Ghetto artists join blood donation campaign
Shingirai Madondo | Thursday March 27, 2014 12:26
They are expected to participate in a road show organised by BOMU District Chapter III region in collaboration with the National Blood Donor Association – North on Saturday.
The event, dubbed Donate Blood to Save Mothers, will be held at the Francistown bus rank next to Kami Cash & Carry stores. Top artists have given themselves a task to represent one of the major blood groups needed at the blood banks across the country.
Thapelo Maleka, the chairperson of the BOMU District Chapter III region said the idea is to give back to the community that supports the music industry at all times.
Popularly known as MC Maswe in the music industry, Maleka said musicians contribute to road carnage one or another and are duty-bound to play a role in doing something to save lives.
He said musicians, like politicians survive on numbers. If there are no people attending their shows then they are doomed.
“Music lovers travel long distances following their favourite artists. During travelling, some of the fans may be involved in road carnage. So we are duty-bound to do the little we can in a bid to save lives,” said MC Maswe.
Furthermore, MC Maswe said it is widely publicised that the National Blood Transfusion Services is struggling to collect the required amount of blood to be stored in blood banks and used in hospitals.
Due to shortage of blood, MC Maswe said that a number of road carnage victims die of excessive blood loss while mothers also die like “flies sprayed with fumigate when giving birth.”
The Regional Chairperson of the National Blood Donor Association – North, Kefilwe Bojong said considering the shortage of blood in hospitals and major health facilities across the country, the musicians have demonstrated selflessness.
While the spirit of volunteerism is slowly dying in Botswana, Bojong said the initiative by the musicians is a unique move in this day and age.
For her part, a recruitment officer with the northern based-blood donor association Christie Lebane said her organisation is failing to recruit as many donors as possible. She said the involvement of musicians would go a long way in urging people to donate blood. An average of 40,000 blood units are required on an annual basis in Botswana but currently only 18,000 blood units are donated.