Today marks the end of our mission to Botswana. This has been my fifth visit and the fourth mission I’ve had the honor to direct. Each of these missions has been both educational and service-oriented, offering our student participants a deep and meaningful understanding of the roles played by various institutions in Botswana—such as The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the American Embassy, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Education—as well as opportunities to visit local high schools and universities.
The core of our service work has been in the Dukwi Refugee Camp. This camp, located in a remote part of northeastern Botswana, is home to refugees from countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. With a population of around 2,000 people, the camp is managed by the Ministry of Justice of Botswana in partnership with the UNHCR. Isolated and surrounded by bush, Dukwi feels like the middle of nowhere—but for many, it's a fragile refuge from conflict and persecution. Several important takeaways stand out to me from my experiences after these past four years.
First, patience. Foundational change takes time. I still remember that very first year, just visiting the camp. I can still see the look on the camp commander's face, wondering, What is this lady doing here, in the middle of nowhere—Dukwi? And I’ll admit, I was thinking something similar. I had dreams. I had a vision, but I wasn’t sure if or how we could truly connect.
But we were both wrong.
As the years passed, we built a relationship grounded in trust, respect, and shared purpose.
Another lesson I carry with me is the importance of strategic partnerships. In 2007, I co-wrote an article highlighting the value of these kinds of partnerships, especially in times of crisis when resources are limited and impact must be maximized. That thinking led to Sharing to Learn, a collaboration between American School of Barcelona (ASB) and the Ministry of Education in Catalonia. What began as an unpredictable pilot has since become a flagship program, with ASB students acting as language assistants in public schools across Barcelona. Today, it impacts more than 5,000 students annually.
A third key takeaway from the Botswana mission is the power of human relationships. We’re living in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), which is an incredible tool. It helps us work faster and frees us to focus more on strategy and vision rather than clerical work. But no matter how advanced our tools become, relationships still matter most.
Just yesterday, during our farewell gathering, Thobo Letlhage, the Director of Human Rights and Refugee Affairs at the Ministry of Justice and one of the most influential women in Botswana, came to meet our students by the hotel pool. There she was, in jeans, sipping a Coca-Cola. No protocol. No speeches. Just Thobo, the person. That kind of connection is only possible because, over the years, we’ve worked together with genuine care and mutual respect.
The same goes for Joyce, the refugee teacher who will now lead after-school art classes. Or Olga Adroher, the former Director of Education in Baix Llobregat, with whom we co-created Sharing to Learn. These relationships, and so many others, have been instrumental in making our projects real, lasting, and impactful. It’s essential to always see the people behind the programs as just that—people, like you and me.
Each year of this mission has built upon the last, growing in strength, scope, and depth. This year, it culminated with the installation of Starlink internet, making Dukwi the most connected refugee camp in the world. We’ve launched a cybercafé and library to be managed by youth refugees, initiated an after-school program at the primary school led by refugee teachers (who will now receive stipends sponsored by ASB), conducted multiple workshops, and—most importantly—nurtured powerful connections between our ten amazing student participants and the children and community in the camp.
Still, there are voices that question missions like ours. And to be honest, I’ve thought about those critiques too. It’s easy to assume a group of privileged students fly from Barcelona to Botswana, spend a few days in a refugee camp, and leave thinking they’ve solved a global issue without fully understanding the needs on the ground.
But that’s not what this is.
Yes, for the students, this may be a one-off experience. But it’s one that is deeply prepared and thoughtfully executed. Since February, we’ve been meeting regularly to design and develop the year’s objectives, working in partnership with the primary school director, the camp commander, and other local leaders. This is not improvisation; it’s collaboration. And once we are back in school after spring break, the mission will continue with online meetings, shared educational content, and new virtual connections between our younger ASB students and those in the Dukwi primary school, made possible by the new internet infrastructure we’ve worked together to put in place.
For the American School of Barcelona, for Dukwi Camp, for UNHCR, and for the Ministry of Justice, this mission is a living example of what true cooperation can look like. As Ms. Thobo said just yesterday, “The relationship between the Ministry of Justice and the American School of Barcelona is the best example, and we should be extremely proud.”
ASB has been, is, and will remain committed to the refugee cause. We demonstrate that commitment through projects like RefugArt, and we live it through missions like Building Knowledge in Dukwi.
As I prepare to leave Botswana in just a few hours, I feel proud and fulfilled. I take a breath and tell myself:
Marta, bon treball. Seguim. Marta, good work. Let's continue.
Marta Vernet is the Head of Activities and Community Service at ASB. A lifelong member of the ASB community, Marta first walked through the school's doors at the age of three, the daughter of one of ASB’s founding teachers. She holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of Barcelona and a master's degree in education from Framingham State College. Marta began working at ASB in 1987 while still attending university. Over the years, she has held a variety of roles, including teaching assistant, athletic director, alumni coordinator and after-school activities program coordinator. These diverse experiences paved the way for her current role as head of activities and community service, a position she has held for over a decade. She is deeply passionate about connecting students and schools with the broader community through strategic partnerships and institutional collaborations.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-vernet-yll-b735b18/
