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APPLY NOW!!! Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Mandela Washington Fellowship 2019 applications are open! Are you looking for opportunities to sharpen your leadership skills in the Business/ entrepreneurial track, Civic Engagement or Public Management track? This may be the perfect platform for you. APPLY NOW! Click on the link below to for more information and apply; https://yali.state.gov/mwf/apply/ YALI Coference @Masa SHARE WITH  FRIENDS & FAMILY

Pieoneers had a chance to engage in a captivating interview with philanthropist and social activist Nandini Kochar. She is the founder of Ray Of Hope Botswana. " Ray Of Hope Botswana was established in 2015 as a grassroots youth-run organisation with the pure purpose of educating and empowering underprivileged children and women in rural areas. Our team of committed high school and college volunteers have been running weekly educational programs for over 50 children at Gamodubu Village, including HIV/AIDs patients, rape survivors and orphans.  We recently started a woman empowerment social enterprise called, Hope for Her, wherein we tap into traditional artistry of rural Batswana women and sell handmade eco-friendly jewelry by them, ploughing back the raised funds into their community. Ray of Hope also has a branch in the UK, educating and empowering marginalized and financially deprived communities through tutoring and self defense classes. " - Nandini Kochar Nandin

Mokgethi Thusang Pilane Poet Name:Tito Title: Pain I know the pain of watching you love him The pain of you detecting time's to call I know the pain of watching you rip of my heart With a lovely smile I know the pain of hearing you talk to him While I lay besides you naked I know the pain that melted away the love I had I know the pain of being suicidal because of you I know the pain, the pain of being empty Feeling inhuman The rage in your eyes when I asked about him It still trifles me I know the pain of never letting you go I know the pain the heart attack I nearly got when you compared my strokes to his The compliment that nearly sent me to my early grave I know the pain the texts that were never meant for me I know the pain of being blown off in public being ignored before family and friends I know the pain the sleepless nights you gave me when you and him fought The night's I walked miles just to comfort you I know the p

"20 centuries deep, inside a fabricated lie, the truth is like rain to a desert, at best its a mirage"  - Yugen Blakrok (Tetra Tarantula) taken from  Return of the Astro-Goth !! Pieoneers Blog had a young minute to chat with one of the most lyrically gifted South African emcees, Yugen Blakrok.   How did your journey with Hip Hop begin? Heard WTC on tv, Salt n Pepa, Busta Rhymes. Discovered a whole culture. From Kanif’s dark, mystic, suffocated, distorted, abstract boom bap beats to your unmatched witty, poetic rhyming style, y’all form a formidable force. What is your creative process in making music? We feed off each other’s energies. Often, the concept’s inspired by Kanif’s beats; other times, the lyrics dictate the vibe of the sound. You come off as a very well read individual on esoteric ancient knowledge and unconventional science. How important is that knowledge in today’s world? It’s an alternative to the conditioning that’s being shov

Battle Rap has seen tremendous growth over the past decade. From battling on street corners for street cred to a new possibility of pursuing it as a career on a main stage. Just like any other sport, battle rap is aggressively competitive and territorial in nature. My hood v Your Hood. My City v Your City. My Country v Your Country! This event is nothing short of that very element of dominance. Both countries put up the best of their lethal wordsmiths to go head to head in what will be another Southern Africa's most prolific and historic moment in battle rap. The Warzone in association with Lesotho's finest and leading battle rap league DirtMouth, present an overwhelming exciting card as follows; INTERNATIONAL BATTLES Osama Bin Chaplin (BW) v T.U.R.K (Lesotho) Prometheus (BW) v Verbal KingPin (Lesotho) Ill Law (BW) v Phizzykhor (Lesotho) Michael Horror (BW) v Anonymous (Lesotho)               LOCAL LINE UP Eto v Kro Chedza Moon v Banyezus TshokoBoi v The Impact

I keep telling myself I can do better Feel better But... I still seem to be suffocating in this city But is it really the city squeezing the little life I seem to have left from me?  Or is it just maybe this life thing was never my thing I smile and laugh as hard as I can That ’ s the only way to drown out the sorrow that ’ s screaming from my soul  I needed peace I carved silence But I always put on hold My cries and pleads were just another voicemail message on God ’ s phone  So I took a blade and made love to my wrist The feeling was surreal I could feel my pain just ooze out And I wasn’t numb anymore Few one night stands with blade Turned into a violent relationship that lost spark  I don’t feel the love it gave me anymore I don’t feel the connection, we ’ ve lost touch Its not enough to drown out the dark anymore I guess now I need something more permanent to silence the demons in my head  But... But I still wanna see another sunset S

“... The Amberu Trap You With Desire, Lure You Into Feeling A Very Unquenchable Sexual Thirst For Their Perfectly Sculpted Bodies And Then Kill You. But Legend Has It, That They Will First Show You A Preview Of The Future Before They Launch Their Attack. It Will Come As A Dream And You Won’t Even Notice This. However, This Will Only Happen If You Embrace Their Initial Seductive Moves. That Is The End Of Our Seminar On The Lifestyle Of Amberu, Thank You All For Coming. The Book Signing Will Be Done Tomorrow At 1400 Hrs Right Here. See You Tomorrow Everyone.” The Well Renowned Dr. Pontsho Concluded. The 3Hour Long Talk Had Ended And Lucidin Hadn’t Heard A Single Word. His Time And Attention Were Long Since Generously Donated, To A Cute, Blonde Girl Named Karina, Before The Doctor Started Speaking. The Two Had Knocked It Off Quite Easily Since They Had Multiple Things In Common. For One, They Both Admitted To Each Other That They Weren’t Really At The Seminar For The Super Nat

I Am Not A Christian, I Am Far From One. This Resulted From The Way In Which Christianity Was Introduced To Us And Used To Enslave Us For So Many Years. Even After Slavery Became A Thing Of The Past It Has Been Used To Oppress Us Generation After Generation. This Has Been Done Through Methods Of Institutionalization; Driving Us To Believe That Jesus Is White Which Is Very Instrumental In Getting Blacks To Resent Their Own Identity, Limiting Our Progress As The Human Race In Entirety By Having Scriptures That Violate Against Women Who In My Opinion When Given The Opportunity Could Raise A Civilization We Could Never Have Imagined Before And To Top It All Off, It Hinders Our Scietific Development In Scenarios Where A Brilliant Scientist, Trapped In Christian Doctrine, Won’t Pursue Certain Curiosities Because “Some Things Are Not For Man To Tamper With, They Are Reserved For God”. Just When I Thought It Couldn’t Get Any Worse, I Became Exposed To The Truth About How Tithes And O

Botswana’s battle rap sensation Sandile Ndlangamandla prevalently known as Blain aka The Black  Warrior, will next week head out to the UK agaaain to spar in the newly formed CODE RED CULTURE battle rap league. He will be engaged in a verbal joust against one of UKs dopest battlers, CoJay. I personally think this battle here will steal the show from the headlining acts; Real Deal (USA) v Raptor UK. If you are in London make sure to catch the showdown happening on the 20 th of January 2018, at the Concrete Space, Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ, from 1300-2000hrs. Through battle rap we have seen Blain carry himself as a revolutionary. Besides being Botswana’s very first battle rapper to get booked overseas, it is undeniable that Blain is becoming an iconic and inspirational figure forging a trail that other local rappers will walk on, to get on international stages. The charismatic style of rap, the aggression and hard hitting lyrics added to his electrifying energetic p