Gaborone City, Botswana

Botswana is a landlocked, semi-arid country with a total land area of 582,000 square kilometres. It is surrounded by South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is popularly acclaimed to have some of Africa's last great wildernesses including the famous Okavango Swamps and the Kalahari Desert.

Its total population is approximately 1.7 million people and it is estimated that 53 percent of the population live in urban areas. This implies that 47 percent of the population lives in the rural areas and still earns a living based predominantly on agriculture. In terms of age distribution, it is estimated that people aged 0–14 comprise 38 percent, 15–59 comprise 57 percent, 60+ constitutes 5 percent, which suggests that the majority of the population is still relatively young (Botswana Review, 2008).

A former colony of Britain, Botswana gained its independence in 1966. Since then, it has made rapid progress in political, social and economic gains. Botswana has continued to pursue a multi-party approach, resulting in about nine or so consecutive elections since Independence. The country features a growing economy and a stable political environment.

Education is considered to be an essential service, and is made available to all school going children who are within a reasonable walking distance to schools. Education is largely free to all citizens, but it is not compulsory. The literacy rate has been put at 81 per cent with 76 percent for males and 82 percent for females (Ministry of Education, 2003).