By Neo Kolane
The Hub has partnered with other local organisations to come up with a drama series called ‘Bona Corona’ which aims to educate people on how to stay safe from the deadly pandemic.
Based in Morija, The Hub is a creative technology lab that aims to foster a community of young people who are skilled, inspired, motivated and socially conscious.
The Hub coordinator, Meri Hyӧky told theReporter that ‘Bona Corona’ is a series of comics and radio dramas produced by Tshepo 1Million, a Gauteng Provincial Government youth empowerment initiative designed to break down barriers for youth to participate in the economy with any education level, from Grade 10 to graduates.
Hyӧky said, in partnership with the business community and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Tshepo 1Million empowers young people and provides hope to unemployed youth through the facilitation of skills, job opportunities and entrepreneurship development.
Tshepo 1Million gives hope to young unemployed people in Gauteng who are looking for a way to access skills and learning opportunities to prepare for the world of work.
The Hub saw the comics on Twitter @Tshepo1Million, and sent them a DM proposing translating the comics into Sesotho.
“They were amazingly open to the idea, and we received the comic files and started work on translations. The translation work has been done by Moleboheng Rampou and Tšepiso Mahase from The Hub.
“We have also partnered with SolidarMed, a medical NGO that works in Butha Buthe and Mokhotlong districts, to check the content and ensure that all medical terms are correct.
Hyӧky continued to say that with The Hub temporarily closed, work has shifted to online platforms.
“We are not able to work with the youth in our community the way we normally do. To try and bridge this gap, and in partnership with Glasswaters Foundation, The Hub is now starting to print the comics for outdoor exhibition in Morija. We plan to create an ‘outdoor classroom’ which will include the ‘Bona, Corona!’ comics.
The characters and story are developed by Tshepo1Million.
Although the stories take place in South Africa, they are relatable to young people in Lesotho.
“As part of precautionary measures against the coronavirus, The Hub has been closed since March 17, 2020. We will remain closed until further notice, but that doesn’t mean the work stops! Our team is hard at work, from our homes, creating open-source COVID-19 awareness material in Sesotho,” Hyӧky stated.
