and many looking like raw, uncut crystals glinting in the sunlight. They are lovely to lie on, look at, feel! The rocks aren’t just rocks, they are part of the island and a part of the pans.
Scattered over the length and breadth of this island rise baobab trees, massive twisted giants that have made Kubu their home for the past 1500 – 3000 years.
'One of the Great Baobabs found on Kubu Island'
Poem: ‘The Baobab Circle’
Starting as a seed
Just a bit bigger than a glass bead
The baobab grows
A small sprout appears
The baobab is growing
The roots start curling
The baobab is growing
The branches twist
The branches turn
Then the bark peels off
The baobab is dying
For three-thousand years, this giant has been standing
The baobab is dying
But wait …
A seed lies on the ground
And then …
A new baobab starts to grow. Lisa Kitching
Lebo’s experience of these trees goes like this: ‘We walked deeper and deeper onto the island looking for adventure. We spotted the most amazing baobabs on the island. They looked healthy and with big, thick trunks. When I looked at one of these gigantic creatures, I felt that there must be a different story for every baobab and when I felt the bark, it looked rough but was actually smooth and slippery. In places, it looked like the bark was bruised. The baobabs’ branches were long and got thinner and thinner towards the ends. There were so many branches and I think that each one had stories and secrets to tell. I felt safe when I climbed into the branches because of the way they spread out – it was like they were giving you the warmest hug.’
Dilan’s visual enjoyment of the baobabs were recorded like this: ‘The island was covered in great majestic baobab trees. All the baobabs are magnificent, but I have one favourite. It stands tall and proud on the side of the island that is opposite to the campsites. This baobab is probably the most magnificent sight that I have ever seen. Its trunk is gnarled and knotted and is home to many bugs and insects.’
'Ancient Guardians of the Pans'
‘ Some of the baobabs look so old and ancient. I think that they suck the water from under the rocks and out of the pans because it used to be an ocean and there is still water under the pans. The bark is brown and looks like an old person’s skin. The baobabs are so big and thicker – thicker than any other trees. They are almost impossible to explain.’ Basimane Chiepe.
In and amongst these ‘upside down’ trees grow red-barked African chestnuts and acacia trees. To the South of the island, long tongues of yellow grasses grown and stretch onto the pans, but most of the view to the East is flat, grey, salt saturated pans that change colour and create one optical illusion after another. The campsites were very basic! No water, no electricity, the closest rural village two hours away and our only means of communication, satellite phones! We all slept in tents at ground level with scorpions and an occasional snake that was spotted for time to time. The long drop toilets were definitely not for the faint-hearted and a ‘bath’ consisted of a small basin filled with a mere two liters of water. Nina Van Rooyen who was on her first camping trip writes, ‘… some of us had to go to the loo. We had to do our ‘stuff’ right there in the bush. I hadn’t been caping before so I wasn’t used to the whole toilet-bush idea … but I survived it!”
In the words of Mr. Brown, ‘This is a scrum in the sand!’ The primitive nature of the campsite however, just added to the sense of real adventure.
‘Kubu Island! Wow! Amazing! I find Kubu Island such a spiritual place, filled with different-sized baobabs trees.’ Thalia Khama
This reflection by Hannah Roels describes the final hours of Friday quite perfectly. I sat around the camfire watching the sun sink slowly over the edge of the horizon. Pink, blue and orange shades hovered around the sun before it finally disappeared and the faint outline of the moon became visible. A few minutes later, stars lay scattered across the sky, shining brightly. I enjoyed a good dinner, glancing occasionally at the faces of my classmates, anxious, but also excited for the walk the following day.’
05h15, Saturday, 11 August 2007
Refilwe Mpai writes, ‘We woke up on Saturday, 11th August 2007 at a quarter past five, and got ready to walk 30kms on the Makgadikgadi Pans. We finished a quick breakfast and then we were off. In the beginning we sang songs to keep up our spirits and get our minds off walking.’
It was on these pans that the great physical challenge of a 30km walk took place after 5 months of intense training.
The teachers woke us up at half past five and we ate breakfast, got our walking kit ready and then we were off. NO toilet stop, no nothing! We wanted to start walking and get as far as we could while it was still cool. We had to walk 700m to the starting point, so all in all, we really walked 31.4km! Nitha Mannicadevan
The Final Test! This was going to be the tests of all tests - walking 30km. It is a really long way. I was excited when I woke up but when the sun started to rise, I was really scared and nervous. Ludzi Bokete
The students were up and out of their tents, all dressed in their luminous lime-green, long-sleeved shirts and sponsored peaks long before the sun and after a good healthy breakfast, we all walked across to the starting point that was identified by a great baobab that watched over the group of 30 students, parents and teachers. As the sun started to glow orange on the horizon line, we set off following the tracks of the quad-bikes that had laid the trail the previous day.
