December 4, 2011

It’s been a hectic past few weeks!  Schools closed for summer vacation last week…there was a lot of testing, cleaning of rooms, recording of scores, collecting of texts, etc.   All three schools did well on the national final exams, and all three sets of teachers LOVED their Christmas presents of baseball caps with their schools’ names on them.

I was also able to get to Andrea’s house in Butha Buthe and celebrate Thanksgiving with her.  We both are so thankful to live in America and be independent Americans!!! After spending two years in Lesotho, observing the vast cultural differences…especially with family interactions…we are proud to be part of a culture that speaks out freely!  

I am in the process of packing my things and getting ready to move into a different rondavel. My present family needs to have this rondavel for their growing family, especially during the holidays.   There’s always a new adventure just around the corner here!  I shall be on the west coast, [of the United States], for the month of January; I am SO looking forward to coming home!!! If I don’t get a chance to write again before the new year, I wish all of you a wonderful, healthy and happy 2012!

(pictures to follow soon)

WOW!!! My Peace Corps Project was finally accepted in Washington. Please check out the following website for information and donations…every little bit will help, and THANK YOU in advance.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=632-093

This link represents the first phase of the project; the electricity phase.

Due to the scope of the Road To Mopeli project, the Peace Corps is having us complete it in Phases. This first phase will pay for getting the electricity run to the existing school buildings of Mopeli Government Primary School.

Once we've completed this phase successfully, we will be able to move on to subsequent phases of the project, ultimately putting in the brick road which will facilitate the establishment of evening educational programs, AIDS/HIV education and prevention training and medical assistance for the ~12,000 residents of the ten surrounding villages.

The sooner we reach our fundraising goal for Phase One, the sooner we can complete the phase and move on to the next phase.

Thank you in advance for helping to support this project. Any donation you can make will help us reach our goal.

Rusty

Today is a very special day for me; it’s the day, two years ago, when I arrived in the Mountain kingdom of Lesotho. It is also Tsoene Mathata’s second birthday…and he’s still as feisty as ever! My life is so much richer because of this day…thank you, Universe.

Addendum…it is the morning of November 13th…I have just come from outside where there was a great hu-bub of chaotic sounds and movements…people in my Basotho family, all chasing Tsoene and yelling. It seems that one of Ntate’s baby chicks escaped from its cage and right into the waiting mouth of Tsoene!! He helped himself to his own after-birthday dinner. He is such a mathata!

Ah, things are deteriorating rapidly. Ntate wants me to get rid of Tsoene; he says he’s a wild cat who will eat all the baby chicks. I have said that I cannot get rid of him…he is like my son. The Basotho do not understand this. I have offered to buy better caging to keep the chickens in, but Ntate says, “NO, they should be free; they are only fenced because of your wild cat!” I have offered to move to another place, but Ntate says,”No, the Peace Corps will think that we don’t like you.”

My supervisor, ‘M’e Mathabo is coming by after church, to see if she can help resolve this problem. My cat is truly named Tsoene Mathata. The expression, “Ha ho na mathata” (no problem) is sometimes misleading; in life there ARE problems. Our strength of character lies in how well we handle/solve them. Wish me luck.

Addendum #2

‘M’e Mathabo came and talked with the Ramoabis. Tomorrow after school we will go to the market and buy materials to make a better cage for the wild chickens and their babies.

Strange events never cease to amaze me about Renekeng Government Primary School. Today some of the teachers and I visited a little girls who’s been absent from school for well over a month now…because she’d allegedly been poisoned by a classmate Both of the girls are in class 1.

The story goes like this (although nothing’s been proven…even with a police investigation): It seems that a first grader invited her friend into a dunga after school and offered her some hair elixir to eat. (Dungas, by the way, are very deep crevices in the earth, made from water erosion.) The little girl, being hungry after school, ate the elixir, went home and then became violently ill. The girl’s mama immediately picked up the girl, who was convulsing by this time, and jumped into a taxi to get her to the nearest clinic. One of the teachers happened to be riding in that very taxi and, upon seeing how serious the situation was, convinced the mom to go to Maputsoe, the nearest big town, rather than the local clinic in Peka, which is always out of medicine and never has a doctor available.

By the time the three of them reached the bigger clinic in Maputsoe, the little thing was barely breathing. The clinic sent the three of them to a hospital in the camp town of Hlotse. Many rides later, the trio arrived at the hospital, where all the nurses just shook their heads in despair while the mom and teacher stood helplessly and cried with fear. A passing doctor happened to see the now very still child, grabbed her and rushed her away. After staying with her and working on her frail little body all night, the girl began to show some signs of life. She was sent home in three days, but returned because she had turned blind and was shaking constantly.

While all this was going on, the little girl who offered the elixir to her friend was questioned. She repeated the same story over and over: “My grandma told me to bring my friend to the dunga after school. She told me to only bring her and then tell her to eat the elixir. My grandma said I was not to eat it myself.”

The grandmas of both children were then brought in for questioning. (The mother was still at the hospital with her child)…Now, here’s where the story gets even more intriguing: It seems that the mother of the child who was poisoned is a policewoman in the neighboring town of Peka. Not only is she on the police force there, but the previous week she had arrested the son of the grandmother who had allegedly told her grandchild to feed the elixir to her classmate.

Are you following all this??? This still has not been resolved. After several days of questioning and several days of giving the same answer, the little girl who said she’d indeed fed the elixir to her friend came to school with many bruises on her body. She told the school that the grandma, for telling her story, had beaten her. When the grandma was again questioned, this time about the wounds on her granddaughter’s body, she said she had beaten the girl for lying to us.

The little girl, whom we visited today, has regained her sight, but she has a constant shaking in both hands and a problem with her speech. . She seemed quite alert and happy to see all of us; that made us happy and relieved. I am hoping that the family will be able to afford to bring her to a specialist in South Africa.

When we questioned the grandma about her granddaughter’s return to Renekeng, an absolute NO was answered; they are so afraid of more “witchcraft” being set upon the family. Renekeng’s villages are indeed strangely superstitious.

It is my hope that I shall see the little girl in school when it resumes in January, after the summer vacation.

October 28, 2011

 

This week I had the honor of hosting two Peace Corps trainees for a few days.  Despite the fact that they both had to share my bed while I slept on the floor, they had (I think) a good experience!

Both Peggy and Katey made themselves quite at home with my bucket bath, pit toilet, spotty electricity and outside water pump.  They’ve been here in Lesotho for a bit more than two weeks and amazed me with how much Sesotho they already speak and understand…they’ll go far!  It was great to find out that both of them are training in the very village where I originally trained, Hamabekenyane.   I think that one of the highlights of their visit was the fact that they loved the steamed Basotho bread that I made for them…yup, we all love to be praised sometimes.

The few days they stayed with me were actually very busy; we visited all three of my schools, where I introduced them to staff and children and had them participate in parts of school lessons.  The comments they made about the schools were interesting.  Katey, who will be working in only one primary school as an English teacher was most concerned with the fact that she might not like her only school.  I tried to reassure her that the experience would be what she made of it.  Peggy, who will be a resource teacher like me, at three schools,  didn’t seem that concerned with her future placement.  I guess she feels that one out of three good schools may be enough to keep her satisfied.

