25 Jul 2023

Metal Bench Promotions Company in collaboration with Rock and Roll band and other local artistes held a music festival at Lunar Garden in Maun to raise awareness about gender based violence related issues.

The event was one of the Mindset Change Campaign post launch youth activations held at some hotspots across the country’s 57 constituencies over the weekend.  

The event coordinator, Kebonyemodisa Molamu explained in an interview that  the event was aimed at imparting information which would guide young people to make well informed decisions about their lives as well as to encourage  members of the community to change their attitude towards GBV and people practicing the rock and roll culture.

In addition, he said, the event was a response to the recently launched  Mindset Change Campaign which called for all to introspect and do things in a different way.

He said gender based violence, was a national crisis which needed all to act, and as such they saw it fit to bring together young people and rock and roll culture lovers to communicate important messages through music.

“Violence threatens the lives of more young women and men and leave them mentally scarred hence we saw it fit to stand up and prevent it as well as promote love and positive relationships. Members of the community should understand that violence is not the way to solve problems but it hurts more than they think,” he added.

Molamu, said both women and men experienced gender based violence but the majority of victims were women and girls.

Through the festival, he said, they wanted to condemn harassment of both women and men in the creative environment and also encourage the community to view people who were into rock and roll culture as responsible persons eager to play a key role in eradicating social ills faced by the country.

He said many people had hard time understanding the culture of rock and roll with some associating it with rebellious people because of their black leather gear.

 He reiterated that the social movement was a way of life and their style was one of peace.

 Molamu noted that some people  practising the rock and roll culture were devoted Christians who joined the movement because of the love for the music as a powerful medium of expression to communicate important information to audience.

As the rock and roll movement, he said, they were committed to working closely with other local artists to help government in the fight against ills such GBV, roads accidents, alcohol and substance abuse, high unemployment among youth. 

He also said they advocated  for strong and united families. Ends