In celebration of Earth Week 2024, Children in the Wilderness (CITW) Botswana proudly partnered with Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone to promote environmental education and stewardship at Galaletsang Primary School in Gaborone. This initiative was made possible through a grant of USD 1,000 awarded to CITW by the Hilton Global Foundation, Hilton’s primary philanthropic arm, and was commemorated with a day of interactive and impactful activities on 15 April 2025.
Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone has been a longstanding partner of Galaletsang Primary School, having previously supported the installation of a shaded vegetable garden, which has brought sustainable practices into the school’s everyday life. Building on this foundation, CITW leveraged its extensive experience in environmental education, life skills, and leadership development—drawn from its work across ten public schools in Botswana—to enrich and sustain this valuable partnership.
Activities on the day included litter picking to raise awareness of waste management and environmental care in a fun, engaging way; and a tree planting and naming exercise, where students were encouraged to take ownership and responsibility for the local environment. In addition, educators gathered at Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone for a teachers’ workshop on environmental education, aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and tools to establish a sustainable Environmental Education (EE) Club within the school.
“This was a fantastic day focused on empowerment and education – two pillars that we at Children in the Wilderness Botswana hold dear. We’re deeply grateful to Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone and the Hilton Global Foundation for their generous support and hands-on involvement in nurturing future conservation leaders, as well as the educators who guide them,” said Moalosi Lebekwe, Stakeholder Manager at Okavango Wilderness Safaris.
The commemoration aimed to foster increased environmental awareness and student participation, improve waste management at the school, support the development of a thriving vegetable garden to aid sustainability and learning, encourage long-term stewardship of fruit trees, and establish an EE Club to drive continuous environmental engagement.
“This was a wonderful occasion to celebrate education, empowerment, and conservation – with young people at the heart of our mission. The Hilton Global Foundation Action Grant, part of Hilton’s broader commitment to destination stewardship and climate action, made this possible, supporting local organisations nominated by Hilton team members that exemplify community-based volunteerism and environmental responsibility. We are proud to have worked with CITW Botswana and our valued partners at Galaletsang Primary School,” said Thabani Ndlovu, General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Gaborone.
This initiative underscores the transformative power of community collaboration and education in addressing environmental challenges and nurturing responsible citizenship from an early age. The next generation of conservation leaders are now that much more empowered towards progress.