Thapson to walk 10km for musical equipment
Gaoabiwe Thapson, a visually impaired Maun guitarist, is gearing up for a 10 kilometre walk next weekend from Samedupi to Maun to raise funds for sound equipment.
The July, 22nd sponsored walk is also expected to bring together local artists including among others, Stiger Sola, Thapson, Dragon, Skripa-T, Histo, Sub-K and Pantsula combination.
Thapson says he is aiming to raise at least part of the P38 000 which he needs for the purchase of the music equipment.
“We intend to buy this equipment. You see in Maun we have many talented individuals who are disadvantaged by their physical disability and we want to start a music band to unearth and showcase some of these hidden talents,” explained Thapson in an interview early this week.
Thapson who is a folklore and gospel musician is also the Chairperson of Readira Society for the Disabled, a non profit organisation advocating for the rights and empowerment of people living with disability.
Having lived with blindness from the age of three, Thapson says he has tasted the frustration of not being able to give the world his best, not because he is unable, but because he is limited by his physical condition.
“I see a bright future with this band. We can reach far and I believe it,” he explained.
With the active support of another visually impaired artist, Goareng Dragon Kelebogile, the duo has been soliciting support around Maun for the two events, with tickets for the concert selling for P50 and P100 for VIP.
“We are calling for the business community to give us support. We are relying on the general public to come en-mass to support us,” added Thapson.
An equally optimistic Dragon has also appealed for public support. “Living with disability takes a lot of needs, we have special needs and we can only use our talent as a source of livelihood. We do not want to depend on handouts hence we are appealing to Batswana to come in numbers to support us.”