Impressive Berry Heart launches Girl Power
Kgomotso Molelekeng | Monday December 2, 2013 16:32
Known for her wild attires and striking poetry, she was properly dressed this time and had the audience eating out of her palms as she launched 'Girl Power'.
The event is one of Heart's annual activities marking the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence as part of the Unite Campaign.
Girl Power marked Heart's third annual installment and the sole beneficiaries will be the Springboard Humanism in Molepolole. The organisation helps young women, particularly Remote Area Dwellers (RAD) who have been deprived of education and live in poverty. The launch featured local giants in poetry.
The guest speaker was South African actress, Rosie Motene as well as a legendary Zimbabwean poet, Albert Nyathi.
The programme started by a young man named Obakeng who gave a very touching poem about 2016 and respecting women. This was then followed by some refreshing Setswana praise poetry by Ngwao Putswa. He staged a breath taking performance reciting a poem called 'Mosadi-Thari ya Sechaba'.
He later spiced things up when he displayed the work of a traditional healer reading bones. By the end of his presentation, everybody was screaming 'Tsiki-tsiki' as he said it a lot in his poem.
Another poet who mesmerised the audience was Juby Peacork. The young woman showed off her vocal skills when she recited a poem entitled 'Repeaters'. Then the guest speaker, Rosie Motene who is best known for her role as journalist Tshego Motene on the SABC1 soapie Generations from 2000 to 2004 took to stage and gave a speech, which addressed issues, that affect women like abused and being taken lightly.
Later on she told Showtime that she plans to visit other places in Botswana to keep spreading the word against gender violence.
However, the toast of the evening was Heart. She stepped on stage and poured her heart out to the audience. Fully dressed this time round, she delivered two beautiful poems entitled 'Child Of My Mother' and her famous 'Mma Mmoledi Mosadi Wa Makgonte'. She told a story about the struggles women go through trying to make a living.
She told Showtime that she met with Motene and Nyathi at the United Nations Regional Creative Artists Council in Johannesburg last year.
Closing the show was the great poet Nyathi. The Zimbabwean is famous for his poem and song Senzeni Na which he composed following the assassination of Chris Hani. He is also known for the line 'I will not speak', which is derived from one of his poems; the phrase carries very diverse meanings when interpreted.