Emasikweni Cultural Village is a group of Siswati cultural dancers who aim to do more than just dance. Their goal is to build a physical cultural village which will embody all aspects of the Swati culture.
The group, which was founded in October 2022, says it is determined to ensure that young people in the area are kept entertained when they are not in school, so they can stay off the streets.
“When I started this group, I was concerned about the increase in the number of teenage pregnancies in Madadeni. So many young girls and boys were starting to get involved in drugs and alcohol.
“I decided to start something which will not only bring us under one roof at the same time, but shape us and build our character as young people, hence we refer to ourselves as a village because that is what we aspire to be. Ours is a platform on which we will not only do performances, but also teach each other to respect the ways of the Swati culture. The Mawewe Tribal Authority does not have a cultural village and we intend to be the ones to build it,” said Bonginkosi Magagula, the founder of the Emasikweni Cultural Village.
According to Magagula, they have had their fair share of challenges since coming together as young people and they are calling on anyone who can to help make their dream a reality.
“Our main focus right now is finding gigs to perform at so we can raise some money for the upkeep of the group, and so we can also formalise everything through paperwork. Everything needs money and at this point we are only working from our pockets with no sponsorship. We have an upcoming event planned for September and we are pleading with communities in Nkomazi to support us. We would also like them to book us for whatever events they are hosting. We also perform at weddings and parties. This will also help us to have our work exposed and in return we know we will get even more support and gigs,” added Magagula.
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One of the parental figures roped into the project, Smodeni Manzini, said he called on more parents to support the youth as this will help them make better life choices.
“When I was approached by Bonginkosi, I immediately came on board because as a father the idea made so much sense. They are currently holding their rehearsals in my yard here at home and I am gladly supporting them. They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Having the youth and young children involved in such activities will keep them off the streets. There are so many challenges faced by the youth, such as pregnancy, drugs and criminal activities. Having them come together for such a beautiful cause is not only beneficial to them, but to the community as well,” said Manzini.
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The group of over 100 members, with the youngest being a six years old and the oldest 24, has approached the royal house for assistance with land where they can start working on building the cultural village which will also serve as a tourism attraction for Madadeni.
“We are currently in talks with the chief and he has agreed to support us. This is not a small thing. We are planning to go big and we know that it is doable. We call upon business people to also stretch their hands towards helping these young people in making this dream a reality,” added Manzini.
Emasikweni Cultural Village can be booked for performances on 082 646 3287 and 076 737 6705.
