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!
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