Besides simply shadowing me, we did have some other adventures:  we went to Peka to meet the post-mistress, we visited the local shopping places in Tabola, we rode the crazy taxi, we visited TY and used the internet café and we ate at the hotel in TY, where they insisted on buying my lunch.  They are now safe and sound back at their training families’ homes…and probably exhausted! Unfortunately, I was so busy trying to be a good hostess that I forgot to take pictures…sorry.   I hope that I’ll be able to attend their swearing-in ceremony some time in mid-December.

Our short trip to Swaziland has helped my three friends and I agree on one certainty about Lesotho…we P.C.V.s in Lesotho are truly getting the real Peace Corps experience. As soon as we crossed the border and saw the lush, green vegetation, the abundance of colorful fruits and vegetables, the smiles on the mellow, easy-going people…and electricity and flush toilets everywhere, we knew that we are lucky to be serving in Lesotho! No, that is not a touch of sarcasm; we really are having a good, tough experience here…one which has changed our lives forever. Our little vacation has reminded us of how hard life really is in Lesotho. .

Let’s step back for just a minute…my three travel companions were Andrea, Kimiko and Sara; we made a wonderful foursome! Although we are all so different, our differences complemented one another and made for great conversations, activities and much laughter!! Sara and I love to shop in the local crafts places; Andrea and Sara love movies and malls; Kimiko and I love nature, animals and photography…and all of us loved getting away and relaxing together. We actually traveled up to Swaziland as a five some, but Katey had other friends in Swaziland and went her own way after our first night in Mbabane, the capital of the country. In fact, Katey is still there! Apparently there were some protests just after we left on Wednesday morning, and Katey had to stay in “lock-down” with some of her Swazi P.C .V . friends; I think she’ll be home on Sunday.

Our trip started at 5 am last Friday. We crossed the border from Maseru Bridge into South Africa in the dark; then we got a combi (van-taxi) to Jo’burg. That was about a five-hour ride. In Jo’burg we battled the hordes of people as we walked from one taxi rank to another…about five blocks of teaming humanity, loud noises, incredible traffic jams, great smells, wonderful outside stalls selling everything from used clothing to razors and staring eyes…all looking at the five Americans brave enough to be taking this walk. When we arrived at the next taxi rank, we were told to give the conductor our passports. Sara said, “uh uh…ain’t giving my passport to anyone”…after which she received a marriage proposal! With a bit of luck we were able to go with the passports to where they had to be registered….and finally, the combi to Swaziland. This was another five hour ride, but we managed to reach our hostel, Bambaso’s, before dark. Needless to say, we all slept well that night.

The next morning we bid farewell to Katey and headed down toward Manzini in the Ezulwina valley. Here we found Lidwala, a wonderful hostel that we stayed at for the next three nights. The owners had a room with three bunk beds for us…perfect! Again, we slept very well until the monkeys running on the tin roof awakened us at dawn.

After making ourselves some breakfast and packing a lunch, we headed toward Manzini and the craft markets. Our travels on the combis were wonderful; all the people in this little kingdom speak incredibly good English, so we were able to have many interesting talks. Most of the people are so very happy here…they love their king and never really want to leave Swaziland. Only once did Kimiko and I hear otherwise. One day she and I took off for a nature reserve. The taxi driver who took us there was totally different from the other Swazis we’d met; he was against the absolute monarchy, wanted a say in the government, wanted unions for all workers and claimed that the only reason all the other people on the combis seemed so happy was because they were afraid to do otherwise. It was an interesting different perspective.

What amazed me most during my short visit was seeing all the primary schools with electricity and running water! That’s a far cry from what we are dealing with in Lesotho. Our day at the nature reserve was indescribable; Kimiko and I walked and took photos all day. Sara and Andrea stayed behind and visited a mall and a movie theatre.

Our most exciting experience at the reserve was when we were standing on a small ledge overlooking a pond with a small island in the middle where two hippos were napping. While shooting the hippos, Kimiko whispered, “Rusty, don’t make any sudden moves but just look down.” There below us was the most tremendous sleeping crocodile I’d ever seen. We’d been standing within “snapping distance of him taking pictures for at least five minutes!!!! We very quickly and quietly backed away…and of course he never even opened an eyelid! Our trip ended all too soon. On Wednesday morning we were on the road again; we got into Lesotho after dark, but were picked up by a Masotho friend of mine who owns a taxi.

Today, Tsoene Mathata (Monkey Trouble), my cat, had his first trip to the doctor. My friend was kind enough to hire his car to us for the day; he drove me, Ausi Mathabo and Tsoene to the veterinarian in TY, where he was “fixed” and received all his necessary shots for coming home to America with me.

Believe it or not, I am glad to be back “home’. I’m refreshed and ready to start work on Monday…of course I’ll not get much done in Tabola; I have a three day classroom management workshop to conduct in Roma next week, and then I am going to the airport in Maseru to greet the new education trainees who are coming in on Friday. Poor Tsoene; I’m always leaving him.

I miss everyone back home. For those of you who might not have received the news, I’ve decided to extend my service so that I can finish my projects in Tabola. I shall be home for one month during Dec/Jan., but will stay only on the west coast to visit all my children. Stay well and always remember that you live in a wonderful country. Treasure your freedom!

Spring in Lesotho. It’s a lovely time of year. There are blossoming fruit trees all over the countryside, and children’s mouths water in anticipation of the coming fruits.

Cultural Day for the government schools in Leribe took place today at Hlotse. It was a day filled with dramas in both Sesotho and English and many traditional Basotho dances. What a day it was. (September is like March in the Northern Hemisphere, filled with gusty winds, cool mornings and evenings and lovely sunny days). When we weren’t busy trying to shield our eyes from the enormous amounts of dust blowing at us, we enjoyed watching the young ones perform. The rhythms are incredible and usually made with only plastic buckets as makeshift drums and the lovely voices of the student singers. The songs and dances are passed down from generation to generation; you’ll not find a “dance or singing school” anywhere in Lesotho, yet almost every child can sing and dance the stories of their heritage.

It’s almost September!…and August has been filled with its ups and downs. I have officially requested a one-year extension to my service in Lesotho. I want, desperately, to see my projects come close to fruition before I head back to the United States. Getting my project proposal together has been a difficult task.. I finally submitted it to the Lesotho Peace Corps office last week and was told that it’s a nearly impossible task I am attempting. So, do I give up? Do I just say I’ve bitten off more than I can chew?…forget it and just go home??? I can’t! I can’t tell if I am dealing more with the ultra idealistic Rusty or the ultra stubborn one. At any rate, here I stay for one more year .I shall certainly give more time to writing down details that the Peace Corps needs on paper. I can understand where this extreme organization with meticulous and very detailed questions has come from…no money waste, no fraud and full participation on the part of the Tabola community. I shall try to give the office what they want.

