Charity aims to establish Botswana's first orchestra school

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday December 2, 2010 00:00

That is the dream of local charity, Tsholofelo Foundation. They aspire to fund-raise in order to empower disadvantaged youths in Botswana by teaching them orchestra to such world-class status they will be booked to perform at big events around the globe.

Tsholofelo Foundation started more than five years ago as a meeting of Serowe-born friends who were concerned about disadvantaged members of the community and doing something for them. 

From renovating a dilapidated hall at Tsholofelo and hostels for the disadvantaged at Old Naledi to building a house for an orphaned family at Sefhophe, Tsholofelo Foundation is now thinking about establishing Botswana's first orchestra academy.

Over the years, the foundation's annual end-of-year charity concerts have featured South Africa's AC Orchestra as part of its fund raising efforts.

The foundation's spokesman, Tebogo Motswetla, says their success with BC Orchestra has so inspired them that the dream is to have a Botswana made orchestra, starting as early as next year.

Motswetla says their annual entertainers from South Africa have an inspiring story that has moved the local charity organization to want to emulate them.

BC Orchestra was founded on the desire to help talented but disadvantaged youths of South Africa with orchestra skills.

Motswetla feels that Botswana, with its well-developed system of talent identification and need identification, thanks to the Department of Social services, can tap into the raw talent among JC dropouts, orphans and other disadvantaged youths and empower them with orchestra skills.

Infact, Motswetla says their upcoming charity concert that will yet again feature BC Orchestra will fund-raise towards acquiring equipment for teaching orchestra and that a teacher has identified.

Seabe Raditladi, a former music teacher and composer at Molepolole College of Education, has agreed to come on board as a volunteer to impart his orchestra skills.

Motswetla says their fund-raising event will be held from 7pm at Maitisong on Sunday December 12 with the South African orchestra accompanied by a host of local names such as e'lad, Precious Tlhabiwe, Boitumelo Pilane, Tlokweng SOS Marimba Band, and many others.