Sargam Trust And Indian Businesses Support Local Artists
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday May 2, 2017 16:00
The recipients included Mafatlhagosi Dance Troupe that walked away with P50,000, Malaiki Star, Black Marto and Annafiki who walked away with P25,000 each during an event held in Gaborone on Saturday.
Sargam also supported the Moshupa Young Women’s Christian Association which has embarked on a fund raising initiative to raise funds to enhance the status of non-formal education sectors.
The YWCA is a recognised national development partner because of its significant contribution to education, public health education, socio-economic empowerment, life skills development and home management. Sargam trust donated P50,000 to the Moshupa YMCA. In an interview with The Monitor, Sargam spokesperson Sakshi Shukla said Sargam has supported beneficiaries such as COCEPWA, Cheshire Foundation of Botswana, India Association of Botswana, Holy Cross Hospice, Botswana Hindu Society, Botswana Youth Centre, Pudulogong Rehabilitation and Development Centre, Camphill Community Trust, Botswana-India friendship school, the President’s Housing Appeal, and Kedikilwe Early Childhood Development Trust. The funds are raised by Indian-owned businesses in Botswana over the past 25 years.
“Twenty-five years ago, the Main Mall and the Kagisong Centre were the places to be at. The BTC was the only telecommunications provider, families often travelled to South Africa to shop for groceries, and Indians gathered at the Sitar restaurant in Fairgrounds to share their common roots and reminisce about the cultural and musical aspects of India that they missed so much in their new home Botswana.
It was then inevitable that a few passionate music lovers thought about bringing Indian music to the Indian and local community of Botswana,” she recalls.
Shukla said founding members Manhar Mooney, Birendra Sahu and Pravin Mistry brought music enthusiasts together to present its first show ‘Old is Gold’ in 1992 in Maitisong. She explained that even though it was a simple show, it was received by the community at large.
“Born with a purpose and out of passion, the founders established two key governing principles to drive the vision of the group, both of which still direct the activities of Sargam today. These purposes are for performing artists and participants will volunteer their time to Sargam out of sheer love for Indian music and as part of their personal commitment to community service, and will not be remunerated for their contribution and all the proceeds collected from the shows that Sargam presents will go towards noble causes that support community development,” she said.
She added that Sargam’s shows were not possible without the tireless commitment and benevolence of its members whose love for music and passion for community service has sustained the Trust for so many years.
Shukla explained that its members were business executives and or self-employed individuals in various fields, who were from different religious and national backgrounds, united by their love for music.
Sargam Trust celebrated its 25th Silver Jubilee anniversary by presenting a spectacular Bollywood musical show comprising of 18 performers ranging from 17 to 78 years in age.
The event was graced by the Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi, and other VIPs such as Minister of Minerals, Green Technology and Energy Security, Sadique Keboneng and his brother, Justice Zain Keboneng,