50th Anniversary/ Pony Camp

This year marks the 50^th anniversary since Peace Corps was established so there was a big celebration last week in Morija, a place near Maseru and also where the king lives!  It was an All Vol which means all the volunteers in country were invited to come.  We stayed for a few nights at the Mazenod Conference Center and generally just hung out and got to meet everyone.  We also learned about the different committees within Peace Corps that we can serve on as volunteers if we happen to have the time.

Part of the festivities involved the CHED 11’s swearing in again, which was really special since the ambassador, the king, several other dignitaries, Peace Corps staff, and all the other volunteers were there to see it.  Most volunteers swear in with just their villages and teachers, so this was particularly awesome.  ALSO, the king and the ambassador both said they liked my seshoeshoe!

There was of course tons of food after the event including some really amazing desserts.  I also took advantage of the fact that I was in Maseru (a city with an actual supermarket) and bought tuna, hummus, yogurt, cheese, and several other things I often have trouble finding in Thaba Tseka.

From there, two other CHED 11’s, Tommy and Carol, myself, and another volunteer, Joey, went to Joey’s place in Mafeteng, another district, to learn to ride horses! Joey worked a lot with horses back in the states and she trained some of the volunteers from the last group to ride as well.  The three of us will probably need to ride at some point for our work because we often have to go way out in the mountains where it’s difficult for even four wheel drive to get to.

Pony camp was definitely a lot of fun, even though I was unfortunately sore afterwards L One of the big difficulties with riding here is that the horses here are not so much trained but instead they respond occasionally to being beaten with a stick.  I unfortunately did not get the opportunity to ride on a donkey, but it will happen at some point in the next two years!

Me and my friend Lyndsey at the 50th

I shook the king's hand!

PCV, The Early Weeks

I’ve been at site now for almost 3 weeks.  While I haven’t solved the HIV/AIDS crisis in country , YET, I have taught a few lifeskills classes, made some progress with my organization, gotten everything except curtains for my new house, made a few friends in village, and can now almost carry an entire bucket of water back to my house without stopping- I’m very proud of this last accomplishment.

Lifeskills has been interesting- so far I’ve taught a lesson on HIV/AIDS, one on stress and anxiety, and one on physical fitness.  The last one was definitely the most fun because it involved three legged races.  The kids, however, thought that stretching was by far the most hilarious thing.

On my plate this week is helping to put together/facilitate a three day workshop for the PLWHA in the community.  We’ll be focusing on lifestyle choices and proper nutrition for the most part.  I am looking forward to putting that part of my training into practice, though!

First snow fall at site!!

Food part I

I love to eat and food is often times such a large part of a cultural experience that I will probably have a series of posts on here dedicated to edible things.

For our first three weeks of training, we were fed completely by our host families.  Breakfast usually consisted of some combination of lesheleshele (sorghum porridge), huge slices of bohobe (bread), with the tiniest amount of peanut butter on it, fried eggs (with an absolutely ridiculous amount of aromat- msg with some seasoning in it), a bowl of cornflakes, and/or hardboiled eggs.  Lunch was usually rice with chicken and some vegetables such as moroho (spinach/chard/cabbage chopped very finely), mokopu (squash or pumpkin), or beets.  Dinner varied significantly because Peace Corps had a menu for what we were to be given, but it almost certainly involved papa, which is a substance made of maize meal that is perhaps best described as stiff, dry, bland mashed potatoes.

My personal favorite is still lesheleshele which I continue to make most morning for my breakfast.

The lesheleshele is smiling!

Things got significantly less Basotho after we started cooking for ourselves.  “Ghetto thai”, baked potatoes, and fried rice were some really good nights for Amanda, Cassie, and me, but I think our crowning moment was our Mexican night.  Absolutely bomb.

Mexican Night

Ghetto Thai

Since I am now living in a decently  isolated village, I’ve become somewhat less adventurous in my cooking, due to my lack of food resources.  However, I have managed to produce macaroni and cheese, biscuits- which were originally supposed to be pancakes, but oh well, and a wide variety of soups thanks to Knorr’s soup mixes!

Egg with two yolks!!!!!!!

Mac and Cheese at site

Mexican Night at site

Picture Catch up

Host brother and sister :)

Healthy eating visual aid!

Paratrooper at the King's Birthday

Me and my village ladies- Amanda and Cassie

Me and a giant grasshopper-look straight across from my hand and slightly down

Swearing-in in our village

My host sister, me, and my host mom

My host mom carrying my host brother Basotho style

Me on a hike

Some kids from our village

The one day it snowed in training village!

yay internet!

So, I've done some quick updating here, both of posts and of my contact information (for sending letters/care packages).  I'll try to write again soon and post some pictures, but I have to wait until I get better internet access, it just takes to long otherwise.  Miss you guys!

My site/ new job!

I am now living in a district of Lesotho known as Thaba Tskea.  It is roughly in the middle of the country and very very mountainous.  I arrived in time to see what may be the last snowfall of the season!

My village is called Ha Soai.  I live in a tin-roofed rondavel with no electricity or running water.  However, luckily for me, my neighbors have solar panels which I can use to recharge my phone!  I awake almost every morning to the sound of pigeons scrambling on the roof…something I’m trying not to be too bitter about.  Ha Soai is perched on the edge of a cliff and you can see mountains, rivers, and even a good amount of trees from where I live.  It’s a gorgeous area and I especially can’t wait for the summer when everything turns green!

My host organization is called Khoro li Majoe (the path is difficult).  They are a community organization that was formed to manage the compensation funds given to them by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority when the Katse Dam was constructed.  The dam caused a lot of relocation and loss of potential lifestyle so this isn’t an uncommon situation in Thaba Tseka.  KlM is interested in implementing sustainable income generating projects for the communities, 3, that they represent.  These include a millery, the selling of vegetables, and a mohair project.  I will be helping them primarily in the areas of book keeping, record keeping, feasible project design, and project implementation.

I also work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture.  My counterpart, ‘M’e Maithumeleng, lives on my compound with me!  What we will be working on is the use of keyhole gardens, especially in relation to HIV/AIDS, helping to support various groups in the area such as People Living with HIV and AIDs support groups, youth groups, young women’s groups, and handicraft groups.

Additionally, there is a primary school very close by, which I’ve been going to twice a week to teach life skills.

Sounds like my plate will be pretty full for the next two years, but I’m really very excited about all of these projects!