We are celebrating the positive impact the radio drama has had on girls-Brooks
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
After two successful seasons, Botswana’s only teen radio drama Matswakabae’s first episode of season 3 will air on RB2 at 12:30pm on the 26th of August. Produced by T.O.P and SKY Girls BW, the drama centres around the lives of a group of teenage girls in Gaborone.
According to the account planner of SKY Girls BW, Elle Brooks every teenage girl in the country can relate with the storyline of the radio drama.
“We made sure the story was relatable because the lead actor came from a fictional village called Monnye and moved to the city. So, our listeners have both the experiences of a village and city life,” she said adding that the radio drama has had a positive impact on teenage girls as they receive testimonials.
Matswakabae is centered around Lerato Kgopolo, a 15-year-old girl who at the beginning of Season 1 moved from a village to a school in Gaborone. Season 1 focused on Lerato’s struggles to stay true to herself while making new friends at her new school but also deals with the challenges of feeling like a ‘fish out of water’ in Gaborone, and experiencing new pressures.
Season 2 of Matswakabae which aired in April 2017, focuses on the pressure to be popular. Lerato feels torn between mimicking Mimi ‘The Queen Bee’ and Chedza the down to earth friend. Lerato starts pretending to be someone she is not and by the end of the season she realized that being who you are is the best way to deal with peer pressure. Meanwhile, season 3 finds the girls in their final term of Form 3 preparing to sit their exams. They face the pressure of relationships and one of them entangles herself in the blesser phenomenon.
“Matswakabae truly has something for everyone. It uses storytelling to allow the audience to explore their own feelings and action. It aims to help teenage girls navigate their way through life and we are celebrating the positive impact the radio drama has had on girls,” Brooks added.