Enough about how tough things are. The weather has changed, yea!!!! Spring is definitely here; fruit trees are showing lovely pink and white blossoms, little lambs, calves and donkeys are “popping out” in every field, compound, etc., and young are and old are enjoying the longer daylight hours!

Last Friday our region of schools participated in a cultural day on the grounds of St Rose Mission in Peka. I am so very proud to announce that Mopeli Primary School took first place in the girls’ traditional dancing competition. We shall go on to compete in the district of Leribe contest on September 9th. Wish us luck! Yes, I did go wearing the traditional Basotho garb… seshoeshoe, scarf and blanket. In fact, I’ve become so accustomed to the blanket that half way through the day I found myself, like the Basotho ladies, taking it off my shoulders and rearranging it around my waist.

This Saturday the volunteers from my group, Ed.’10, will go to Maseru, to the site where Tom was killed last September 3rd. We’ll hold a small memorial service in his honor and then be on our ways back to our sites. It’s hard to believe that that was just a year ago.

Looking back on the past two years, I realize that it’s been darn hard; I guess the Peace Corps is right in saying “…hardest job you’ll ever love.”

On yet another note, enjoy some of the “everyday” pictures of Lesotho.

1. me, Andrea and Nathan waiting at the bus depot in Bloemfontein

2. the hostel in Cape Town

3. This is when Kimiko, Andrea and I went to Katse Dam for my birthday. In the picture are the three of us, Ryan and Nate...all volunteers.

4. Herd boys in traditional Basotho blankets

5. Me Matumo and her daughter, Lerato in school uniform

6. just a friendly rooster visiting Mopeli

7. A view of the convergence of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, taken from Table Mt. in Cape Town.

Missing all of you and the United States a lot, Rusty.

Some things will take a long time to change…this becomes more evident every day in Tabola, Lesotho. After twenty-one months here, I am still shocked when I walk into a classroom and find a teacher beating her children for reasons beyond my comprehension. (Beating doesn’t have the same connotation here as it has in the U.S. Beating is synonymous with hitting with a stick.). “You’re wearing no socks today,” “Your book is still not covered,” “That answer is wrong,” “Your head is not shaved.” or, “. You did not bring in your money.” I shutter at the sound of the twig crashing down on innocent little fingers or the backs of shivering calves.

Yes, I know that I have not come here to change teachers…I am here to experience Basotho culture and offer glimpses into United States’ culture. But it’s so hard to watch! The more I work with Basotho children and teachers, the more proud I am of the American system of education. We do embrace the child! Most of our teachers can teach with enough self-esteem so as not to have to use punitive, forceful, negative methods to “get results” from their charges. We truly are a country that has learned that a child absorbs knowledge best in a safe, comfortable and positive environment.

Don’t misunderstand me; there are potentially good educators here, but they all seem to have a stick attached to their right hands (or left, as the case may be)…and, without the false power that the stick holds, most Basotho teachers are unable to function. Ask them to teach a lesson without holding that stick, and they become lost little puppies. By the same token, Basotho children truly believe that the only way for them to work is through threat and physical abuse. It will be a long time until a teacher can walk into a classroom in Lesotho and command respect without that attached stick! What an incredible waste of potential teaching talent.

I can understand that the more mature teachers might have trouble giving up the stick; after all, they’ve been teaching this way for years, and habits, good or bad, are hard to break. But why the young ones?? Why the teachers just out of the university or the teachers’ college where they are supposedly taught the theories of positive thinking, teaching and reinforcing?? Why do they immediately pick up the stick when they inherit classes of their own?

Yes, I have given workshops on alternative methods of classroom management, and yes, I have shown successful alternative methods through examples when I am in a classroom. For the most part, I am stared at with a look of skepticism and pity for the poor American who doesn’t realize that Basotho children are different…lazy, dishonest and apathetic…ugh

Some common reasons for the “stick” method are:

1. Children are lazy; they need to “feel the stick” to learn.

2. Children cannot be trusted; beat the “bad” out of them.

3. Children are forgetful, but they won’t forget if you threaten to beat them.

Sometimes I wonder why I am still here…but then a little one passes me on the path to or from school and shyly smiles, knowing that I, an adult, will smile back…even stop to talk…and then I know that I belong here.

If one young soul learns that kindness begets kindness, then some progress is being made. Maybe she or he will one day stand in front of a class filled with eager, smiling young faces and say to them, “Good morning my children; how can I help you today?”

There were two entries for May, but they seem to have gotten lost! So much has happened since the April entry. First of all, it's incredibly cold right now; we're in the middle of Maria (winter). The winter solstice was a few days ago, so the days should start to get longer and warmer now...I hope! Today it's sunny, so everyone (including me)is out of their huts warming themselves in the lovely sun. The Ramoabis have most of their grandchildren visiting for the vacation...noise, chaos and lots of fun.

Today is also the one year anniversary of the death of

I came back from Maseru after a week of workshops in preparation for training the new volunteer arrivals on June 3rd. It was good to be back to my little rondavel in Tabola, good to hug my Tsoene Mathata again, good to see my Basotho family! Ausi Mathabo spent the week at my house in order to control my wild and crazy cat, Tsoene Mathata. He loves to go out at night and raise havoc all over Tabola. I was back home by Friday afternoon.

Saturday I went with the Ramoabis to the funeral of Ntate’s grandmother; she was over one hundred years when she passed. Ntate, being a deacon in the Roman Catholic church, was able to deliver the funeral service; I think it made him quite proud to lay his own grandma to rest…and he looked so eloquent presiding over the service! After she was buried, a huge feast was given in her honor…we ate a traditional meal of papa, moroho (cabbage), khomo (cow), motoho (pumpkin), beets and carrots. My family left before the rest of the village began their “traditional drinking of joala…home-made beer). As we were driving along, we came across an overturned taxi; much to my dismay, it looked just like the taxi we teachers ride to one of our schools, Renekeng. As we came closer, I saw Ntate Power, the owner of our taxi. I asked if he was okay, and he said yes…he also told us that there were no passengers in the taxi at the time of the accident…whew! To make a long story short, no one was hurt, but the taxi is gone forever! So, my longest walk to school, Renekeng, will now be a daily fact for all the teachers and me. It used to be a 1 and ½ hour walk, but we’ve actually shortened the time to about fifty minutes with shortcuts through maize fields, etc!! I guess I’ll stay fit for a while longer!!

On our walk to Renekeng this morning, we discussed a feast which we shall hold at Renekeng tomorrow/ it will be in celebration of ‘M’e Mapalesa’s life and all that is GOOD on the land which houses the Renekeng Primary School. As I had mentioned in an earlier blog entry, many of the teachers believe that the land is bewitched by an evil spirit because of the four teachers’ deaths in the past four years. In an attempt to rid the land of any evil that may be lurking, we have called for many priests and village chiefs to come and give their blessing to the land and us.

I truly believe that this WILL WORK because the teachers believe it. I feel that so long as they bring this positive energy to the feast, that energy will attract more positive energy and push out any negativity that’s been “hanging around”. I’ll try to take some pictures of the “exorcism” if it seems appropriate.

