Meet Our Characters: Maria Ramsden

Pru Allison
June 18, 2019

What’s your full name?

“Maria Naledi Ramsden.”

Where are you originally from?

“My parents are both from Minneapolis and I was born in Kanye Botswana.”

What’s your background?

“I was born in Kanye Botswana to John and Dianne Mistelske. My parents were missionaries and decided to stay in Botswana. That is why I was born here, and I went to school in Lobatse until I was 11 years old, then my family moved back to Florida for education purposes and I moved back here in 2005.”

How did you come to work for Natural Selection?

“I do a lot of community work in the villages and as well in Khwai, when doing these projects Greg and Kelly Butler (partners in Khwai Private Reserve) were very supportive and that is when I came on board eventually as a full-time Community Liaison Manager as well as dealing with some of the HR wellness parts of the company.”

What is your job title?

“Community Liaison Manager.”

What is life like in Maun?

“I love life in Maun. It’s a small town with a big heart!”

Please tell us about the projects you’ve worked on previously

“I have worked on teen mother projects in Khwai and surrounding areas in Ngamiland, as well as adult literacy programmes, shelter, and clothing programmes, and working with women against rape.”

What are you working on at the moment?

“We just opened the pre-school in Khwai and at the moment I am working on the cultural village in Khwai and getting this ready for a village tour. We are also working on a project in partnership with the government that will teach the illiterate how to read and write.”

What’s a typical day for you?

“Busy! My day consists of running around, writing emails, traveling up and down to Khwai (by car as I don’t fly), checking on projects, and working on budgets for new projects.”

Which is your favourite Natural Selection camp?

“Hyena Pan – it’s home!”