I actually spent a few weeks based in Maun a couple years ago doing...

Rodriguez Anya
@anyarodriguez5415
1 day ago

I actually spent a few weeks based in Maun a couple years ago doing volunteer work, and I ended up at the public library more often than I expected. One thing that really struck me was how the library has become an unexpected hub for local entrepreneurs and small business owners. There's a quiet corner with a couple of old desktops that still run, and I'd see people using them to type up business proposals or print resumes. I remember one guy, a local safari guide, who was using the library's free Wi-Fi to upload photos of his tours to a website he was building. He told me it was the only reliable internet spot he could afford.

What surprised me most was the collection of materials in both English and Setswana. They had a small section with local history and wildlife guides that I hadn't seen anywhere else. I borrowed a book on bird species of the Okavango Delta that was incredibly detailed, probably donated by some researcher years ago.

The staff there are the real unsung heroes. There was this one librarian, a woman named Keitumetse, who seemed to know every regular by name. She'd go out of her way to help kids with homework or point tourists like me to resources about the area. It's not a flashy place by any means, but it's a vital community anchor. If you're visiting Maun, stop by just to see how a small library in a frontier town can still make a big impact.