PLEASE HELP SAVE THE GROUP OF HOPE. This pioneering prisoner rehabilitation project in South Africa - and the subject of Robyn's next book - has been shut down, with no reason or comment provided by the authorities. The prisoners, and the AIDS orphans they support, are distraught. Please sign this petition to request the Group's reinstatement.

Welcome to the official website for Twenty Chickens for a Saddle, a story that begins when six year old Robyn Scott's parents abruptly exchange the tranquil pastures of New Zealand for a converted cowshed in the wilds of Botswana. There, falling in love with the country where Robyn’s eccentric grandfather had served as pilot to Seretse Khama, Botswana’s first president, Linda and Keith Scott set off in his pioneering and unconventional footsteps. Their three small children, mostly left to amuse themselves, grow up collecting snakes, canoeing with crocodiles and breaking in horses in the veld.

This book is the account of the family’s fifteen years in Botswana, during which Linda haphazardly and single-handedly homeschools Robyn, Damien and Lulu, while Keith runs a flying doctor practice, attempting, with erratic success, to adapt to the unique demands of rural clinics and the growing burden of AIDS. The book remains throughout an uplifting, engaging and deeply affectionate portrayal of an extraordinary place and family.

Browse this site to read more about the book, as well as to view photographs read reviews, see more of Lauren Scott's illustrations, watch Robyn read an experpt from the book, and learn about Mothers for All, the AIDS orphan support organisation established with proceeds from the book.