14 Jan 2014

In this day and era, whereby many people have lost the spirit of unity and support for each other, Oabona Jacobs of Bogogobo in the Kgalagadi District, is a spot-on messenger of his people.

Nineteen-year-old Bonie, as fellow residents call her, is a self-appointed messenger who uses her acting skills to help government departments and other organisations to get their campaign messages across to Batswana.

She points out that, besides performing on stage as an actress and vocalist for her drama group known as Baithaopi, she also goes from place to place to inform people about important messages from government.

Jacobs’ yearning to be a responsible citizen made her realise that with her skill and ability, she can make a difference. She therefore decided to support Vision 2016 and all activities that undergird it.

She says she has realised that many Batswana, especially the youth, deny themselves lifetime opportunities by ignoring messages that come from government departments and other development agencies.

She says she has made it her duty to reach out to communities with messages that come from authorities for their own good. She believes that with knowledge, Batswana will be delivered from ignorance and thus take up development programmes that are meant to improve their lives. Bonie says she could not resist the urge to step in and help with communication to get Batswana out of poverty.

“Unlike some people who are self-centered, I saw it vital to appreciate the compassion and care the government gives to Batswana, and in return I act the same way towards fellow community members,” she says.

She adds that it will be unjust of her to just sit back and watch others suffer due to lack of knowledge. Before going out to spread a message, Bonie researches the theme that goes with a particular message and after getting an insight into the issue, she takes to the streets to relay the message in simpler terms.

From Bogogobo, the self-appointed messenger has been able to reach the neighbouring villages of Kolonkwaneng, Middlepits, Khuis and Gakhibane. For transport she uses the toiletry money she gets from her parents; sometime she asks for free rides or resorts to walking if she cannot help it.

Her passion, she says, is to make sure that her people are well informed. “My business is spreading the message,” she says, adding that no location is adverse to her as she ensures that she fully gets the message across.

Bonie says she ensures that she does not miss important events to get the message well for her own knowledge. She asks questions for clarity so that she perfectly understands what is being communicated by authorities.

Government agencies that have benefited from her goodwill include Botswana Power Corporation, Water Utilities Corporation, BotswanaPost, Department of Youth, Ministry of Health, Botswana Tourism Organisation, Department of Arts and Culture, the agriculture show committee and Department of Road Transport and Safety.

“It is all voluntary work and there is no charge,” she explains. Respect, humility, tolerance, endurance, dedication, hard work, self-esteem and love are the factors that enable her to succeed, she says.

She adds that she is also a self-appointed youth ambassador for the Independent Electoral Commission. Although there is an appointed youth ambassador, Bonie believes the ambassador needs the help of other young people to convince their age mates to take responsibility.

The election message is challenging because it is often distorted; it therefore needs tactful handling. Another challenge is that some people reject her voluntary efforts but she often overcomes the rejection with what she describes as her sweet voice because the bigger picture is to get young Batswana to vote. She adds that mental fitness is important during voting to avoid the problem of spoiled votes.

Bonie says the voluntary work she is doing marks the beginning of her acting career. She wants to follow the example of Connie Ferguson (former Generations actress). She also wants to become a film producer. ENDS