Winter has set in early this year; people say it’s because of all the rain we had during the summer. Whatever the reasons, it’s COLD already!

Last week was a setback week for me at work. After all the work ‘M’e Mathabo and I had put into writing a U. S. Embassy self-help grant, we were turned down…not only were we turned down, but they didn’t even read our twenty plus pages of reasons, details, equipment quotes, etc. The embassy claims that it is the Lesotho government who should be responsible for putting electricity into their schools. Since they’ve only done so in some high schools, they might back off completely if they see that we’ll supply electricity through American grants. Of course I argued that when the other schools see that Mopeli has electricity, they’ll want it so badly that they’ll hound the Lesotho government to get them the same…. to no avail.

It was suggested that I rewrite the grant and ask for solar power on the school’s property. The grant deadline was April 30th. but they’ve given me an extension until May 20th for my revisions. I shall put in for solar power, but at the same time I’m writing a Partnership Grant with the Peace Corps for both electricity for the buildings and a tarred road to the school.

I’ll not give up; this town has no hospital, or Dr’s. office…not even a nurse; if we get electricity into Mopeli. We’ll be able to bring an extension of Peka’s St. Rose Clinic to our school!! So, if you haven’t yet let me know that you’d like to be a sponsor for my Partnership Grant, please do now! I’ll need your name, address, phone number and email address….probably all of you who are reading this have already signed on board! Thanks if you have, and please do if you haven’t. I think the more names I have as sponsors, the greater my chances will be for being accepted as a grant winner. I believe your names will be posted on a web site, but I don’t think you’re under ANY obligation to contribute any money.

That week’s over and a new one has begun with fun! Renekeng, my furthest school, has lost its village taxi due to the very poor condition of the road, so we’ve all been hoofing it back and forth to work!. (It’s about an hour and fifteen minute walk each way…through cornfields, etc.) Today two tractors passed by as four teachers and I were trudging through the cold mud. They offered us a lift and of course we said SURE!!! What fun we had bopping along back up to the tarred road! I tried to get some pictures while the tractors were moving, but every time I let go to snap a shot, I thought I’d fall off…sorry!

I’m sure that all of you will here from me as soon as I get this Partnership Grant up and running on a website. Until then, enjoy your warm weather!

Yesterday Milcah (one of the Renekeng teachers) and I drove to Maseru in her tiny little car to pick up our books…. ALL THIRTY-THREE BOXES!!!!! (Five extra boxes were donated to my third school, Lepholisa, by the volunteer heading the African Library Project in Lesotho, so now I’ll be able to start a small library for that school.)

Of course we couldn’t get all the boxes into Milcah’s Polo, so we left with only nineteen of them. Another volunteer, Shanthi, was heading in today to pick up her books with her school’s truck; she offered to bring the rest of our boxes to Tabola. So there you go…we now have books to begin two more libraries. I know that Lepholisa’s will be small, but it’s a start! I’m so glad that we’ll be able to set up the libraries before the really cold weather sets in; we’ll create a cozy library room for the children to come into during their cold lunch breaks (they eat outside, for the most part.)

…it has indeed been a wonderful birthday for me! It began last week with the putting in of tiles on the floor of my rondavel. I now have a clean, waterproof (kind-of) floor in my little home. Ausi Mathabo, ‘M’e Mantsohle and ‘M’e Kebone helped me with the tiling, and a good but messy time was had by all.

On Friday, two volunteers slept at my house, Andrea from Butte Butte and Kimiko from Quthing. We had a lovely evening meal of beans and potatoes, laughed, exchanged Peace Corps stories and generally relaxed. The next day we headed for Katse Lodge up in the mountains. We spent the day hiking and walking through the dam’s lovely botanical gardens. At night we “luxuriated” in the hot showers and “vegged” in front of the T.V.!! We wanted to take a boat ride around the dam, but didn’t get to it…maybe next time. Of course, there’s so much to see in Lesotho that we may not make it back there.

Finally, the best news of all…THE BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED IN MASERU!!! I received a call late last night telling me that they are in and ready to be distributed. Milcah and I will go to Maseru tomorrow to fetch them. It is my hope that there will be some “left-overs” that we can get for Lepholisa

A memorial service will be held next Tuesday for ‘M’e Mapalesa at Renekeng Primary School; her funeral will be next Saturday, April 23rd. at her home in Hlotse. She is so missed at Renekeng. It’s difficult for all of us to enter the teachers’ room without thinking of her or hearing her singing in the distance. Easter break begins next week, and I shall have business to take care of in Maseru, Morija and Bloomfontein. I will do all that I can to insure that I’ll be back in time for Saturday’s funeral. As difficult as this recent tragedy has been, the Renekeng teachers are settling down and beginning to accept her absence.

What a nice ending to a stressful week! Thank you to all who sent birthday messages via facebook!! There were so many that I was overwhelmed!…and the messages are still coming today! In fact, I had a surprise birthday phone call from Michael Brumbaugh!!! It was just like we were sitting across from one another, chatting over a cup of tea…or a Bloody Mary.

For all my Peace Corps friends, Mary (Ed.10 now gone home), is now the proud mother of a little girl, Lucia Josefina Avila. I am proud to share a partial name with this new little one! .She weighed in at over nine pounds on March 30th! Mary says that Lucia smiles a lot and has a head full of hair!

Yesterday the teachers at Lepholisa helped me celebrate my 69th year with a Basotho lunch; we had papa (a kind of boiled corn meal), moroho (chopped greens), lihapo (carrots) , khoho (chicken) and motoho (sour porridge). We laughed and sang a lot and then went back to work.When I arrived back home, my family had also prepared a birthday meal for me…pretty much the same thing, with the addition of rice and beetroot (beets). They’d also traveled up to our camptown, Hlotse, to purchase a birthday cake at Shoprite!!!.. How’s that for trying to make me feel at home?

Most Basotho do not celebrate their birthdays, but I have made a point of making a cake for every family member in my compound and every teacher at my three schools for his or her special day. This has excited all of them so much! I think a new tradition is about to come about in Tabola.

…where did the month go??? It’s now the second of April and I didn’t get to tell all the things that have happened the past month!

