Arrival of the delta

Maun, Botswana

At the end of the dry season (April-August), the rainwater flows from the Angolan Highlands and makes its way to Maun, Botswana. The water spreads out into numerous channels and by-ways that create the famous Okovango Delta, an honoured world heritage site. Being a delta, the water never reaches the ocean and seeps into the ground, giving life to millions of flora and fauna native to the region. 

This event is celebrated amongst people and animals alike on the river bank, the ”Arrival of The Delta”, joy breaks out on the river banks as the harsh dry season of Botswana’s winter comes to an end. Washing one’s face and feet in the water is said to bring luck, prosperity, and blessings in the upcoming year. Older generations of Batswana collect the water in water bottles, containers, and old jerry cans to drink the sacred “Pula”- or “rain” in Setswana (the native language of Botswana). Children (as pictured) seize this opportunity to splash and play among their friends in the shallows, jumping across the newly formed streams. Next year, and for many years after we are gone, this cycle will repeat as it has for millennia. 

Text by Taryn Markides