Ruth Williams Khama

Ruth Williams was born on December 9, 1923, in London. During World War II, she served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). In 1947, she met Seretse Khama, heir to the Bangwato chieftains, while he was studying law in London. Their marriage in September 1948 triggered an international geopolitical crisis, as the newly installed apartheid regime in South Africa pressured Britain to force them into exile.

Surviving six years of unjust British-imposed banishment in London, Ruth settled with Seretse in Serowe in 1956, earning the deep affection of the Batswana people. Following Botswana's independence in 1966, Lady Khama served as President of the Botswana Red Cross, championing maternal welfare, orphan support, and civic unity.