During the New Year I got the wonderful opportunity to spend New Years and the day following at the lands. The lands refer to the plowing lands here in Botswana. Most families own lands and a cattle post. A cattle post is a farm where families keep their cattle. Cattle are highly valued in Botswana.
During Holidays, most families head to their lands and cattle posts to do some plowing or to watch the cattle. During the regular days, most families have family members or hired headmen to watch over their property.
The life at the lands is very simple. There is little to no electricity, and water is very precious. We got water from neighboring villages and transported them in barrels to the lands. We slept in a house located on the property. Houses or homes vary at the lands, from a traditional house to a regular housing structure. I got the opportunity to cook in a Batswana traditional kitchen, see a goat slaughtered, and to cook the meat afterwards.
On New Years, I attended a party on neighbor’s lands. There was a DJ, food, a bomb fire, and lots of dancing. At midnight we shot fireworks and danced the night away. The following days we visited the local villages, gathered more waters, and watch the local choirs. We drove around to the various choirs presenting the village. The choirs normally set themselves up
I enjoyed my time at the lands. At the end of the day it gave me perspective about the Batswana people.