A belated summary of my time in Botswana. Some of you may know that I am working for an international human rights org called Minority Rights Group International (MRG) based in London consulting for their street theater to combat racism project in Kenya, Rwanda, Botswana, and the DR.
Well, I lucked out, not only in getting the job, but also in getting to travel to our partner countries to help move the project forward in each country. Two weeks ago, I flew to Gaborne, Botwana to tour with the Botswanan street theater group.
Botswana was lovely - it was warm and I love working with our project officer and artistic director, so I was especially excited to see them.
The first performance I saw was a cultural event organized by our local NGO partner, RETENG, and our project office, Chanda. The Acting Vice President of Botswana was there, and he was amazingly supportive of our and RETENG's work. The group also performed in a church, a school, and community centers in Gaborone and Francistown.
The performance itself was in Tswana, so I understood not a word, except the name of the main character, Ndwana, yet I did understand the meaning of the performance. After seeing it six times in a row, I did not get tired of it, and the design of the performance and the commitment that the actors demonstrated inspired me to get back into my own art-making.