Let’s begin with a very generous lady who has helped Lepholisa Primary School. When Kathy Parker visited us last year, she saw what really bad shape the buildings are in for this school. She donated money so that we could buy plastic bins for library books in each classroom; now we’ll be able to apply to the African Library Project for a new library for this school! While here, she also noticed how badly the roofs on our three humble buildings were leaking…(that’s why we needed plastic bins for library books.) Kathy donated some more money so that we could fix the roofs. Now here’s where the story gets more interesting:

Two or three weeks ago ‘M’e Masello, (the principle of Lepholisa) and I went to buy materials to fix the roofs. We spent an entire day going from shop to shop to get the best prices for what we needed. After a full day of shopping, we bought what we needed with the promise that the materials would be delivered the next day. That did not happen; ‘M’e tried calling the supplier several times that day…no answer…that was a Tuesday. On Wednesday ‘M’e and I went back to the supplier in Maputsoe, only to discover that he had been ambushed in his car and shot. He was still alive, but in the hospital, and no business was being transacted from that store until further notice (still not happening). Well, we went home feeling pretty sorry for our school, and ourselves totally overlooking the fact that that Higher Spirit really does look after those who help themselves and stay positive. We both wallowed in self-pity that night; the next day I was to give a speech at a Peace Corps meeting. I put all thoughts of poor Lepholisa aside and began to concentrate on my short speech in Sesotho…okay, here’s the good part…I got through my speech in Sesotho with relative ease, took a deep breath and began to speak in English. In the course of the rest of my five-minute speech on what my jobs are in Lesotho, I happened to mention our misadventure with the materials purchases of that previous Monday. At the end of my speech, a man…not just any ordinary man, but the head of the District of Leribe, stood up as said, “See me before this meeting is over; I may be able to help you.” It turns out that he had just completed tearing down the old roofing of an entire hospital complex and wanted to get rid of all his waste…perfectly good roofing material!!! He told us he had to rush off to another meeting but would be back after 2:30. He was good for his word…at 2:30 we drove over to the hospital to see what was salvageable, and we couldn’t believe what we saw; there was enough good material to build new roofs for all three buildings and maybe even a new classroom! I guess The Higher Spirit knew just what he was about when the delivery didn’t happen last Tuesday! Tomorrow we will have a meeting with the school parents to see who’s going to do what…I promise to take pictures! and…thank you Kathy Parker. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the gentleman has gotten the students from the technical school in Hlotse to supervise the repairs!! They’ll be directing the parents’ work !

And on a much sadder note, April has already been almost too hard to bear. On April first, a dear friend, another teacher from Renekeng Primary School, passed away. ‘M’e Mapalesa was in a taxi accident on Thursday and died in the hospital in Maseru yesterday. ‘M’e Mapalesa taught at the same school where my good friend, Ntate Koto had taught…he’s the one who died last September. What’s really scary about this incident is that it’s the fourth death of a Renekeng teacher in as many years. A teacher has died here every year since 2008. Many of my friends are afraid to go back to school on Monday. The Basotho culture is a very strange mixture of Christianity and old beliefs of evil spirits who inhabit certain places. They believe that some evil spirit is working its bad will on the teachers of Renekeng Primary School. I found out, just today, when I went to visit the family of ‘M’e Mapalesa, that in 2005, when the land was first given for the building of a government school, some villagers who wanted the fields for grazing murdered the security guard who had been protecting the materials for the new buildings.

So, that’s actually five deaths. I shall be at Renekeng early Monday morning as I promised, and I hope I’ll be of some help when the news is officially told to the children during the morning assembly. ‘M’e Mapalesa taught the first graders. She was forty-seven years old. Her name means mother of a flower. New mothers in Lesotho will often take the name that they’ve given their firstborn, add Ma (meaning mother of) to it, and use that name for the rest of their lives. Yes, ‘M’e Mapalesa’s oldest girl is called Palesa. One more thing…I shall always remember the way ‘M’e would suddenly break out in dance and song when under any kind of stress; she and the other Renekeng teachers have taught me to always have a song in my heart…and I shall.

:

February 17, 2011

Hello again from Tabola, Lesotho. We are still in the midst of a very hot summer! . All the fruit trees are in full bloom, and it’s wonderful to see the young ones with smiles on their faces because of tummies filled with fresh peaches!

I hear that the weather in the U.S.A. has been exceptionally “wintery” this year Our winters are brutal here…not because of the cold, but because of the lack of warm places for shelter; one is not able to warm up, usually, until crawling into bed at night. Luckily, however, our winters are much shorter than the ones I know of in the U.S.A. Our coldest months are May, June and July; by August, things are beginning to warm up.

So, schools are back in full swing; we are all getting ready for the country’s biggest holiday, Meshoeshoe’s Day on March 11th. It’s the day we celebrate to honor King Meshoeshoe I, the first king of Lesotho. It’s a day filled with sports events and traditional songs, dances and food. I shall spend the day with Lepholisa L.E.C. (Lesotho Evangelical Church) School, since I spent last Moshoeshoe’s day with the two government schools.

I am told that the books for Renekeng Government Primary School have left the U.S.A., and should arrive on the South African coast some time in April!! All of us at Renekeng are busy preparing for this event…the room has to be prepared, shelves put in place, cataloging techniques decided upon, schedules made, library rules established, etc.

I am holding my first library workshop tomorrow after school for the teachers of the three schools to which I have been assigned. I’ll have to start from “scratch” since most of the teachers have not seen a library before; some of the qualified teachers have had access to their college libraries, but not for pleasure reading…only for research, so there is A LOT TO DO and explain about libraries. I intend to hold two workshops; if I can get the idea across that libraries are for pleasure and reading is fun, then my workshops will have been successful. My biggest concern about the new library is that the teachers will think it’s such a precious gift that they won’t allow their children the freedom to truly explore its treasures. In many schools in Lesotho, the doors to the library are always locked; the books just gather dust, but they are considered a “school asset”…ugh. I’ll do my best to not let this happen to the Renekeng library.

At Mopeli Government Primary School we are working on two major projects: the first is the bringing of electricity into the school, and the second is the reparing of the road leading to the school. If we can get these projects started…even maybe almost completed before winter sets in, I’ll be one happy volunteer!! I intend to direct a play, “The Great Flood”, to be presented as a fund-raiser for the electricity project. It’ll be nice to dip my hands into some theatre again!

January 30, 2011

January was quite the month in Lesotho! Today is actually the first day since the girls’ visit that I’ve been able to stay home, clean house, read mail and just “chill”. It’s another rainy day, so staying in and catching up on correspondence is the perfect activity. I’d like to begin with a heartfelt thank you to all of you for the incredible Christmas gifts, wishes, pictures, messages. I spent the day reading and looking at everything for the second time… (the first was VERY RUSHED)! I am very lucky to have such dear friends and family.

June, thank you for the popcorn, the crystal light and the nail polish!

Margie, thanks for the awesome teas and the toothpaste.

Golfo, I LOVE the crazy stickers!

Kaye, Rich, Cat and Mouse, the backpacks, the pictures and everything else, were wonderful. (I especially love the picture of you in the American flag jacket.) Aren’t you getting tired of that answering machine message yet?

Anne and Renita…lovely Christmas letter; thanks. I use my mosquito shirt all the time!

Sherri and Mark, please give a special thanks to that friend of yours who helped with the Christmas list….and yes, we are teaching the Basotho about keyhole gardens. Most families have subsistence gardens here. We are trying to help people run them more efficiently, but it’s sometimes tough to drop old habits.

Rona, thanks for the knitting stuff and the great picture of the Wenonah staff.

Marsha, thanks for the help with the Christmas list. How are you, Chris and the girls doing?

Ann, I love my new shoes…and I like the picture of Sam even better! Do you know if anyone in school wants to pen-pal this year? I did it last year with Lara’s class.

