KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET - During her time in Botswana, Taukie Taukie of Cape Dorset found the country in southern Africa shared some remarkable similarities with her home territory.

Taukie Taukie and Kex, 8a local worker, paint positive quotes at the South East District Youth Empowerment League, a youth centre in Botswana. - photo courtesy of Taukie Taukie

"Some countries are actually still developing," said Taukie. "They face the issues that we used to face when we were becoming Nunavut."

Taukie said the challenges of government housing and indigenous land claims in Botswana reminded her of home, as well as the push for the preservation of native languages. Botswana's main language is Tswana, but the country is home to many smaller dialects as well.

"It was really surprising," she said. "It changed my way of thinking about how the world is, especially in Africa."

Along with seven other youth with Northern Youth Abroad, Taukie volunteered at a youth centre in Ramotswa, a village just outside the national capital of Gabarone.

The South East District Youth Empowerment League focused on athletics as a way to keep young people out of trouble.

Taukie and her colleagues played soccer with local children and shared ideas with them about how to be good youth leaders in the future.

"The people that we lived with and worked with were very encouraging and very warm people and very welcoming," she said.

For most of their six-week stay, the group squeezed into a two-bedroom cement house to live. It was relatively modern with running water, but it lacked certain luxuries.

"We had to cook our own meals and do laundry with our hands for the whole summer," Taukie laughed. "That was an experience for me. I got to learn how to wash my laundry!"

"But my favourite part was seeing the bushmen, the San people and spending a weekend with them and sharing their culture and sharing ours," said Taukie. "It was amazing, watching their traditional dance and singing."

In return the Inuit youth shared traditional games and sports and throatsinging with the San.

During the trip, the group went on safari to a nearby game reserve and saw giraffes, antelope, rhino, zebras, elephants, and many, many monkeys.

"I want to encourage other youth from the North to do this," said Taukie. "It's a great opportunity. It's fun!"