Inspiring Stories Galore At TEDx Gaborone
Dumisani Ncube | Monday April 3, 2017 18:00
TEDx is a programme of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.
The event was facilitated by a number of speakers such as Wilson Ngoni, Donald Molosi, Alice Mogwe, Jabu Stone, FifyLouwen and Baba Bantu to mention just a few. The speakers shared stories and experiences from their respective professions and lives.
South African entrepreneur, Jabu Stone spoke of how he started his business which is the hair chemical product and how the young African generation should step up and engage into the manufacturing. Stone is famous for his hair molding cream named after him.
“When you come up with an idea you have to make some solid research, as an entrepreneur expect rejection but that does not mean you should give up. I faced rejection from 1999 till 2006 when I went to Ghana. People once walked out on me while I was still presenting, but I did not lose hope,” said Stone.
Celebrated artist Wilson Ngoni shared his life story of how he grew up without educational background up to until he was 19 years old when he had to be taken to school by social workers.
“I fought poverty through painting, I did not want poverty in my life. I had to start doing work that will win awards. My work was always different.”
He shared a number of his paintings with the audience saying that due to lack of funds he used to paint a number of subjects on one canvas and at the end it will appear as a story on an abstract painting.
Author and actor, Donald Molosi presented his controversial essay titled Dear Upright African which talks of how private schools played an injustice role to African students by teaching them a European based education curriculum leaving them with no education background of their own countries and ancestors.
As a private school alumni Molosi admitted that it also has given him a setback of knowing much about his ethnic background as an African. He shared a story of how he was dropped out of a film cast by European film producers on a Botswana set film because they felt he was not looking African.
Another inspirational story came from Peggy Segaetsho a disability advocate who was born blind.
Segaetsho shared her life story of how she has managed to survive as a blind person talking of an incident where she jumped out of a moving car along the A1 road due to not trusting the driver after sensing something bad and managed to find her way to where there were people to help her. She had to use her sense of hearing to find the people as they were playing music.
Segaetsho also spoke of how disabled people are not catered for by different institutions such as hospitals that do not write medication instructions using braille, saying it leaves blind people at a disadvantage especially when they are supposed to take medication without assistance.
TED videos were also played showing speakers from different countries sharing their stories.