23 Sep 2018

Mr Gontse Keloilwe, 21, of Molepolole has turned to painting for survival as the young man said he did not do well at senior school to proceed to tertiary institutions.

He explained that after completing his BGCSE, he pondered on what to do to sustain himself especially looking at the fact that it was not easy to find employment even for degree holders.

He said although his BGCSE grades were not satisfactory, he did much better in art and that motivated him to use his artistic talent to survive and ventured on murals, shoe painting and decorations, graffiti and t-shirt printing among others.

“I always had the love for art from a young age hence I chose art at junior and senior schools, and social media advertising plays a vital role for exposing my products to potential clientele and is less costly,” he said.

Mr Keloilwe said he believed that the creative industry has the capacity to absorb many out of school youth who have passion in arts and crafts, and that his dream was to further his studies to add graphic designing and enhance his basic skills in painting and creative arts.

Mr Keloilwe said his business was promising and also helped to keep his mind busy from the worries of unemployment. He said he got his inspiration from real life situations, noting that some of his crafts address issues such as dangers of alcohol and drugs abuse and effects of drinking and driving.

Mr Keloilwe highlighted that he learns everyday as he believes that practice makes perfect. The young artist said he often assists students who came to him seeking advice regarding their school projects.

He said that he plans to  expand his business after furthering his studies to enable him to be in a better position to apply for funding. Ends