09 Sep 2014

What started only as a rock painted with Botswana’s colourful mix of white, black and blue, for Mr Mbeha Mwampole has now transformed into an attractive cultural village which dates back to the 1990’s.

The founder of Mpa ya Tlou craft, Mr Mwampole said in an interview that his wish is to dig a borehole, erect a traditional kraal for goats and cattle. He also wishes to make a suitable shelter for Tswana chickens, as well as build more huts and nests.

Also, he said he wanted to start traditional dinner sessions on Fridays for families to serve them with traditional cuisines famous in the Chobe area.

At the same time, he will be representing and preserving the lifestyle of his people through tourism, education and information sessions, he said.

Two years ago, Mwampole and his brother, Thusego Mwampole headed for the bushes to find and bring home a rock that they had earlier painted colorfully as a passion for decorations. 

Many in the village and tourists who drove past their yard enjoyed taking pictures of the rock saying it was beautifully painted. 

His journey and passion for culture started only when he was thatching houses as a small boy, a talent that he inherited from his parents in his early childhood.

Through the savings he had accumulated through thatching houses and clearing off land in newly allocated plots in his community, he managed to buy gum poles and grass from the village elders which he used to build an office, a sitting open area thatched with grass, landscaping with bottles for walk ways through the cultural village and animal sculptures that people enjoy taking pictures.

He also added that this was part of the recycling process so as to avoid environmental pollution. Mr Mwampole noted that he rather collects bottles from bars and from friends’ houses and puts them to good use.

Tourists always come to relax in the village and are charged P50 including photography while the local community is charged P20. 

He said the village could be used to host birthday parties, family outings, picnics and even weddings. 

Mr Mwampole said he was grateful to his mother who allowed him to use the space in their compound for his business.

The culturist’s mother, Manga Mwampole said she believed in what her son wanted to pursue through his hard work and commitment and that he has developed something beneficial even for the community. 

She also encouraged parents to allow their children to explore their talents as long as they are doing something positive.

Mwampole explained that he was processing forms for the youth development fund to help him with finances to further develop his business.

He wishes for it to grow on a bigger space which unfortunately was hard to come by, adding that the land board was reluctant to assist him saying there is no land.

His business is crurrently not strategically located: “If it was situated by the main road I believe it would market itself due to visibility from passing motorists,” he added. 

Working from home is okay, but he noted that people from far away can’t locate his cultural village on time. 

Consequently, he encouraged those who want to do wedding photography not to waste time going to the river banks or sometimes travelling as far as Ngoma or Kasane for their photography.

The place, he highlighted, has a lot of cultural heritage that is preserved for future generations and added that it was disappointing to see people shunning their own culture while tourists place a high premium on it. 

Mwampole went on to advise the youth to stand up and look for opportunities rather than complaining. ENDS