Hello Gabane!

by: Caitlin Courtney

Look around and take notice of the dry, dusty red dirt roads, the giant hills towering overhead, and the smiling faces of the natives. This is Gabane, Botswana in a nutshell.

After arriving in Botswana’s capital city of Gaborone after a near 20-hour flight across the vast Atlantic Ocean from the east coast of the United States it is a relief to know that the village of Gabane is only a short distance away. Once you get there though, you are likely to feel that you are decades, even worlds away from where you just came.

Gabane is a lively village just outside of the capital. Rocky hills rise above this small town that is dotted with hundreds of small mud hut compounds with brown grass-thatched roofs. One reminder of the modern world is the satellite dishes propped upon almost every roof.

At each compound and all over town the people are carrying on with their everyday activities and lives. They pause every so often to stare down the out of place foreigners that are meandering down the roads of their village.

Foreigners are not something that they are used to but the townspeople welcome newcomers with open arms, open hearts, and open minds. After they are caught staring their faces light up with the most magnificent white tooth smiles. They are just as interested in you as you are in them.

Continue down the roads of Gabane and it is easy to see why people love it here. There are large trees sheltering many of the homes and around these trees there are families, school children, and animals alike.

Don’t expect a traffic jam in Gabane unless you find yourself stuck behind a mule or donkey cart or one of the stubborn goats that frequent the roads around the village. It is not uncommon to see a goat, whose curiosity has gotten the best of him wandering down the middle of the road with its head stuck inside of a bucket. In Gabane, domestic animals like cattle, goats, and donkeys run free and do as the please but they always find their way home eventually.

While all of these things are defining elements of life in Gabane the most important thing to see while there is the Gabane Pottery.

Gabane Pottery is owned by Martin Kabwe and it employs local women who have pottery skills. The pottery shop is housed in several circular shaped buildings made of mismatched stones placed perfectly together like an intricate puzzle. Kabwe is assisted by his wife Katherine and three daughters, Rachel, Helen, and Chongo. Of the three, Helen is the most talkative and bubbly.

Helen gladly describes the process of making the pottery. “It’s made just like is has been for years and years. Shaped and carved, baked, painted, glazed and baked again,” she informs, “and the clay used in the pottery can be found in the hills around Gabane”.

Frances Combs, a local artist in Gabane raves about the pottery found at Gabane Pottery. “It’s magnificent, you cant find it anywhere else in the world,” she states when asked what she thinks about the pottery, “I have so many pieces of that pottery…my favorites are the cups and bowls!”

Gabane Pottery is the most famous spot in Gabane and is most likely the only reason that most tourists venture into the town.

As the sun begins to set and you know its time to leave Gabane a feeling of sadness fills every fiber of your being. Leaving Gabane is not an easy thing to do. It is easy to get used to being around the friendly townspeople and to be in such a relaxed environment far, far away from the hustle and bustle of cities and countries all over the world. It is the perfect escape.