Xere — Xere is one of those villages still struggling with the most basic of necessities. It is a place where most Batswana would say 'I would never stay there even if my all life depended on it.'

On a recent trip to Xere some people even said that if they were transferred there they would rather quit their jobs.

That is how bad it looks when you are coming from the outside. Journalists had accompanied Debswana to Xere to announce that they would build a new kitchen for the school there. It was interesting the way people flocked in masses to the Kgotla to hear what Debswana had come to announce.

The eagerness to hear the announcement could almost be felt in the air. What is currently being used as a kitchen would make many wonder.

Pieces of old zinc have been put together to make a small kitchen that probably made less, if any difference. For those who have been to Xere it is common knowledge that dust and white sandy soil is part of everyday life, so a semi square shelter made out of old zinc sheets is of little use if the main reason is to keep out the dust.

Xere is typically underdeveloped, primitive and crying out loud for things that most people in the cities and major villages take for granted. Xere is one of those villages that are gripped by a shortage of every basic need. But unlike people who do not care much about development, people who would rather live the way they did a hundred years ago, the people in Xere are hungry for development and they have a vision of where and how they would like to see their village develop.

When village headman Molaodi Moipolai heard that the school in his village was being blessed with a kitchen he was delighted.

"We are very happy that the mine decided to do this for the children because right now they do not have a place where their meals are prepared," he said.

He said that dust and soil was a problem for children at feeding time because of the soil and the winds.

The headman's face could not hide his excitement at the thought of getting a new kitchen for the children. Obviously a man of few words his smile had a lot to say. The winds that keep the village enveloped in dust and white soil probably contribute to a kind of sadness that makes one feel that there is a need and want in the village.

The mud houses are also built on that same soil so most of them look like something could be done to revive them, but what?

Xere village has a primary school that only goes up to standard five at the moment and it also has a social worker and a head teacher, who is involved in the development of the village.

Xere Primary School head teacher Bosiamang Maphakwane was also grateful for the new kitchen that the school would get, but she had more requests for Xere Village.

Maphakwane said that they were grateful for the kitchen that was badly needed at her school but there were other things the village needed. "We are very happy that our pleas for help were finally answered.

The people who came here from Debswana saw our situation and took a step to help," she said.

Maphakwane said that the biggest concern that they had was that they had no electricity in Xere as they used to depend on a generator.

"We have no electricity because the generator has been non-functional for a while," she said. "We have computers but we have never used because there is no electricity," she said. Maphakwane further asked Debswana to help out with classrooms at the school because there were not enough. "We have only four classrooms but next year we are introducing standard six but they do not have a classroom.

We have to add two more classrooms," she said. Maphakwane also urged Debswana management to think about helping the VDC with a tuck shop so they could raise funds and assist the youth with soccer goalposts and traditional dance costumes. Councillor for Xere Amos Ramakhubu requested the mine to also consider giving the youth of Xere an opportunity to tour the mine.

"They live so close to the mine but they have never been there. One day you should bring a bus, pick them up and show them the operations of the mines and what a diamond looks like," he said.

All those requests show that the people of Xere do not want to be left behind in the white dust.

They want to make the best of what is now their home.