YAB Ignites Passion For Art
Ame Motimane | Monday February 18, 2019 18:00
The event, organised by Young Africa Botswana (YAB), gave everyone in attendance a chance to showcase their art skills in a relaxed environment.
The guests were also accorded the opportunity to tap into their artistic side and have a feel of how it was to express someone’s feelings through painting.
They had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Mumsy Themba, Conrad Mathemba and Kat Kai Kol-Kes who were also given the opportunity to express their feelings through art on stage.
YAB was registered as a local trust in 2016 with the vision to train the youth and arm them with employability skills in order to help them create jobs themselves. It also aims to put Botswana on the Southern Africa touristic map with an unique combination of training and trading.
YAB chief executive officer, Yelena Mitrovic said the trust has forged a partnership with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development. The main objective of the partnership is to establish a Youth Skills Centre in Gaborone, empower young people to become self-reliant through entrepreneurial skills training, life skills training and talent development, as well as to improve the self-confidence, dignity and livelihoods of the youth.
Mitrovic said The Lady Olebile Masire at Gaborone West was assigned to YAB to be turned into a vibrant place run by the youth, who are trained and supervised by experienced professionals.
“Four TVET departments have been set up, two batches of the students have already been trained with the third batch starting in March,” said Mitrovic.
One of YAB beneficiaries, Mumsy Themba told Showtime said it is a beautiful experience and it has helped her grow as an artist.
The sip-paint-eat event is the first of its calibre and Mitrovic said its main aim is to help the youth in art to grow, show their talent and have something to look forward to.
“We planning that this event happens on a monthly basis so as we grow as an initiative,” Mitrovic said.
She also said Batswana have been a very good support system to them, and hopes this event attracts more youth in art be it poetry, singing and painting.