Sebotso's gifts.

I worked in Botswana periodically between 1996 and 2000 on a British Council training project enabling Head teachers and Education Officers to achieve a Master's degree in Education.
Sebotso was one of our students. She was a young widow with a son, Thulani. She worked hard as a head teacher and spent hours into the evening in the school writing assignments and her dissertation. Thulani used to keep her company, often sleeping under her desk while waiting for her to finish and to accompany her home in the dark.
Her family was justifiably proud of her achievements and on her graduation day we, her tutors, were invited as guests of honour to a meal ( organised like a wedding reception) beside their home in Gabarone. It was a very special day of celebration with food laughter and wonderful singing. We all wore our academic robes.
As we were leaving Sebotso and her mum insisted that we each take gifts from a selection they has laid out specially in the house. I chose this beautiful traditionally woven basket and gourd and I still display them in my home in Scotland.
About eighteen months after the project finished we were shocked and devastated to receive the news that Sebotso and Thulani had been found murdered in their home - apparently victims of a burglary that had gone wrong. The world lost two very beautiful people that day.
I'll never how she coped with the heavy burdens of responsibility she carried with such grace spirit and good humour. She was an excellent teacher and it was a big loss to the education system in Botswana because she still had so much to offer and to accomplish.
I treasure these articles and when I look at them they remind me of the lady with the big smile and even bigger personality. I just felt I wanted to share her story in this blip.