17 Feb 2022

Second runner up of the Mister Africa Continent, Taolo Mogale says he will focus on nurturing and educating boys and young men to be responsible. 

Mogale, who scooped the second runner up position during the pageant held in Accra, Ghana on February 12, said upon realising that boy-children were mostly left to their own devices and ended up engaging in social ills, he planned to educate them and tackle mental health issues, do community charity projects and fight gender based violence.

He said his project, called the mindful movement campaign, was also the overall winner at the pageant.

“I believe that this is the time to change the narrative of what a boy-child is associated with in society,” he said.

The 28-year-old Mahalapye-native, who is the first Motswana to compete in the continental showpiece, said the competition was tough but he was glad that his mindful movement campaign helped him come third.

Mogale said he intended to host workshops in every district in Botswana, with young boys to help them with life skills at a young age and to help them realise that they were just as capable as girl-children.

He said the mental health part of his project was born of his worries concerning social ills, especially among the youth.

 “We notice the youth committing suicide due to depression, bipolar and other mental health issues, therefore I want to fight that before it is too late,” he said.

He said meaningful life meant a stable mind, therefore mental health education was vital, adding that he also planned to join the fight against GBV in both Botswana and Africa.

Mogale revealed that the winner of Mister Africa Continent, South African Tekete Zwelethu, had asked him to partner with him to work on a Botswana-South Africa project focusing on education.

He however clarified that the project was not part of what the winner would be doing for the continent, saying the duo planned to raise funds for the project to improve the status of education in both countries.

Meanwhile, Esther Monthe said in an interview that she became the Mister Africa Continent Botswana licence holder in 2020.

She said the pageant, which originated from Ghana, was the right platform for young men like Mogale to also take part in the pageantry world and change the world. 

The Botswana leg of the pageant took place in Mahalapye on December, 25, 2021, where Mogale became victorious. BOPA