We were supported by two quads that fetched and carried clothing, screens that served as toilets, chocolate and energy bars and most important of all, water, water and more water! As the sun rose and the heat of the day set in, the pans stretched away 360 degrees and the pans turned a brilliant white that reflected up and drained the liquid from the walkers.
Nina describes her personal experience of this walk: The walk was very challenging but I kept on telling myself that I was doing it for a good cause. My feet had started to ache and my shoulder blades were hurting. This walk was more of a mental challenge than a physical one.’
‘We had to walk seven hundred meters to the starting point so we were actually going to walk 37.4 km. The first five kilometers seemed short and easy to walk but as time went on, the following five kilometers seemed longer and it got harder and harder to walk. We could see mirages all around us at the 20km mark where we had lunch. I felt like I couldn’t carry one for another ten kilometers.’
'The never-ending vastness of the pans!'
‘ After breakfast we started walking the 30kms. Some people were quite tired, but I was really strong and fit. When we reached the first beacon, my faith and strength rose … my mom encouraged me to walk and when I did finish walking, I could say that I had walked 30kms on the Makgadikgadi Pans!’ Musenge.
Dead flamingoes and hundreds of flamingo eggs were scattered over the pans, but apart from these, the pans offered no respite from the heat and endless flat space that swallowed up our energy.
‘I was roasting under the boiling hot sun although there were times when some cooler air blew smoothly over us.
'Flamingo Eggs'
While we were walking, I saw flamingo skeletons and lots of flamingo eggs.
'One of the many dead flamingos that we found lying on the pans.'
The heat of the sun had killed everything. There was nothing left that was living except for us. Bilal Kala
'The 'girls' toilet'
By the time the walkers reached the 20km mark, the sun and the monotony of the flat pans were starting to take their toll. After a re-fuel of tuna rolls, energy bars, bananas and fruit juices, we tackled the last 10 kms. We were told that lunch was nearby. Suddenly there was a new spring in our step at the thought that we would finally be having something to eat. We sawa cone in the distance and sprinted towards it. When we got there, we found no food and started walking again. After more than a kilometre and many exasperated sighs, we finally reached the food and drinks.Then it was time to walk the final 10km. Hannah Roels
'Sting-a-ling!'
The last 10km was difficult, but the promise of Kubu Island on the horizon drew us closer and closer.
Caroline Whittaker writes: All I said to myself was, 'Keep on going! Don't give up!' when we left the lunch. There was another 5km stop ahead and I thought that I was never going to make it. But I did and there were chocoltaes and lots of water to build up our energy levels!'
Kubu Island was a target that got bigger as we got closer. We found a scorpion along the way and at the 25km mark water fight broke out that had everyone wetting everyone else and with this laughing and chasing the last few kilometers melted away and suddenly the end was in sight.
I never thought that I could make it because my ankles were so painful. I was forcing myself to walk but as we got closer and closer to the isalnd, it looked like it was drifting futher and futher away but we finally got there.' Khotso Keebine.
'Walking the last 10km back to Kubu'
Eight and a half hours after we first set off, the elated walkers all joined hands and crossed the finish line … well, almost all. One lone walker was still trudging across the pans with his dad. A teacher and this boy’s best friend jumped back on the quads and headed towards the two figures that shimmered and floated in the vast mirages. Two hours later, Bilal Kala also crossed the line with his father and his mate, Leonard Chiposi.
'Our Great Standard 7's of 2007!'
Around the camp fire that night, the story of the ‘Great Pan Walk’ was told and personal incidents recounted countless times. Using the satellite phone, we relayed the success of the students to the parents that waited anxiously for news of the walk.
The message traveled from the desolate pans to the capital city of Gaborone – Northside students had achieved the target of walking 30 km and raised the money for the Cancer Association of Botswana!
08h00, Sunday, 12 August 2007
We woke to another beautiful, clear day on the pans and it was a time for a full cooked breakfast and a chance to take stock of our achievement. Bodies were sore, muscles ached and we all compared blisters. But we had done it! The students then took two hours two record their thoughts, feelings, experiences and reflections. These were written while they rested in or under the huge bases of the baobab trees in the area closest to the campsite. The rest of this day was spent exploring the island and playing on the pans. The final evening was a quiet affair with everyone feeling a sense of loss that the next morning we would be heading for home and leaving behind this beautiful and desolate place.
