Bio-diversity

Gaing-O Community Trust (GCT) aims at running a viable Lekhubu eco-tourism venture for the benefit of Mmatshumo village and surrounding localities through diversification of the product on offer to attract a wider clientele base, undertake a concerted and sustained marketing programme, produce outreach materials and capacity building for staff to equip them with skills to enable them to perform their interpretive and law enforcement efficiently. The support given to Lekhubu eco-tourism venture is part of a project co-funded by various implementing partners in the development of the eco-tourism venture infrasture to increase the tourism potential of the area. Hivos, European Development Fund, Community Conservation Fund (Department of Wildlife and National Parks), Germany Embassy, National Conservation Strategy Coordinating Agency, German Development Service, African Development Foundation and Canada fund raised BWP1,813,171.00 for the various components of the eco-tourism project. The project will promote biodiversity conservation, protection of natural resources and will ensure adherence to environmental conservation principles. In addition, it will increase efficiency in the day to day running of the trust and improve the quality services offered to both tourists and the residents of Mmatshumo. The outreach and capacity building component will allow interaction with stakeholders and information dissemination on the project and related activities. GCT developed Kubu campsite (at Kubu Island) and Thithaba campsite by the edge of Ntwetwe pan, twenty kilometers west of Kubu Island. The opportunities for the profitable operation of Lekhubu project lies in the high level of marketability of the isalnd, the strategic linkages that GCT has established and/or identified with stakeholders, strategically located en-route to at least four major parks and game reserves in Botswana and being the only place in Botswana that has prominent rocky features with a breathtaking view of the salt pans in Makgadikgadi. The project will ensure the rural community of Mmatshumo participates meaningfully and benefit from the tourism industry, acquire tourism related skills through hands on engagement by way of employment and benefit from the spin-off tourism activities through craft sales. The Lekhubu eco-tourism project embraces sectoral and resource based thematic focusing as most families are female headed, the majority of the people are of Basarwa origin.

Botswana