19 Aug 2018

Sesana Arts Agency in conjunction with Ultra Cord Melodies (UCM) Accapella Band will hold an extravaganza golden night event on September 4 to raise funds for the diamond project.

The diamond project is aimed at educating and empowering students about sexual education linked with life skills, with the main focus in curbing teenage pregnancy amongst students.

The highlights of the night will also see the launch of the first six track UCM Accapella album dubbed “Boela Gae”, fashion show and hairdresser’s competition.

They will also be a very powerful and massive music entertainment performances by Berry Heart, Ndingo Johwa, Kanvuthu Ikajazz ladies, Tsiki Tsiki ke a Gotela, just to mention a few.

Speaking at the launch of the golden night, councillor Lesego Kwambala of Itekeng ward in Francistown and also a member of the Francistown City Council health committee applauded the initiative by the two groups to come up with such a great project.

He explained that recent statistics indicated that the City of Francistown had once again taken the lead in HIV/AIDS prevalence.

Cllr Kwambala said on quarterly basis, the City of Francistown registers about 3 000 cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, saying the figure is low because some cases go unreported.

The council also registers about 70 cases of teenage pregnancy on quarterly basis, involving young girls aged between 15 and 16 years.

Councillor Kwambala said it was against this backdrop that Sesana Arts Agency and UCM Accapella came up with such an initiative to save the lives of students in Francistown.

He called upon the corporate world, the business community and individuals to support the initiative by donating anything to raise funds for the diamond project to enable the groups to address health and social issues.

He assured the groups that he would do anything within his power to make it a point that the City of Francistown supports the initiative by either buying tickets for the night or assisting with a vehicle to transport members of the groups.

Francistown West Member of Parliament, Ignitius Moswaane pledged P3 000 to buy a table during the fund raising dinner.

He urged artists across the country to commercialise their work in order to improve their living standard and create employment for others.

Meanwhile, the managing director of Sesana Arts Saone Bikitshane said they decided to brand the project “diamond” so that the students protect their bodies the same way as government protects its diamonds.

Bikitshane explained that they would be visiting schools to conduct educational and motivational talks to equip students with life skills.

She said the Ministry of Health and Wellness has already supported the initiative and called on other organisations to support it financially in order to make the project a success.

The director further said they had lined up a number of fund raising activities which had been forwarded to the Ministry of Health and Wellness for consideration. ENDS