Kgosi Sechele I Museum keeps its head above water

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Friday February 18, 2011 00:00

Like every Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), the museum depends on donor funding.  However,  donors have been hard to come by, since Botswana was declared a mid income country in the mid 90s.

But lack of funds has never deterred the cultural activists who are behind the museum.  

The curator of the museum, Kawina Power Kawina mentioned that their main source of income is from funding raising.  But they are barely surviving since the funds they raise are not sufficient to cover the operating costs.The museum raises funds by offering secretarial services to members of the public and to business people. 

Another fund raising exercise is that of selling artifacts that are acquired from the community.  Kawina said they encourage their suppliers to produce products of cultural importance.   In this way, he feels that they are promoting local art. 

He said as a museum they do not only want to provide an educational role but also to alleviate poverty.    Although he is not a Mokwena himself, Kawina is well conversant with the history of Bakwena.  He narrates the history of Bakwena like a tribesman. 

He revealed that the government is only paying for their salaries while the museum has to fund its own projects.  Currently the museum is employing a staff of seven.

Kawina said they used to be  funded by an international organisation which is known as Kellog Foundation.  But after the organisation closed shop, they have not been receiving any funding.

The curator points out this has affected their projects.   Operating on a shoe string budget, they had to cut out certain projects like hosting workshops. 

The museum official said they have also reduced buying artifacts from the community.

'But we are still trying.  Every year we host certain activities like the Dithubaruba cultural festival which showcases Bakwena culture,' he said. The Dithubaruba cultural festival is also meant to unite Bakwena. 'We feel culture can unite Bakwena,' posits the curator.

Other activities include hosting exhibitions like the Kwena craft producers' exhibitions. 

Kawina spoke about plans to host an exhibition in honour of the late pioneering Bakwena medical doctor, Alfred Merriweather. In Kawina's view, Merriweather is one of the people who played an crucial role in the development of Kweneng. Merriweather also became one of the first speakers of the National Assembly as well as being a pastor.   Kawina said Merriweather was one of the last missionaries who came into the country. 

He said as a medical doctor, Merriweather was instrumental in eradicating syphilis which was prevalent during the old days. 

'We feel we should honour him,' Kawina declared.   He said they will be working in collaboration with  a Scottish church that posted Merriweather to Botswana.  

Another activity which is planned for this year is the hosting of the Kweneng culture exhibition which is targeting primary schools.  Kawina said they would also like to collaborate with institutions of learning like the Molepolole College of Education (MCE).

One of the issues of great concern to the museum authorities is the management of heritage sites in Kweneng.  As Kawina puts it, these sites are not well looked after or are just neglected.

Kawina sees the potential of turning the heritage sites into tourist attraction centres.  The heritage sites that he is talking about include Lekadiba, Legaga la Kobokwe, Dithubaruba and Kwa ntsweng. 

'We are going to come up with a management plan of the heritage sites.  We want to devise a management plan in collaboration with the National Museum,' he said.   The curator said in the past they were sponsored by Debswana to erect a boundary wall at kwa Ntsweng which is also a burial site for  members of the royal family.  At some stage, the tomb stones at the royal cemetery were vandalised by unknown people.

As its name implies, the Kgosi Sechele I Museum depicts the history of Bakwena.  It has become a tourism attraction site in the village of Molepolole.   The buildings at the museum used to be the residential house of a colonial police chief.  The house was built in 1902.  It was handed to the community in the late 80s.  The museum occupied the premises in 1992 when it started  its operations.

Some of the structures of cultural significance that are found at the museum include traditional huts. Pointing at the structures, Kawina said they wanted to show visitors the different traditional huts.  He said a traditional hut has its own meaning depending on how it is designed.  To other people, he said, a roundavel could also be a sign of a family's social status. 

Kawina said the roundavels at the museum depict both the original and the modern structures.  The cool traditional huts have become popular spots for visitors at the museum.   Wedding couples pose for photos in the huts, which are adorned with traditional implements like chairs.  There is also a goat mat in one of the hats. Inside the huts is a beautiful moulded cupboard and the exterior is decorated with gray, brown yellow soil applied by hand.

Behind the main hut there is a 'segotlo' which is compound where sorghum is threshed and an outdoor kitchen called 'looba'.  Visitors can sit under the cool of the thatch and enjoy a drink facing views of the village which includr the imposing United Congregation Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA), Molepolole branch which was built around 1907.

Another structure of cultural significance  found at the museum is the kgotla.  Kawina said they always sit with visitors around the kgotla to tell them about its role. Other cultural implements that are found at the museum include the ox-wagon which used to be one of the forms of transport when vehicles were rare.  There are also some megoma which are used for ploughing.

As a community museum, Kawina said they encourage members of the community to participate in their activities. 

A group of elderly women who are known as matsosa ngwao cultural revival group have been roped in to assist with cultural activities.  The women are the ones who built the traditional huts.  They also maintain the structures. The museum teaches people about the oral traditions of Bakwena.   The matsosa ngwao also help in this regard. 

Since music is part of culture, the museum is not lacking in this regard.  The museum has its own marimba and traditional group.  'If the museum is lively, you will have people coming in.  The groups liven up the museum,' said Kawina as his face lights up. 

There is a section in the museum which is dedicated to the late Bakwena chief Kgari Sechele who ruled in the 1800s.  Kawina said Sechele played a great role in defending Batswana against the Boers during the battle of Dimawe.  He defeated the Boers. 

According to Kawina, Sechele was one of the first chiefs to become literate.  In the same section there are also portraits of Bakwena chiefs and as well as documents depicting the history of Bakwena. 

There is also another section which depicts the cultural lives of the Basarwa and Bakwena.  Kawina explained that they felt that they should also cater for Basarwa because they are members of the Kweneng community.

One of the services that the museum offers is to take visitors on tours of the cultural sites in Kweneng.

Part of the objectives of the museum is to provide a wide range of socio-economic and cultural benefits to the region. It is aimed to serve as a cultural focus and centre for expertise providing opportunities for community enrolment in the museum work through volunteers, research, project work and membership.

Another objective is to provide the community with opportunities to broaden their cultural activities.

It also aimed to provide focus for social functions and entertainment and promotes the culture and history in Kweneng region. 

The museum is also aimed to enhance the quality of people's lives and develop a sense of identity among the local people as well as to provided guided tours to places of cultural heritage. 

Its mission statement is to preserve, conserve, research, promote and communicate ideas that enhances Kweneng District people's understanding and appreciation of their natural and cultural heritage, for sustainable.