05h30, Monday, 13 August 2007
Packing up a campsite that had housed 52 children and adults was a very strenuous task, but with everyone helping, the convoy was ready to head out at 9h00. The trip back to Gaborone was not without incident, but after two breakdowns and two flat tires, the final group arrived back at Northside School at exactly 22h00 where family and friends were waiting to welcome us back home.
The months of planning and preparation had culminated in an extraordinary experience for the year 7 students from Northside Primary School and this will be an experience that will live in the hearts and minds of students, teachers and parents alike for many years to come.
Final reflections:
‘The emotions that I felt on the walk were happy and sad at the same time because I knew that I would have to go and leave this beautiful island. I was also happy, as I had had the chance to see these wonderful pans. I felt great about the achievement of finishing 30km. Not only did I finish it, I also did it with my friends.’ Mathew Schofield.
That night, we were in our tents by 20h30 but only fell asleep much later. I learned so much from doing this walk. I was with all of my friends. We enjoyed laughing, talking and joking and I really enjoyed their company. At times on the walk I felt tired and sore but it was being around my friends that kept me walking. Hannah Roels.
Kubu Island cannot be explained in words. When I arrived at the island I was so surprised! The island wasn't plain like I thought it would be. The baobabs were huge, with great rocks and patches of grass everywhere. I went straight to the rocks and started climbing! In the middle of the island there was ahuge baobab tree which we climed on after the walk. There were two gigantic rocks in front of the enormous tree. I stood on one of the rocks and looked down at the pans. The view was amazing, fantastic and fabulous. I promise you that there is no other view in the world that can be compared to it. Nitha Mannicadevan
Prayer by Ludzi Bokete
Our Father who art in Heaven,
Thank You for giving us a beautiful environment to walk in,
An environment that is safe.
Thank You for giving me the strength to walk the whole 30km.
Thank You, God.
Going to the pans is extremely different from everyday life at home. It is a place of silence and that was hard to get used to, but by the Sunday I was loving it! If someone who had never been to the pans asked me to describe them, I would say, 'They are calm and it is a spiritual place. It has a unique beauty of it own.' Going to the pans was a great experience for me, and I will remember it for a long time. Sahana Srianagam
'The East Point of the Island'
Thanks:
This trip would not have been possible without the superb help from so many people, organisations and companies.
Mike Pledger - this trip was his brainchild, Thank you for thinking it, Mike and for your donations of caps, long-sleeved walking shirts and for everything else you did!
Paige Pledger - for your slideshow presentation that convinced us this walk was possible!
Matilda Mpai - the world's greatest 'bush chef'.
Thea Khama, Kagiso and Energym - for all you support and advice on diets, training and for all the Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturdays you gave up to help us get fit!
TK Khama and Mike Pledger - your support while we were walking on the pans was amazing.
Eugene Jooste, Don and Evelyn Gaetsaloe, Alison Pledger, Gill Smith, Christelle Whittaker, Ramesh Srirangam, Aslam Kala - your support and help in driving, feeding us, putting up and taking down tents and being there for this adventure is truely appreciated.
To the teachers who gave up their time and energy to education, train and give our standard 7 students this wonderful and unique opportunity - Mrs. Debbie Kitching, Ms Jackie Booth, Ms. Mutepa Rowland, Mr. Craig Brown and Mr. Garth Kitching.
'The Parents and Teachers watching a sunset'
The Schofield Family - for all your generous donations and especially for supplying us with the drinking water, energy drinks and bars and a truck to carry the water!
Debswana - For the donation of the water and for sponsoring the walk finacially to boost the amount that we can give to the Cancer Assocation of Botswana.
Dr. Magda Heunis - for your initiative and for educating us on the causes, the treatment and the prevention of cancer.
The Oncology Unit - Gaborone Private Hospital - for a great educational experience! Your passion for healing was an inspiration to us all.
Barloworld Motors - for the donation of a vehicle for this trip.
AON Insurance - for covering the insurance.
Orapa Hospital and Dr. Hans Van Zyl - for being on 24hr standby in case of a medical emergency! We are glad we did not have to use you but it gave us peace of mind to know you were ready and waiting!
Mr. Ajay Bhatnagar - for all your support with donations of food.
Eureka Wholesalers - for the donation of all the fruit juices for this trip.
To the Standard 7 parents who believed in this project and gave your support!
'What an Adventure.'
