Khama III Memorial Museum

In 1985, the museum was opened for the first time by several people from Serowe, Lenyetse Seretse donated his house for the museum.{{Cite book|last=Mwakikagile|first=Godfrey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X-ZDQscKeVQC&dq=khama+iii+memorial+museum&pg=PA68|title=Botswana: Profile of a Nation|date=2010|publisher=Continental Press|isbn=978-9987-9322-9-0|language=en}} The museum house was built around 1910. The intention with creating this museum was to promote cultural pride in Serowe.{{Cite web|last=|date=2018-05-04|title=Know Your Museums|url=https://www.mmegi.bw/lifestyle/know-your-museums/news|access-date=2021-12-23|website=Mmegi Online|language=en}} After Bessie Head's death, the museum acquired several of her papers, including notes and sketches as well as writings.{{Cite book|last1=Akyeampong|first1=Emmanuel Kwaku|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ&dq=khama+iii+memorial+museum&pg=RA2-PA51|title=Dictionary of African Biography|last2=Gates (Jr.)|first2=Henry Louis|date=2012-02-02|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-538207-5|language=en}} The museum has produced an occasional journal called Lekgapho, which is distributed widely around Botswana.{{Cite book|last1=Molyneaux|first1=B. L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=obWHAgAAQBAJ&dq=khama+iii+memorial+museum&pg=PA56|title=The Presented Past: Heritage, Museums and Education|last2=Stone|first2=P. G.|date=2003-09-02|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-86510-9|language=en}} In 2006, Bessie Head's room was installed in the museum, as well as permanent exhibits about the writer.{{Cite book |last=Agbo |first=Joshua |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0EpEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT21 |title=Bessie Head and the Trauma of Exile: Identity and Alienation in Southern African Fiction |date=2021-06-17 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-39863-2 |language=en}} In July 2013, the Bessie Head Society in collaboration with the museum organized a symposium in Serowe to commemorate the anniversary of the publication of Bessie's book, A Question of Power.{{Cite journal |last=Daymond |first=M.J. |date=2014-07-03 |title=Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Publication of Bessie Head's A Question of Power (1973) |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/1013929X.2014.957521 |journal=Current Writing: Text and Reception in Southern Africa |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=112 |doi=10.1080/1013929X.2014.957521 |s2cid=62064839 |issn=1013-929X}} In 2014, the U.S. government donated $78000 (1 074 028,02 pula) to preserve the museum's artifacts which include Khama family manuscripts and Bessie's literary works.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2014-10-16 |title=US government helps preserve Khama III Memorial Museum and Bessie Head archives |url=https://www.sundaystandard.info/us-government-helps-preserve-khama-iii-memorial-museum-and-bessie-head-archives/ |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=Sunday Standard Botswana |language=en}} The British High Commissioner to Botswana, Katy Ransome visited some of Serowe's historical sites in August 2016, including the museum.{{Cite web |title=British High Commissioner Visits Serowe |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA460366436&v=2.1&it=r&sid=ebsco&asid=a18fe564 |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=AllAfrica}} The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and Danish Volunteer Service have financially supported the museum.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-17 |title=Khama museum: Hiden, lonely treasure |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A543435542/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=83b8b706 |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=Botswana Daily News}} In October 2018, Cuba's ambassador to Botswana, Patricia L. Pego Guerra, visited the museum.{{Cite web |date=2018-10-22 |title=Embajadora de Cuba en Botswana, visita el Museo Memorial Khamma III, como parte de su visita oficial a Serowe. |url=https://misiones.cubaminrex.cu/es/articulo/embajadora-de-cuba-en-botswana-visita-el-museo-memorial-khamma-iii-como-parte-de-su-visita |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=Embajadas y Consulados de Cuba |language=es}}

The museum contains archives about the Khama family.{{Cite book|last1=Morton|first1=Fred|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PUwlAgAAQBAJ&dq=khama+iii+memorial+museum&pg=PA37|title=Historical Dictionary of Botswana|last2=Ramsay|first2=Jeff|last3=Mgadla|first3=Part Themba|date=2008-04-23|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6404-7|language=en}} The museum contains musical instruments from the eastern Kalahari.{{Cite book|last=Dlamini|first=Sazi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jf8LEAAAQBAJ&dq=khama+iii+memorial+museum&pg=PT325|title=Musical Bows of Southern Africa|date=2020-12-10|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA|isbn=978-1-5013-4675-0|language=en}} The museum contains ethnographic artifacts from Bangwato merafe, these artifacts date back to the time of Khaima III.{{Cite web|last=Seretse|first=Gasebalwe|date=2009-05-27|title=Botswana: Khama III Museum, a Place Worth {{as written|Visi|ting [sic]}}|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200905270758.html|access-date=2021-12-23|website=AllAfrica}} Among the museum's exhibits include correspondence, uniforms and furniture, in addition to exhibits on snakes and animals native to Africa. The museum also has artifacts about the culture of the San people and the museum contains temporary art displays.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fLkyDwAAQBAJ&dq=khama+iii+memorial+museum+lonely+planet&pg=PT134|title=Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia|last1=Ham|first1=Anthony|last2=Holden|first2=Trent|date=2017-09-01|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-78701-163-2|language=en}} The museum contains photographs of the funeral of Botswana's first president, Seretse Khama.{{Cite journal |last=Setlhabi |first=Keletso Gaone |date=2016 |title=Evoking Memory: A Curatorial Perspective on Botswana's Presidential Heritage |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/90025352 |journal=Botswana Notes and Records |volume=48 |pages=368–382 |jstor=90025352 |issn=0525-5090}} In addition, the museum has also preserved historical Botswana uniforms.{{Cite book |last1=Rey |first1=Sir Charles Fernand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JYMRK-HKMJcC&dq=Khama+Memorial+Museum&pg=PA242 |title=Monarch of All I Survey: Bechuanaland Diaries, 1929-37 |last2=Parsons |first2=Neil |date=1988 |publisher=Botswana Society |isbn=978-0-85255-016-8 |language=en}}

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Category:Museums in Botswana