The Botswana National Museum on Friday launched the first phase of the Bonnington Open Air Museum Project, which entails the restoration of the silos at Bonnington Farm Monument located at Block Five, opposite Grand Palm Hotel. Bonnington Open Air Museum Project is an initiative conceived under the Adopt-a-Monument Strategy, a programme that promotes heritage sites for sustainable socio-economic development started in 2008 and provides opportunities for partnerships and collaboration between the Botswana National Museum and its stakeholders; that is, the business community, the private sector, individuals and other interested parties in the development of heritage resources as tourist attractions and places of interest.
The project was launched by the Botswana Tourism Organisation Chief Executive Officer, Myra Sekgororoane, who told guests that “The Botswana National Museum is mandated to preserve, protect and promote Botswana’s cultural heritage”.
She said “there are 100 National Monuments and they are under threat of destruction, especially from natural processes and development projects”.
Sekgororoane said due to limited technical and financial resources, the rate of intervention in their sustainable development lags far behind that of the threats.
“It is for this reason that Botswana National Museum invites the business community and other interested parties to enter into a partnership programme called ‘Adopt a Monument’ to develop these monuments.
According to Sekgororoane, “the strategy was derived from the mandate of the Botswana National Museum, based on the National VISION 2016 pillars of a Prosperous, Productive and Innovative Nation and a United and Proud Nation. It also addresses section 4.3 of the National Strategy for Economic Diversification and Sustainable Growth, which implores us to broaden the tourism base by establishing new cultural facilities and to increase the cosmopolitan character of the capital city”.
She further revealed that Bonnington Open Air Museum has three phases.
“Phase One includes site preparation and restoration of silos, while Phase Two includes installation of a mini exhibition, landscaping and opening a site office. Phase Three includes the restoration of the farmhouse and stables, development of a botanical plant park and an exhibition and landscaping.
