You have heard about them and seen their work. You have watched their music videos on BTV or on YouTube. If not, then you have heard their songs on the radio, earnestly spreading the good word that is aimed at being sown into the mind of the youth and staying there. And hopefully growing and gaining good ground on his or her growing mind. Have steady roots in the mind that is yet discovering itself. You probably know the Remmogo team by their campaign to spread awareness to Batswana on issues of Road Safety, Alcohol and Drug Abuse. But they have recently embarked on a campaign aimed at having zero transmission and zero deaths due to STIs, HIV and AIDS. The group consists of some of the best musicians in our motherland. Amongst them Drama Boi and T.H.A.B.O.
The Executive Director of the NGO, Kagiso Morebodi, had this to say about the Remmogo Non-Governmental Organization.
Please tell us all about Remmogo Organization.
Remmogo Organization is an NGO that addresses social ills in Botswana by providing people with the platform to discuss them. Remmogo does this through an easy, but effective method referred to as edutainment. Here, Remmogo uses stories, talk shows and community campaigns to educate people on issues of Alcohol & Drug abuse and Road Safety, through its behaviour change programs.
2. When was it established and what was the motive behind its establishment?
Remmogo was established on the basis of educating, sense raising, spreading of awareness to Batswana at large on issues of Road Safety, Alcohol & Drug Abuse.
3. What criteria did you use to select the artists who wanted to join the group?
At Remmogo, we have three programs already running being the Kgweetsa ka Kelotlhoko Campaign (road safety initiative), a youth radio talk show at RB2 dubbed “Monana4life” and the Remmogo All Stars music project, that we use to spread the message on issues that affect us on daily basis. And going back to your question, the criteria we use is very simple, where we just choose /select local artists randomly.
4. What projects have you done in the past and what is the lay-out of the organization for the next year?
At the moment we are busy working on the alcohol initiative program for the in-school youth with Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Youth Sport and Culture. We are also busy preparing for the launch of our 1st annual Kgweetsa ka kelotlhoko campaign—taking place on the 13th July 2013 in Gaborone.
5. And where do you see yourselves in the next five years?
Well, in the next five years, I want to be witnessing the change I want to see at this present moment.
6. Please tell us more about your new project that aims for zero transmission, zero deaths due to STI, HIV and AIDS.
This will be a national project themed “Monana Ikgaphe”, where we have already produced its theme song, which is now playing on television and on radio stations. And we are about to go on a road show to interact with our fellow youth on issues of behavioral change. So, expect to hear more noise about it.
7. Any last words you would like to say to Batswana out there?
Yes, and let me thank you for this opportunity. Well, all I want is for Batswana and, more importantly, my fellow youth, to know that there is nothing impossible and that the sky is no more the limit as we are bound to reach even beyond! Therefore we have the Key to unlock our future gate.
