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Botswana Botho
The Setswana
custom is that people will have 'botho', which means having
the good qualities of a human being. These include kindness, good
manners (maitseo), compassion, humility, respect for others
(especially the elderly), and living up to one's responsibilities.
Morero
The Batswana believe in consulting each other, within families,
between people, and at government levels. This is called morero,
and is an important way of reaching agreements. Even the President
regularly travels all through the country to meet people and consult
with them about government programs or issues that concern the
people. Even though this takes up a lot of time, it creates much
good feeling.
The parliament of Botswana. The upper house (in Australia it is the Senate) is made up of the Chief of each of the tribes of Botswana. Traditionally, a chief was head of the tribe, and consulted with his people. Now, this is part of the way the country is governed.
Religion
The Tswana belief was that ancestors always watched over their
daily lives. They had various religious celebrations intended
to honour the ancestors and keep them happy. For example, after
the harvest, a portion of the crop would be offered to the ancestors
as a 'thank you' or to ask them to bring rain.
Christian missionaries converted many people, and today many Batswana
are Christian. However, many people still keep up their traditional
religious beliefs. Some people practice both.
Cattle
The number of cattle a man owns is a sign of his wealth and his
importance. In the past, cattle were important in the ceremonies
to please ancestors and as a payment to a bride's father for losing
a working member of his family. This custom is dying out but is
still followed in country areas. Cattle are a security against
bad times, because they can be sold or exchanged for other goods.
Medicine
In Botswana, traditional medicine is recognised as important,
and is commonly used as well as modern medicine practice.
Traditional medicine is still practiced by dingaka (traditional
doctors), who have a huge knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants.
These are used for traditional healing. Different herbs, roots,
leaves, barks are known to cure a range of pains and illnesses.
As well as knowing about medicinal plants, the dingaka also claim to have extraordinary powers, such as being able to order lightening to strike someone, making lucky charms and so on.
In the Kalahari, the San place hollowed ostrich eggs at the base of a tree, then weave grasses to funnel rain down into the egg.
Click here to find out more about
living in Botswana
http://ubh.tripod.com/about/about02.htm
Acknowledge
this source in your bibliography like this:
Botswana
(2004).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
Updated January 2004