Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence - A student from Fort Providence had a life-changing experience over the summer.

Murina Sabourin, 18, spent six weeks in Botswana, a country in southern Africa. The trip was part of the Northern Youth Abroad Program.

Murina Sabourin stands in front of a traditional grass hut that she helped to build while on exchange in Botswana. - photo courtesy of Murina Sabourin

It was a family contact that got Sabourin interested in the program. Last year her cousin AJ Nadli also went to Botswana.

"He said he had a good experience and I like travelling too," she said.

Sabourin's adventure started in early July when she travelled to Ottawa for a week-long orientation. She met the rest of the 12 youth and four group leaders that she was going to spend the next six weeks with. The group stayed in Botswana from July 6 to Aug. 15 doing volunteer work.

The first three weeks were spent on a game reserve. At the reserve the students participated in a number of projects including construction of a stadium, traditional huts and a shaded marketplace where crafts could be sold.

The San people, members of the indigenous population, own the game reserve. Getting the chance to work with them and learn about their culture was one of the highlights of the trip, said Sabourin.

"It was very interesting," she said.

Women showed the students how to construct traditional huts out of grass using special tools.

The students also helped the San people build the initial stages of a stadium. Students completed the first row of seats in the structure that, when finished, will hold more than 1,000 people. The stadium is needed because every year a dance festival is held at the reserve, said Sabourin.

She said she learned more about herself while helping in the work that involved heavy lifting and the chance to exchange cultures.

"I was surprised I could do it," she said.

The next stop for the students was the small community of D'Kar. There students worked with children in a preschool.

The group taught the children a few games and played soccer with them. They also shared stories about the NWT and what snow and winter is like.

"We told them it was like walking into a giant freezer," said Sabourin.

In return the children helped the students learn a few songs in their language and took lots of pictures with them, something they enjoy.

The volunteer work also included applying a fresh coat of paint to the preschool's playground.

"They were really excited about that," Sabourin said.

Playground equipment included things that can be found in Canada such as swings, slides, sandboxes and a merry-go-round as well as more inventive toys such as broken trucks that children pretended to drive.

In D'Kar the students also did presentations on Canada, the territories and their culture.

The exchange of cultural information was an important part of the trip for Sabourin.

"It was amazing because I got to exchange my culture and in return I got to learn about theirs," she said. "It made me even more proud of my culture."

There are many similarities between the San people and the Dene, said Sabourin.

Traditional gender roles are the same, she said. The women stay at home with the kids and prepare the food while the men go hunting and bring food home. The San people also have traditional dances.

"People there are very proud of their culture," she said.

Both the Dene and the San people also feel a strong tie to their language but both believe they are losing it, she said.

Sabourin said she enjoyed seeing how all the people including youth and elders are working together to make sure their culture and language remain strong.

Sabourin returned to Fort Providence on Aug. 21 and is now in Grade 12 at Deh Gah school. She said she'd be using the lessons she learned while on exchange.

"This program really helped me grow as a person, be more confident and independent," she said.