Madi Majwana Season 2
WeekendLife
Madi Majwana; Stories from your pocket, is a radio drama series, which is a product of Barclays Bank in partnership with the Company at Maitisong and broadcasted on Yarona fm. Last week Thursday the series launched its second season which brings about more interesting features at Maitisong Theatre.
The first series was undoubtedly a trailblazing success. Madi Majwana aims to tell stories of ordinary people and their struggles with money. The series explores many issues on money that people sometimes fail to understand yet never ask detailed questions.
“Our relationship with Maitisong on the specific subject of money matters began in 2013 when we launched the Pula! Money Matters theatrical performance. The play focused on our relationship with money and the complex issues and problems that we are faced with in our daily lives. The production was an instant hit with audiences in Gaborone and 16 villages across Botswana were I went on tour”, said Reinette van der Merwe, Managing Director at Barclays Bank of Botswana.
She said based on the success of their theatrical production and their desire to reach a wider audience, they agreed to develop and launch a radio drama series in 2014. The program was launched on World Literacy Day last year and was very successful in reaching over 200,000 people across Botswana. It featured on three radio stations for a period of 20 weeks, with radio discussions on pertinent matters taking place in between shows.
Madi Majwana also went on a national tour to 16 villages where the radio drama was translated into a theatrical production.
The crew performed at Kgotlas, community centres and schools in the various villages, following which they had discussions allowing the audience to share their views on the issues raised. The Maitisong Theatre monitoring and evaluation team was on sight to document findings which have been used in the development of Season two of the production.
The first radio production increased the awareness levels of money problems and to a certain extent alleviated the reluctance that people have to discuss their money problems. The public forums that were held to discuss lessons from the show revealed the extent to which individuals are worried about their financial situations and their eagerness to look for assistance.
The problem of over indebtedness continues to be a big problem in Botswana and drama is in an innovative and creative way to get the public involved and educated.
Madi Majwana Season two has additional features that will ensure its long term success and sustainability. This year’s production will include iKalanga which makes it more accessible to communities in Kalanga speaking areas.
A second exciting development is that the production team and crew will attend a financial literacy workshop and receive coaching so that they are aware of the critical issues of money management and have a voice in the discussions that take place.
“It is our hope that these young people will continue to learn about money issues so that they themselves can become effective coaches and advisors to those of us struggling with money issues.
I’m really excited to say that in 2016, our focus will lie in Education and Skills through our new initiative which we decided to term ‘Ready to Work’. This is a new Barclays Africa flagship employability initiative that will prepare young people across Africa for the world of work”, said van der Merwe.
WeekendLife
Creatives taking over 2023
Creativity is seen everywhere and these individuals did something recently that’s never been done before, and some are still killing it. We see creativity on streaming platforms, stages, runways, social media and boardrooms even. Some of them are revamping their businesses, and lately, clothing sale is thriving.
They love concept-driven designs, storytelling and they bring fresh ideas and new perspectives that will leave footprints in the sand. Post the COVID-19 pandemic, these creative minds utilized the drawing board and they became cognizant that monetizing content will actually take them far, which is frank nonetheless.
This is commendable though, but the creative industry will still need support from government in order for it to flourish further. Allocation of resources (funds, facilities and empowerment) should be done consistently, creativity must be raised and at the end of the day, the economy benefits from that kind of investment.
HAN C
Ever since he parted ways with his former manager, DJ Bougee Sid, Mahalapye born-pint sized, multi-award-winning artist, Hanceford Magapatona has been taking up space, unapologetically so. Han C has shown a strong will to take over the entire world, and he is in the right direction. He’s solely organizing the annual Mahalapye Spring Festival, which is taking place next weekend.
The Pepetetsa hitmaker raked some monies from his savings to put together this event. Mahalapye Spring Festival will feature Paige, Ubuntu Band, Khoisan, Amantle Brown and Double Up among others. Even though it didn’t come as a surprise, Han C was nominated at African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) in the US, under Best Male Southern Africa category.
However, the award was snatched by the late South African rapper, AKA. Its not all lost as Han C secured two nominations at the Yarona FM Music Awards (YAMAs): People’s Choice of the Year and Best Male Single.
KOKETSO MOTSWAGOLE
This entrepreneur has turned his dreams into reality, and his promising apparel business is now a fashion destination. Matter of fact, Motswagole weathered the storms to be where he is now because through criticism and social media bullying, he still leads the pack in fashion.
His social media accounts got deleted but through his online store, KM Sales, Motswagole is able to rake in some profits. He initially started selling from his car but now owns a busy store and has employed a number of young people.
KM Sales has been offering fashionable items (shoes, t-shirts, pants) and has been participating in various lifestyle events such as Garden of Drip where it showcases its products.
If there is one young entrepreneur to draw motivation from is Koketso. The business started from humble beginnings, at the time when he worked part time at Ipelegeng as a casual labor. Indeed, good things come to those who wait, or well, work like a slave today, live like a king tomorrow.
KAGISO LUDO DE KLERK
Vee Mampeezy’s ex-wife Kagiso De Klerk clearly did not sit and weep over their dramatic divorce. The famous social media influencer hurriedly picked up the pieces and went hard on promoting business online. She literally took social media influencing to the head and it is working for her.
This year saw her partnership with Shell reach greater heights, and obviously, she is raking lot of pulas from the deal. Kagiso has been making frequent appearances in top events in South Africa such as Bubbles in Spring and Gold and Diamond Experience.
GAONA DINTWE
After a long break from the limelight, renowned media and radio personality, Gaona Dintwe is back. She was missed by many on TV, and she’s back where she belongs, news anchoring on BTV. Gaona has also found a niche in podcasting. She is a host of her own podcast, Gaona Live Conversation, where various people share their stories on camera.
Some of what they discuss is Gender Based Violence (GBV), polygamy and drug addiction. This is highly commendable because even BTV doesn’t have programs that discuss these crucial social issues. The Lentswelemoruti native is also seen in various corporate events where she is engaged as a host.
WeekendLife
DITIRO LEERO ONE MAN SHOW ON THE PIPELINE
Now that one-man shows are made fashionable, traditional dance guru and ex-convict, Ditiro Leero is joining the crusade and he will be hosting his also. The show will be held next month at Zone 4 Farm in Selokolela, but the there are traditional dance music artists who have been lined up to perform at the show. Matshana, Morwa Leka and Maswailathota will be doing their thing and probably bring some heat too. Ditiro Leero will be making history as the first traditional artist to host a one-man show in Botswana.
WeekendLife
MISS BOTSWANA HAVING MANY IRONS IN THE FIRE
With only two months before Miss World 2023, the reigning Miss Botswana, Lesego Chombo is having many irons in the fire, preparing for the much-anticipated beauty pageant. Miss World 2023 will be the 71st edition of Miss World pageant and it will be held in India. Chombo has been spotted toning her body at Jack’s gym, a requirement that is taken seriously at the pageant. She has also been participating in charity events, something that should add to her profile at the Miss World.