Beabond meets: Priyanka Handa Ram
Priyanka has pioneered a programme in Botswana to advocate for play-based learning in the outdoor African environment; she is also an educator, a children’s author and a mother to two children.
YOU HAVE CREATED LEARN TO PLAY IN BOTSWANA, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?
I have always worked in education and then about 10 years ago, ventured into Early Childhood Education. This stemmed both from the increasing urgency I saw in my work but also as I became a mother. I am deeply committed to Botswana and our communities here and when I travelled across the country, I became more and more aware of the disparities between early childhood education in urban and rural areas.
This inspired my mission to create Learn To Play – it’s my way of giving back to my country that has given me and my family so much. Our mandate is to harness the power of play to provide high-impact, sustainable and scalable solutions for children aged 0-5 and to uplift women’s economic opportunities to create vibrant villages. We also focus on Botswana’s wildlife, conservation, and nature in our curriculum, resources and partnerships.
YOU WERE BORN AND GREW UP IN BOTSWANA, HOW HAS THAT SHAPED YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE WORLD?
A Botswana childhood is just so special – it’s relaxed, it’s filled with outdoor adventures and community connections. What I took for granted as a child became a novelty when I moved to England when I was 12. This definitely shaped my experiences and my aspirations – I really wanted the same experiences for my own children, and to continue cultivating these values for myself. I try to live by our values that have been shaped by our lives in Botswana: community, nature, play, adventure, impact, a sense of belongingness.
WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF WRITING COME FROM?
Oh I am a bookworm. My childhood was spent devouring stories and books and I have loved writing since I was little, I even studied English at university. Before I chose to work in education, I wanted to pursue a career in children’s publishing but never thought I would write my own children’s books!
WHAT INSPIRES YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOKS ?
My first book, An Elephant’s Tale is about the plight of rhinos and elephants and the dangers they face in the current climate of poaching. It’s inspired by Botswana’s incredible commitment to rhino and elephant conservation. It was also inspired by my daughter Aanavi, who was born with this fierce love for nature and animal protection. She’s a self-proclaimed conservationist, I wrote An Elephant’s Tale as a way of answering her questions, never thinking it would one day be published!
Now, I am constantly inspired by the world around me and helping young children care for and protect our planet too.
HOW HAS YOUR IDEA OF ADVENTURE SHIFTED IN THIS PAST YEAR?
Our sense of adventure didn’t die in lockdown, we did many sofa safaris, we explored nature trails in our gardens and connected with family all over the world. We also continue to plan and dream about future holidays! We have been blessed to still be able to travel abundantly within Botswana over the last year – not travelling internationally has honestly made me appreciate and explore Botswana with renewed enthusiasm and I’ve discovered even more special places that I love. In fact, I am in the middle of my third book inspired by the beautiful Baobab tree that grows indigenously all over Botswana.
WHAT’S ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE THAT’S A SURPRISE TO YOU?
What surprises me more as I get older, is my increasing need to spend time connecting with nature. In 2019 I discovered a word called ‘metta’ – it means feeling a deep sense of universal love and connectedness to yourself and the world around you. I first felt the true sense of this when I interacted with elephants that had been orphaned in Botswana. Since then, I consciously find time to connect with nature in such a deeply meaningful way, each time I do, these moments further shape my identity. Each deep connection is a moment of impact.
HOW DO YOU CONNECT TO NATURE?
I spend a lot of time outdoors. This could be as simple as daily walks outside or taking my laptop outdoors and sitting in the garden to work. As a family, we try to plan our holidays according to how much outdoor time we will be able to get! I also love using nature and natural solutions in my day – this could be for wellbeing (such as the magic of essential oils!) or even for play and work such as making paintbrushes from twigs and flowers.
I want my children to feel like they belong in nature and therefore that the world belongs to them. That sense of belonging will automatically bring about responsibility, consciousness and care. So yes we spend a lot of time outdoors, talking, walking, observing, listening playing and experiencing things outside just to cultivate that sense of belongingness.
You can donate to Learn to Play here