09 Jun 2020

 About 30 kilometres from Francistown city is the small Mmadunyane village.

This is where 63-year-old Nkalo Ntshipa, is keeping Setswana culture alive, through her hobby of working with clay.

As one drives due west from Mmadunyane village and leaves the tarmac onto the dirt road that leads to Thanasanku farms,

Ms Ntshipa’s house beckons on the right hand side with her remarkable designs of clay works.

These are the epitome of the vibrant mother of five (two men and three women)’s creativity. 

Her artwork shines as a beacon of hope and a sign that one can dig deep inside to find a creative medium that one can use as an outlet to escape the feeling of despair and get maximum satisfaction.

Ms Ntshipa, said she learnt the craft of working with clay from her late mother around 1984-85, though at the time she ‘forced’ to have interest in the art.

“When my mother forced me to learn this craft as a child, I thought it was ill treatment and a life of disadvantage, which was being forced upon us, but now I cannot go for long without working with the clay, as it has become an art that soothes me and helps my mind be at ease,” she said. 

While she would like to share her craft with any of her five children, she said she recognises a similar disinterest in them as she had when growing up. 

She said issues such as having formal employment is also a deterrent in the adaptation of her clay craft.       Ms Ntshipa said she would love to impart some the knowledge of her craft with other Batswana, especially the youth. 

She said passing on of her knowledge was a means to encourage them to keep indigenous crafts, such as working with clay, alive and change the mindset of seeing it a sign of poverty. 

She said in 2016, she began to display her artistic hobby by designing similar clay works as the couch and table for events such as weddings. 

Ms Ntshipa said lack of exposure was her biggest challenge as she could not physically move her works to events to showcase her craft.

“The challenge I am faced with does not deter me from continuing doing what I love the most and in some way I am getting encouragement from people who pass by , who always show keen interest in what I am doing,” she said.

She said she still habours the hope that one day she will be able to showcase her craft at cultural events around the country.

She said the clay design can take about a month to complete.

Ms Ntshipa narrated that she starts her works by collecting cow dung, firewood ash and mud, which she then mixes together to create clay bricks, that form the base of her design and later on vanishes with the mixture of cow dung, firewood ash and mud to form the desired shape or pattern. 

She stated that practicing her craft is a beautiful thing that requires a lot of love, patience and dedication.

She said while she was currently not financially benefiting from her craft, she has a dream of developing her farm by thatching the area where she has designed her clay couch and table, so she can be able to benefit from tourist who come to the area to see the Shashe Dam, by providing a place of temporary rest, where they can be served food and drinks. Ends