Élan Botswana, the company responsible for bringing UK alto saxophonist and hip hop MC, Soweto Kinch, to the country, says it intends to provide an infrastructure that contributes to the education of the orphanages as part of its social responsibility initiative.
Semane Khama, the company’s director, says their intention is ‘not to provide education in the literal sense but education through the arts and drama.’
The company has now set up an entity called Cross ÔÇô Border Projects, which “will initiate ideas through Masiela Trust fund that will help raise funds, awareness and grow the cause”.
“The idea of Cross -Border Projects is to transfer skills, ideas and talent between two cultures through the same discipline, being music, art and drama. We want to utilise this unique opportunity and platform to demonstrate, as well as share the culture of music and the lifestyle of the arts in Botswana, but keeping in mind the main focus, which is raising funds for the orphanages of the Masiela Trust Fund,” Khama informed Sunday Standard Lifestyle.
The ├ëlan Botswana managing Director further says they chose the arts as their education development strategy for the orphanages as “they are stimulating to the mind”.
“The arts are a broad industry as an entity on its own. It involves a lot of things like music, painting or even dancing and this industry is big in other countries,” Khama said.
To achieve their initiative, Khama says they will collaborate with individuals, acts, philanthropists from across the globe and tap into their appreciation of the arts, dynamics and the development of their own communities to instil and educate others and, in turn, use this platform to develop the orphanages.
She says the project will be divided into four phases, namely the development and implementation of the following, a library, computer room, music room/ library as well as an art studio.
Khama says, due to the amount of money needed to do all this, the project will be done in yearly phases (though this can be done in less time) funds permitting.
“We would like Soweto to continue as the ambassador of the project in order to continue raising awareness for donations, materials needed for the youth centre such as books, music etc. He will have a constant relationship with the project and all partners involved, who will help put it a level like no other,” Khama said.
He added that they have chosen to work with the disadvantaged kids in education to give them the needed education, which is not provided for in the usual school set up.