Joanne, Audry tells me that you coordinated everything from the Steamboat end. Thank you so much. I love the soaps and the pictures!

Michael, I love everything you sent…especially all the notes attached to each item!! I was sorry, however, that the directions on one of the packages specifically said NOT to use arsenic in the shaker…ugh.

Speaking very selfishly, I have to say that my favorite gift came from Lauren de Lucia; it was a calendar for 2011…FILLED WITH WONDERFUL PICTURES OF MY FAMILY. Thanks, Lauren.

Please, please, please, if I’ve left somebody out, know that your gift WAS received; Audry and Fran did a miraculous job of toting everything all the way here!!!

Audry, Fran and I went on a whirlwind tour of Lesotho and South Africa during their stay. We visited just about every game reserve on the east coast of South Africa…saw rhinos, zebras, monkeys, elephants, baboons, snakes, lovely birds, incredible scenery, etc., etc., etc. Of all we saw, we seemed to be most impressed with the warmth and friendliness of the Basotho people!! I have REALLY condensed our “FAR-odyssey” to a shameful few words. Please forgive me; someday I shall write a book about my travels in Africa to make up for my lack of descriptions now. Hopefully, Audry will have time to enhance this blog session with some of our pictures.

When I think of all I want to share with you, I become overwhelmed.

It’s good to be back to school. My Sesotho is a bit stronger and I am pleased with the fact that I am understanding more in casual conversations! I wish that I could capture and send to all of you the joy on the children’s and teachers’ faces as they received their new backpacks and their knitting tools. At each school the teachers broke into song and dance when they saw all the new equipment…even at Renekeng…the school where our car got so stuck in the mud that it had to be towed out! It does rain a lot here…and the dirt roads are getting worse every day. Roads are not a priority here, since so few have autos. Most of the teachers walk or take the taxi-vans to work…and when we get stuck in the mud, we just get out and do whatever until we’re back on the road…of course that doesn’t work for a small two-wheel drive vehicle, but maybe Audry will write more about that!

I want to thank all of you again and again for your incredible generosity, your messages and your pictures. I miss you all…but I am happy where I am, doing what I am doing. Until next time, Rusty

Good morning everyone; happy day-after-Christmas! Wow...talk about culture shock...okay, here's what happened in Tabola yesterday...the day started off normally. Kimiko and I slept in until almost eight, a nice change in routine for me. We had a lovely breakfast of French toast and then began the day. Children came to visit all morning; that was fun. We were invited to have a Christmas meal with the Ramoabis...traditional Basotho food. So, at 2:00 P.M. we joined the them for lunch; we brought all our baked goods to share. The food was wonderful, and M'e served us on her best china...here's where we began to see the diversity of cultures...we were served in the dining room. We ate with Ntate and 'M'e, while everyone else waited on us. The only time we saw a child was if he or she was asked to serve or do some other errand. There was no family Christmas meal. That was kind of okay because Kimiko and I got to ask many questions that we probably wouldn't have asked at a family meal. We talked about politics, culture, traditions, etc. Kimiko had brought her violin to Tabola, so she played Christmas songs after lunch, and the children began to trickle back into the dining room; the girls seemed to know all the words to the Christmas songs.

The rest of the day became very. We were a bit disappointed that our friend Katie couldn't make it to Tabola; she encountered transportation problems and ended up sitting in a Volunteer Resource room in Mokhotlong all by herself for the entire day...in fact, she had to lock herself in and sleep there.

As the day wore on, the sleepy little village of Tabola became louder and louder. People were beginning to celebrate Chirstmas with joala (homemade brew). In the late afternoon we went to say hello to my supervisor and bring her a Christmas gift. She was so surprised and overwhelmed with being given a gift that we had to explain that it's an American Christmas custom...she didn't even know what to do about untying the ribbon on the gift...back to the day: on the walk to my supervisor's house, we noticed so many people out on the roads...filled with "Christmas Cheer." Children as young as two and three were just wandering around together...people were dancing and singing all over the town, in streets,m the fronts and backs of houses and huts...and cars were driving with reckless abandon. It seemed as though even the little children were filled with joala. By the time we left 'M'e Mathabo's house, the outside gatherings had more than doubled. Everyone seemed to be outside...dinking or drunk. It was then that we realized that Christmas is a simple family gathering for a quick meal, maybe church in the morning, and then drinking, dancing, singing for the rest of the day and all night. When my son called, Tabola sounded like Times Square on New Years' Eve. It's before eight A.M., and the music has already begun again. I think we're in for another day of heavy 'celebrating". Have a peaceful and quiet day-after-

December 25, 2010

Christmas morning in Lesotho is not unlike any other Lesotho morning. I suppose that later today, people will start heading off to church…no stockings, Christmas trees, wrapped presents. The children do speak, however, about Father Christmas; one of Ntate’s grandchildren even calls him Santa Claus. Most of Ntate’s extended family are doing well in life…therefore televisions and radios are part of their daily routines. Western influence is strong with the media, so they’ve heard all the traditional stories, and seen all the advertisements for gift giving… and, of course, gift receiving from Santa.

Yesterday Kimiko, a fellow volunteer, came to visit for the holiday. She played her violin for our littlest one, Teko. We also made Rusty’s version of S’mores with the grandchildren. (My version is simply Marie biscuits…a round kind of shortbread… with roasted flavored marshmallows…on top of a chocolate cooking wafer and sandwiched with another biscuit…no graham crackers here!) We used kiwi-flavored marshmallows! All had a fun and messy time.

Another fellow volunteer, Katie, will be visiting later today; I’ve planned a huge Italian feast for us; my friends are vegetarians so it will be a plain marinara sauce…Yum. Tomatoes are in season now…inexpensive and delicious, so it will be a true homemade sauce. Soon Ntate’s garden will be ready and I won’t have to buy any more tomatoes. For dessert we’ll have fruit, fruit and more fruit…it’s summertime here! I’ve also made lemon bars and apple scones in my makeshift oven, and Kimiko has brought some homemade Christmas cookies…she’s got a REAL oven at her place.

I am thinking of all of you today, hoping that everyone at home is happy and healthy. It’s good to remember Christmas the way it is in America…a time for family reuniting…and good to see it as it is in Lesotho…a time for desperately poor, but happy people to turn to their churches as their places of hope for the future. The Basotho never lose hope or their smiles, and that is what makes this Christmas wonderful.

My Christmas Tree

Good morning family and friends. It is the day before Christmas Eve and the sun is shining in Lesotho…we are in shirtsleeves as we prepare for the holiday. The Ramoabi house is filled with grandchildren (Moms and Dads have left them off here for the summer break/Christmas holiday). Most likely, the parents will show up tomorrow. I miss everyone in the U.S.A., but feel very much a part of this family and my Peace Corps family. If fact, I’m off to the village in a few moments to do some last minute food shopping; two volunteers will come to spend the holiday with me.

I wish you all the merriest of Christmases and a very happy and healthy New Year.

My wish for Lesotho is that this awful A.I.D.s pandemic will disappear and people will learn the importance of practicing safe sex. Okay, enough preaching…here are some holiday pictures.

