02 Aug 2016

The director of Bomme Isago, Ms Boingotlo Gupta says a girl child is exposed to numerous forms of social ills and they remain silent due to fear of being discriminated against.

Speaking during a photography exhibition hosted by Botswana Association Psychosocial Rehabilitation (BAPR) in collaboration with Lobatse Teen Club, Ms Gupta said there were forums that  were formed to assist women and the girl-child to protect them.

She noted that it befitting to ensure that such platforms were strengthened.Ms Gupta said the photography workshop worked well for them at the centre as they were able to build the girl-child’s confidence in expressing their feelings and dealing with situations through photographs.

She also said girls were able to discover their hidden talents that they were scared to share with the entire community through performing arts.

She further said they were hopeful that the move of photography would inspire them to build their careers to earn a living through photography.

She said the programme was funded by US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief with  P150 000.

For her part, a photographer from Swaziland, Ms Mari Gardner said they took the initiative to engage the girl-child to speak out their grievances loudly for them to be heard.

She said the workshop aimed to build the girls confidence and to make them realise their abilities that they could nurture and pursue in the next coming years to better lives and stand for their rights.

In an interview, one of the participants, Ms One Mokgethisi said the workshop was an eye opener for them as she was able to share her problems with her peers’ unlike in the past where she was an introvert.

She also said they learnt a lot about photography and her wish was to pursue photography in future.

The two-week trainning held under the slogan’ Ke ka Kgona’ aims to engage girl child in order to share life experiences with them and to speak out their grievances through the lens. ENDS