The Culture Rock Griot Botswana Fundraiser

22 donors

$1,585 raised of $4K

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The Culture Rock Griot Botswana Fundraiser

Samantha Hollins is organizing this fundraiser.

Botswana Fundraiser

March 1st-April 30th

Hello! I am Samantha Hollins. I am a journalist, historian, published writer, a radio personality at WHGE 95.3 FM (in Wilmington, DE), a curator and a humanitarian. I am also an award winning Rock-n-Roll singer/songwriter/guitarist. My mission is to travel the African Diaspora to explore, learn and educate through music, art, community and culture. My bandmates/media crew Ronin Ali and Chris Nelson are both educators, mentors and creatives using their voices to uplift community and culture as well. We are a supportive team who have been volunteering and working together since 2005. We are continuing the griot work of our ancestors out loud!

Samantha Hollins aka GhettoSongBird, Ronin Ali & Chris Nelson after a performance in 2006. This same year we opened up for legendary poet Sonia Sanchez!

In our entertainment business the work we are doing for the culture and as black female fronted band in Rock is not easily funded by the big companies, so we reach out to our communities for sponsorship, investors and contributors. We are ever so grateful for the support we’ve been getting since our first trip to Africa in 2019. Right now we are raising funds for our flight to Botswana. Our goal is $4000, accommodations will be taken care of when we arrive. We were invited to perform and exchange culture at a prominent fundraising festival called Overthrust Winter Mania Metal Charity Festival in Botswana.

It will take place May 26th and 27th. In 2019 my bandmate Chris Nelson and I attended as performers. This year our bandmate Ronin Ali will be joining us and we will also be attending as journalists/ filmmakers. My “The Culture Rock Griot” digital publication and platform was born out of the journey in 2019. We will be producing episodes for my Culture Rock Griot Live docu-series that will be made into a full-length documentary in the near future. We will experience the music by performing with the other bands. We experience the energy of Botswana by exchanging culture with the people of the land. As a historian my goal is to study the region we will be in and how music and art relates to it. All that I am educated on will be recorded for a book that I am writing.

This photo of Samantha Hollins was taken by Chris Nelson in Ghanzi, Botswana May 2019. The Bush was their lovely domain for a few days.

In January of 2023 Covid hit our team, so we are just getting back to this fundraiser. We have until April 24th to meet our goal of $4000. Every sponsor, investor and contributor will have their name/company included in our promotional campaign, on our social media platforms, in our docu-series and in my book once it is completed.