Ntate Ramoabi with his great grandson, Kopanu.

Kopanu and his mom.

A great shot of the spectrum of the family...'M'e, her oldest grandchild and her great grandson.

One of the grandchildren, Thuto with her hair all done up for the holidays.

I know it’s hard to fathom spring in December for you Northern “Hemishperers”, but it’s truly spring in Lesotho…and a magnificent one at that. We’ve had enough rain to make up for its late coming…thank goodness, and the Basotho will have enough maize to harvest for the winter. It’s really not too difficult to get used to a hot Christmas!

There have been three additions to the Ramoabi “family”; two wonderfully pink piglets and a brown calf…the first girl the Ramoabis have had in a long time! (The piglets are both males.)

the calf and mom...just hrs after birth

The Basotho and S.A. children (in fact, most African children) are out of school for summer break and many of the Ramoabi likloholo (grandchildren) are coming to spend the holidays here in Tabola. Five have already arrived, and more are coming this week. The children get dropped off by the parents and spend most of December with Ntate and ‘M’e. All of the parents will come back for the Christmas/New Year holiday; meanwhile, it’s total chaos here at the Ramoabis.

Neo six years old and Thuto, ten years old, helping me decorate the rondavel

My Christmas Tree

By the time they all arrive, the grand children and great grandchildren will range in ages from a few months to early thirties!!! They’re a wonderful family, and I am really enjoying the company of the likloholo.

Tsoene thinking he's the King of the Ramoabi clan

Although it’s summer break, the principal of one of my schools has called her sixth graders in for summer school; their teacher was out most of the year with T.B., and there’s no such thing as substitute teachers here. She’s been given permission to give them the end-of-the-year exams right after Christmas (other sixth graders took theirs in November.) So…. here I am still working! She and I are trying to get the children caught up and ready for the exams. I’m handling the English teaching; the children may not go on to grade seven if they fail their English exam. Anyway, you know me…I’m happy to be back in the classroom teaching, rather than watching and evaluating other teachers…and the children are helping me with Sesotho! I must get some sleep…they’re writing friendly letters tomorrow!

There is no Thanksgiving Day in Lesotho…at least not as we know it in the United States. Today was a regular work day for me…but…some people came from America to see what a “good working library” is like in this country. They chose to visit my primary school, Mopeli because I’m always bragging about how fine it is! This is why I am so thankful today: After showing off Mopeli (very successfully, I must say,) I asked the visiters if they would like to visit another one of my schools…one without a library. After they said yes, I explained why it is still impossible for me to get a library for this school…(extremely poor facilities…roof caving in, other roofs leaking, no space, etc.). Then I brought them to Lepholisa Primary School. It was a trip worth taking because someone finally saw why these children are without a library. Maybe…if we’re really lucky…someone will donate large plastic bins so I can at least make small libraries in each classroom. I am thankful to have been able to share this problem with some people who might make a difference.

I thought of all of you today; I am so thankful to have you as family and friends. I am thankful to have been brought up in a country that has so much to offer us as Americans. I am thankful for such a wonderful family…thankful to be blessed with two of the most incredible grandchildren an nkhono could ever want!!! I am thankful for my good health and the good health of all those I love.

Most of all, I am thankful that I have been chosen to show others how beautiful our world is…every flower, leaf, stream, creature. Life is good; it’s especially good for us in the U.S.A. I shall never stop being thankful for every living creature that shares this planet with us. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Rusty

November 17, 2010

I had a most interesting experience on my way home from school today...I walked right smack into a group of young girls who were a part of the traditional bale (girls' "coming of age" ceremony). This is usually held way up in the mountains...a very secretive ceremony...rarely seen by outsiders...especially non-Basotho!

I asked my ntate about the ceremony, and he gave me the following information:

1. It's definitely a secret tradition, so I was lucky to witness the small part of it that I did.

2. Usually girls who do not do well in traditional school drop out and join this group. Ntate says the girls are quite often non-readers/writers.

3. The girls, just like the young boys in similar initiation groups, are circumcised...yes, even today.

My pictures are a bit unclear because I didn't want to stand too close with my camera! I was later told that camera men have been beaten and their cameras destroyed. These girls, however, did very obviously stop to perform for me and some other on-lookers, so I really doubt that anyone would have harmed my camera!

There outfits were fascinating. They wore grass-like skirts which looked as though they might have been made from shredded plastic bags, very strange socks, wide, rubber-like belts around their waists, nothing above their waists and the strangest looking beaded masks. The upper parts of their bodies were covered in smeared gray clay. They all seemed very serious about what they were performing. They all also carried thin spear-like sticks, carved to a point at the tips.

We were very lucky yesterday. The rains stopped enough to allow a huge liquanyana (kindergarten) graduation at Mopeli Primary School. The celebration involved four different nursery schools from our district and went on from 8 A.M. until 5 P.M. Boy, do the Basotho know how to celebrate!!! There was feasting, singing, dancing, speeches and more feasting. A good time was had by all.

In order to properly prepare (get rid of dangers), Mopeli burned all the grass on its property in hopes that the puff adder would find a new home.

That was done last week; of course the children claim they saw the snake near the toilets the next day...who knows? So, people who came to the celebration were greeted with parched black ground all around!!

As soon as I got back to my rondavel, the rains started; it rained all night and is still raining now at 9:30 A.M. I'm at Renekeng today, sitting in a classroom filled with soaking wet kids trying to keep warm; at least we're all out of the rain...kind of...I'm counting at least six puddles on the floor of this fairly new classroom.

Keith Harrington, I must add to the last message; it seems that the daughter of one of your co-workers at the nursery works at Mopeli Primary School. Her mama was so proud to tell that she knew you way back when...!

We were very lucky yesterday. The rains stopped enough to allow a huge liquanyana (kindergarten) graduation at Mopeli Primary School. The celebration involved four different nursery schools from our district and went on from 8 A.M. until 5 P.M. Boy, do the Basotho know how to celebrate!!! There was feasting, singing, dancing, speeches and more feasting. A good time was had by all.

In order to properly prepare (get rid of dangers), Mopeli burned all the grass on its property in hopes that the puff adder would find a new home.

That was done last week; of course the children claim they saw the snake near the toilets the next day...who knows? So, people who came to the celebration were greeted with parched black ground all around!!

As soon as I got back to my rondavel, the rains started; it rained all night and is still raining now at 9:30 A.M. I'm at Renekeng today, sitting in a classroom filled with soaking wet kids trying to keep warm; at least we're all out of the rain...kind of...I'm counting at least six puddles on the floor of this fairly new classroom.

Keith Harrington, I must add to the last message; it seems that the daughter of one of your co-workers at the nursery works at Mopeli Primary School. Her mama was so proud to tell that she knew you way back when...!

