After an unsuccessful show last year due to COVID-19, Born & Raised music festival has added a new delight for the 2021. The much-anticipated show will introduce a helicopter experience to showcase heritage sites in and around Serowe.
The show is slated for 22 December 2021 at Serowe Sports Complex. Born & Raised is a citizen owned management company of young people that stages a music festival that attracts revelers from all over Botswana every festive season in the principal town of BaNgwato.
The motive behind the music festival is to contribute to two of Botswana’s Vision 2036 pillars, namely sustainable economic development and social development. In an interview with Executive Lifestyle, the Director of Born and Raised, Goaba Mojakgomo, spoke of revelers riding in a helicopter as the highlight of this year’s festival.
“The Helicopter ride will be a scenic ride that will take those who are interested to heritage sites in Serowe,” Mojakgomo said. “This has never happened in Botswana. “I have about 12 enquiries from as far as Denmark who will be flying to Botswana. There are people interested in how our forefathers lived. We have two former presidents from Serowe. Our country’s founding father was also from Serowe.”
Some of the heritage sites that patrons will see and get to view from the air are Serowe Museum where Botswana’s founding president Seretse Khama was buried and missionary institutions in what has been Africa’s largest traditional village until recent years when Molepolole claimed this distinction for itself. Known for staging renowned acts such as Ringo, Cassper Nyovest and Prince Kaybee, this year’s show is bringing yet another hot line-up that includes international artists like Zakes Bantwini, Sun El Musician alongside local stars Vee Mampeezy, Charma Gal, Han C and Franco, among others.
“We are also in the business of trying to ensure that we help upcoming artists,” Mojakgomo said. The idea is for them to show the world that they have capabilities too. We have pledged to support the guys in all possible ways. We are also bringing a renowned local DJ in the country.”
Born & Raised will also have air medical evacuation on site. “Should someone get injured at the show or they collapse, they will be airlifted from the event to the nearest hospital. This will be done in conjunction with Okavango Air Botswana.” Mojakgomo disclosed.
People are so agog about the helicopter experience and everything else about the festival that tickets to what is being promoted as a safe and stellar show are selling swiftly.
Born & Raised and charity work
Having mentioned that profit made from the show will be channelled to community projects, B&R has indeed touched lives previously. “Motivated by the social development pillar of Vision 2036, Born & Raised has built houses for the needy,” Mokakgomo explained. “We donated and furnished a two-bedroom house in Phala Road to a family of 15 last year. We also brought groceries estimated to last two months or so for the family.
“The second house was built at Mathabe in Tswapong. We built them a two-and-half for a man and his nine children whose wife and mother had passed away. We built the house and brought groceries for the family too.” Born & Raised has also adopted Matalaote Primary School in Serowe to which it has donated a whopping P75 000 in addition to computers and printers.
