Question Time
- Name and Job title: Faith Moutloatse – General Manager at Little Vumbura Camp in Botswana.
- Describe yourself in 3 words: Innovative, structured and fun.
- Favourite hobbies: Reading, playing basketball and travelling.
- What talent/super power would you love to have: Carpentry (working on it).
- Favourite local place to visit or food to eat: Favourite local place to visit is a small village called Otse, not far from where I was born. A charming place with rolling hills, and a dam right in the middle of the village. A place where you find our own ‘Hill of Lovers’ a mysterious hill where lovers committed suicide, after being denied marriage by the Elders in ancient times (similar to Romeo and Juliet).
My favourite food is Pap with Mophane worms.
- What have you accomplished in the last year that you are proud of: Five years ago, I sat in Kim Nixon’s office during our interview and he asked me that common question – ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ Without blinking, I said managing one of your luxury camps! At that time I did not even know what managing a camp entailed, and here I am today. I accomplished my goal 7 months earlier than the time I had set for myself, or promised Kim I would.
During COVID I was asked to look after the DumaTau camps. During this time, I unwrapped and screwed together the furniture for all 12 rooms, before helping set up the rooms with the interior decorator. I did the same at Mombo in 2018, when we opened the refurbished camp. These camps have become very close to my heart, and I have a feeling I will be doing the same for Little Vumbura soon.
- Tell us one story/memory that you have while working at Wilderness: One early morning I was not thinking quite straight. I was carrying pots of food to the satellite kitchen for the guests’ breakfast, walking behind a guide who didn’t have a flashlight. On our way, we stumbled into a hippo’s butt! Luckily he was on his way to the water and ran away. That day, the guide requested to leave camp, as he thought he was bewitched. I laughed and told him he is blaming the poor witches for nothing, all he needed was a flashlight. On that day there were no sausages or bacon for early morning breakfast.
During my first week, working at Mombo, I stayed in a research tent without flaps, just shade net. One night lions killed a buffalo, and pulled it almost under my tent! I had to listen to them fighting with hyenas over the carcass the whole night. That night I slept on the floor covered by a Mooinooi blanket. It was October and I sweated like I was in a sauna.
Thank you for sharing your story with us Faith!
