It�s time for a universal basic income grant

In high income countries, they see the impending loss of jobs to automation as a reason to start such a programme, but in countries like Botswana it is a more humane way of alleviating poverty and giving people agency in their lives no matter their economic status.

You might be asking why I am writing about the basic income grant in my column dedicated to the arts. As all artists know, making a living from our art is difficult. Many talented musicians, poets, actors and writers live in poverty in Botswana or leave their art and get one of those dream-crushing day jobs. Even if we do not live in poverty, we often have to make bad choices because of money pressures. I truly believe that a universal basic income grant would help artists and would improve the quality of our art and the professionalism of our artists.