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Having lived in both Gudigwa and Beetsha, elder Namonje Kgalatshweu has helped to forge deep historical ties between these two villages around the Okavango Delta. Understanding both the San and Hambukushu cultures (two of the original nomadic peoples to inhabit the Delta), she acts as a bridge for the next generation: young Hambukushu storytellers come to learn from her, joined by a translator from the Xhokwe Somseeko k’xei (San Photographers) cohort from Gudigwa. In this way, a San elder passes the gift of storytelling down to a young San woman, who in turn shares that wisdom with her Hambukushu peers in a moment that helps both cultures remain visible and celebrated.

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In the eastern panhandle, a relationship between horse and rider is one of the strongest. For the people of Beetsha and the surrounding villages, these noble creatures are the most reliable way of staying connected to a landscape where sandy tracks and water often make cars impractical. For storyteller Janet Lusi, this physical connection belies an emotional one too, as this image captures the wonder she felt as a child seeing riders come in from across the Delta. Her photograph honors a way of travel that remains as vital today, as it was for the generations before, in keeping the bonds between communities strong.

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Through De Beers-supported Storytelling Clubs, Karabo LeBronpeter Moilwa’s mentorship is key to connecting the storytellers with each other, as well as what’s around them. “The glow from the camera screen becomes a small campfire, drawing us in to examine what has just been captured,” says Karabo. “This is what binds us together: A single light, a single image, a single story.” For Karabo, pausing to reflect on the work is essential to cultivating a storyteller's perspective on life. Through his mentorship, he strengthens the young storytellers’ bonds with each other, supporting their confidence in collaborating and bringing ideas to life.

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Women and girls of the Okavango have faced significant hurdles, often finding themselves overlooked for education, and left on the edges of decision-making. Storytelling Clubs are working to remove these barriers. Tshwaragano (left), whose name translates from Setswana to “Unity,” and Kewagamang (right) whose name translates as “To whom do I belong?” represent the very spirit of the clubs. The clubs focus on building a supportive environment where every member feels connected to their cohort, and by claiming their place as custodians of their cultural stories, these young women find their identity within the community and the landscape they call home.

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Cohort member Gaonosi Moathodi stands with village elders Mwengere Mbaethi (left) and Sesupo Mongomba (right). These elders share close relationships with Gaonosi’s parents and are now forming bonds with him and his peers through cohort projects. "Charity begins at home" is an old saying that reminds humanity of a simple truth: Before we can give to the world, we must first care for those closest to us. Kindness, responsibility, and love are learned within our own families before they can ripple outward—an important maxim that forms the heart of Storytelling Clubs. By looking closely at their own communities, and knowing their elders, storytellers are able to understand the full story of their culture and identity.

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These candid moments followed a conversation around the homestead with storyteller Gaonosi Moathodi, and elders Mwengere Mbaethi (left) and Sesupo Mongomba (right). These were their first ever creative portraits, as the only photo of themselves they had seen prior to this was for their national identity cards. Through storytelling assignments like this one, young people in the Okavango Delta are able spend time with these matriarchs in a meaningful exchange. The youths learn about the way of life of the Hambukushu people, enabling new generations to understand, adopt and continue these traditions.

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After a day of grazing in the fields, cattle make their way back to the village—rush hour in the Okavango. Storyteller Janet Lusi sees pride in this scene, as pastoral farming is the backbone of her community. Cattle are treasured and well cared for, with families keeping an eye out for each other’s herds, often identifying wandering cows by sight alone and letting the owners know. Herding here is a dignified livelihood that let’s families build wealth and a stable future.

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Storyteller Ponatshego Molathegi takes a portrait of his mother in one of her defining roles in their relationship—that of a protector. As a child in this wild boundary, Ponatshego remembers his mother drumming in the dark, warding off elephants that came in the night to feed on their crops. While waking him up, the thrumming never scared Ponatshego—it was reassuring, simply his mother asking elephants to move along in a powerful form of traditional knowledge and environmental stewardship.

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Beneath the vast, star-filled sky of the Okavango Delta, this thatched hut is a sanctuary. For weeks at a time during the growing season, storyteller Ponatshego Molathegi’s mother leaves the comfort of their village to live on her smallholding, standing between her crops and the wildlife that’s most active in the dark. Ponatshego grew up watching his mother work the earth in the day and protecting it at night. As a young man, Ponatshego now shares the responsibility of the night watch with her. Under the same canopy of stars that he gazed at as a boy, they spend hours talking and connecting in the stillness of the bush.

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In spending time with their relatives, storytellers discover the many ways their people have adapted to the land over the years. Gosalamang turned her lens toward her relationship with her grandfather and cousin, uncovering a powerful, full-circle connection between the grandfather and his two grandchildren. After learning the ways of their ancestors, each preserves that heritage in a different way—the grandson learned the skills to fish, and Gosalamang chose to preserve their legacy through photography. Immediately after taking the image on the left, Gosalamang showed the photo to her grandfather and cousin (right). Seeing the power of visual storytelling firsthand, a man who has relied on passing knowledge through spoken words alone was filled with admiration for what his granddaughter had achieved.

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“The best moments of every session are when the students share their shots with me,” says Karabo LeBronpeter Moilwa. “I always remind them that they should own the narrative. For the longest time the story of the Delta has been told by outsiders, and a moment like this emphasizes the importance of these young people believing in themselves.” As well as funding Storytelling Clubs through the Okavango Eternal partnership, De Beers has also supported the construction of the Nkashi Knowledge Centre outside Beetsha village (pictured). It’s a place where students from different villages can connect and exhibit their work together. All that Karabo and his cohorts have achieved is more than art; it’s fostered cross-community relationships held together by this new group of storytellers, who draw on the connections they have to their heritage to shape the narrative of the Okavango.