"Broken Bottles, Broken Lives"

Below is my article that was featured in Peolwane Magazine, along with some pictures of the artist, GB (although in the magazine they put pictures of the mural we did at the clinic).
Sorry about the formatting.....

Throughout the past year, a group of students in the small Okavango village of Seronga have come together to create unique public art that has a strong message for their community. Story and photos by Jennifer Katchmark

'Broken Bottles, Broken Lives’ is a student produced work of art comprised completely of glass from crushed alcohol bottles using a mosaic technique. It is the latest in a collection of art pieces created by village youth that sends a strong message about alcohol and HIV and AIDS to the community.

Seronga is a rural village located on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta. In this difficult to access area, HIV has greatly impacted on village residents, few of whom have formal employment or other forms of income past subsistence farming. There are few recreational activities in this un-electrified village, and many people turn to drinking alcohol in their leisure time.

This project – designed and undertaken by the students themselves–addresses alcohol abuse and HIV and AIDS at a number of levels – HIV prevention, ARV adherence, and alcohol abstinence or moderate drinking. ARV refers to Anti-retroviral Therapy, medications administered to suppress an HIV-infected patient’s viral load, a programme currently offered free-of-charge in government medical institutions to all qualifying citizens.

“I have noticed that the use of alcohol often leads ARV patients to have poor adherence. They might forget to take their medicines on time, they might show up for clinic appointments under the influence of alcohol, or even not show up at all,” says Mr. Moloko Nkawana, a nurse at Seronga Clinic. “It’s difficult for them to understand the importance and regimen of the ARV medications if they are frequently drunk.”

Both ARVs and alcohol are synthesised in the liver; and the intake of ARVs and alcohol at the same time heavily taxes the liver, even possibly leading to liver failure. “The mixing of alcohol and ARV drugs can lead to harmful drug interactions and lessen the effectiveness of ARVs,” notes Mr. Nkawana.


Alcohol abuse has repeatedly and consistently been found to lead to an increase in new HIV infections in Botswana. Inebriation can lead people to become much less inhibited than they would normally be, and can lead to an increase of both unprotected and transactional sex, as well as having multiple and concurrent sexual partners.



These unfortunate facts are well known by the Ngambao Community Junior Secondary School HIV/AIDS club members, who recently came together to peer educate and raise awareness about HIV.



At a meeting earlier this year, it was decided that in addition to performing dramas and songs and holding prayer services about HIV, the club members also wanted to pass on their messages through community art projects.



“I want to see people–especially students–changing their unhealthy ways of abusing alcohol, contracting STIs and HIV, and the girls getting pregnant,” says club member Gabaitsiwe (GB) Ramogapedi, who designed the mural. “I hope that through these art projects we will see the Seronga community showing support to HIV positive people and forming more groups that denounce alcohol abuse.”



The youth began their community art campaign by painting a mural on the wall of the Seronga Clinic. They came up with several possible themes and collaborated with the clinic staff to choose the final message: ‘Knowledge is power. Know your status,’ which is written in both English and Setswana. They then added the national slogan: ‘O icheke.’ (Check yourself.) prominently on the clinic front wall, near the HIV testing room.



“Encouraging people to know their HIV status is the first step. Whether or not they test negative, an important message is to practice safe sex using condoms, to avoid HIV infection, or re-infection–and to avoid infecting others,” says Mr. Leonard Montsho, a nurse at Seronga Clinic. “If they test positive, we teach them how to care for themselves and how to live positively. This includes regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and – crucially–avoiding smoking and alcohol.”



In response to Botswana President Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s recent ‘Campaign Against Alcohol Abuse’–in which he limited the operational hours of bars and shebeens (village bars that serve local brews) and raised the alcohol tax, the students decided they also wanted to take action – and in an innovative way. They came up with the idea of using broken beer and alcohol bottles to create a mosaic which could both spread the message against alcohol abuse, as well as alcohol’s relation to HIV and AIDS. Using bottles would also emphasise the severity of the problem by showing just how many bottles litter many villages in Botswana, and thus how much alcohol is being consumed.


The challenges were many, beginning with how to create a design that would send a strong visual message without using words. After much consideration, the students found that glass colours would have the greatest impact. Brown bottles were more difficult to find, as people can turn them in for a deposit or more drinks. It was decided that red paint and clear glass would be used to create the important HIV ribbon, which would also serve as an ‘X’ through the alcohol bottle, sending the message to not drink. The word ‘NO’ is the only word present in the mosaic.

Many languages are spoken in Seronga and its surrounding areas, so it was important that the visuals transcended the language and cultural barriers. According to GB: “It was important to make the message symbolic, using few words, so that people who don’t speak the same language can still be impacted. They can also ask what the art piece means, which can start the conversation about alcohol and HIV. When they understand the problem, they can then explain it to their parents and other community members.”



The mosaic project also incorporated elements of conservation and environmental awareness, important themes in the unique ecological area of the Okavango Delta, as\discarded bottles – often thrown and left lying on village roads and pathways – were the major materials used.

With their first success firmly under their belts, the students are now planning another mural – this time on the wall of one of the buildings at the kgotla (traditional court and meeting place) that was formerly used as a jail. It’s a very prominent place in the village that can be seen directly from the main road passing through Seronga, and also faces a shebeen. Its theme will be: ‘Your Life, Your Choice’–a visual representation of the behaviours that can lead to HIV infection – or non-infection.



The youth of Seronga have decided to take a bold stand against HIV in their village; and they want their work to influence future generations. Despite what could continue to be a legacy of alcoholism and new HIV infections, they look to the future with vigour and hope. They have taken societal despair and created something beautiful and meaningful that has the potential to help their fellow human beings. ■