I missed not celebrating Halloween; its not celebrated in Lesotho…kind of, you see, every day might be Halloween here with all the legends, superstitions and witches’ tales that the Basotho believe. For example: Last week there were two encounters with poisonous snakes here in Tabola. The first one was with a puff adder at one of my schools. The second was with a cobra at my compound. Okay, the fact that two poisonous snakes were seen in the vicinity within a week is bad enough, but the rumors that are flying around about their presence are even worse!!! It is being said, in town, that one young man followed the adder to the hole to which it was scurrying, and the adder quickly turned in the hole and stared into the eyes of the boy. After their eyes met, the boy went home not feeling well. He’s now in the hospital because he can’t seem to recover his health or strength!! I am told that he is to “be operated on” while in the hospital. Upon asking what the operation would be for, I was told, “to take care of whatever poison the snake has mysteriously administered to the boy through the eye staring!

No, I did not see either snake…wish I had! I brought up pictures of the black mamba, the puff adder and the cobra for people to see, and just looking at the photos nearly put a lot of Basotho into shock!

Keith Harrington, I hope you’re reading this!!!! (Keith is a former Peace Corps volunteer who sent me a letter back in August. He was stationed in Peka from 1986-1989.) Last week I went to visit the nursery you started when you were here! It was wonderful to visit with your former friends; they all remembered you and proudly showed me your pictures that are still hanging on the wall of the nursery building. The nursery is doing quite well. In fact, I bought a young pear tree to plant in my Ntate’s compound. The women with whom you worked remember you fondly!!

I was unable to gather much information about Peka High School; I know that it’s still in existence. A secretary at St Rose High School is a former student of your wife. She was in Form A at the time; her name is ‘Mamphiri Tsenekela…now Mathora Rathebe. I hope you received my snail mail letter asking for your email…I think that I may have forgotten to give you mine. Please just snail mail yours back to me and I’ll respond. I hope that you enjoy the pictures of my excursion to your nursery. You should feel very proud that you started a sustainable business for our Basotho friends. The picture you sent to me…standing in front of a sign, which said Peka Supermarket, was interesting. That building is now empty; there are a few small businesses in Peka, but, for the most part, Peka remains poor, with many unemployed hanging around the posong or spending their days drinking themselves into oblivion. No, the people do not use a slang version of “buy a donkey” to say thank you; they do, however, use the Afrikaans “tanki” to say thanks.

Unfortunately, Aid’s is running rampant here. Many young children are parentless, and being brought up by grandparents or other relatives. The country is still in denial about this devastating disease, but the Minister of Education is making a valiant effort to educate the young learners about abstinence and self-protection. People still do not list Aid’s as a cause of death on death certificates…anything but that. There are so many orphans and double orphans in the country now that they surpass the number of children with both parents. I’m sorry to paint such a dark picture of the state of health in Lesotho, but it’s a reality. The Basotho people are wonderful…still full of song, dance and laughter…they’re just not accepting, yet, of their grim future if they don’t do something about this epidemic.

On Friday, Mopeli Primary School took its grade seven students into Maseru for a special graduation picnic. We walked them over to a mall and WOW…THEY WERE JUST AWE STRUCK!! Most of these children have never been out of the village of Tabola…they’ve NEVER seen a city before…stoplights…elevators…escalators!!! They were so in awe of everything, that they didn’t utter a word in the mall. It was so wonderful to be a part of their discoveries! I love these children and wish I could bring every one of them home to see a bit of life in America.

And…. I was so thrilled to find out that Patti Murtha and Damian Lemak have gotten married and are living in Denver…yea!!! I realize that I have not sent pictures of the field trips to Katse Dam and Thaba Bosio; I’ll try to get them posted this week. I miss you all; stay warm and healthy! Love, Rusty

Here's a picture of one of my prize projects...gender equality...the BOYS are cooking the meat for lunch!

Here I'm riding a "horse" at the park and 'M'e Mathabo (the princiipal) is standing beside, giving the horse orders.

This is a picture of the Mopeli teachers when we took the seventh graders on a picnic in Maseru

Here's a picture of me and the teachers from Lepholisa.

This is a picture of the statue of King Meshoeshoe I, taken when we went to Maseru for the seventh grade picnic

That's a picture of Katse Dam taken from one of the winding roads.

1. This is the sign to read as you first travel up the path at Thaba Bosiu.

Thaba Bosiu (Mountain of the Night or Black Mountain) , is the famous mountain where King Meshoeshoe I protected the Basotho from all enemies...In these pictures you'll also see the famous mountain which prompted the design of the Basotho hat. Its name is Qiloane, pronounced with the famous African "click", and can be seen from Thaba Bosiu.

2. This is a shot of Qiloane Mountain, as seen from Thaba Bosiu.

3. A picture of the Renekeng teachers.

4. This is when we took the children into the parliament building, after Thaba Bosiu.

5. Just a mountain I saw from the bus; it looks like a lion to me.

6. This is the new Setsoto soccer stadium in Maseru.

7. This...my favorite...is when a camel smiled at me after I fed it some grass!!

Love you all, Mom

Someone must have been able to successfully steal a mixing stick and bring it to the chief because the rains came yesterday!!!!!...and they haven't stopped; it rained all last night and is still raining this morning. Poor Tsoene is so afraid of the thunder clappings that he doesn't know where to go in my tiny rondavel. He's now too big to fit under my bed and doesn't feel safe enough in my arms, so he just huddles and shivers on the floor.

I am so happy today for the Basotho because the rains have FINALLY come. The atmosphere in Tabola is is the same as the first day of snow in Steamboat!!! Of course, there are certain inconveniences...like constantly wet feet and shoes and a rondavel filled with wet laundry in every nook and cranny.! Love and miss you all, Rusty

You know that we're still in the dry season...no water now for over six months...well, the rains are supposed to come in October, but haven't yet. Now, here's the interesting part...for two days now, kids have come to the gate of the compound at about dusk and called "''M'e Neo, 'M'e Neo". The first time I went to the gate, 'M'e Mantshohli yelled, "Lock your door and don't let the kids in! They're trying to steal your stirring stick (wooden spoon or stick for mixing bread dough). I said, "Why?" Her answer was, "Because legend in Lesotho has it that when the rains don't come, if a child can steal a mixing stick and bring it to the chief of the village, the rains will come." So of course I answered, "So why don't I just give them my ole mixing stick?" to which she replied, "Oh, no; you can't do that...it MUST BE STOLEN!" You know me, I'm ready to accidently leave my door open to help the kids, but I've asked several adults about it, and they're all convinced that if I help the kids in any way, the rains won't come! Aren't legends and traditions just amazing? 'Night, I've got to get some sleep.

The month of October has been my exploration month! It began with a school trip to Katse Dam in the mountains of Lesotho. What an incredible trip! Some of the highlights were:

1. Seeing the faces of the students when they were given Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch! It was as though someone had ordered champagne and caviar for all!

2. My ride up and through the mountains on the oldest, most rickety bus one could imagine! There were actually times when I had to close my eyes; the mountain roads are NOTHING like American mountain roads!

3. Stopping the bus on the steepest incline and narrowest curve possible so the kids could all get out and take a bathroom break…in the middle of nowhere!

4. Again, stopping in the most dangerous, curvy places to allow donkeys to cross the road.

5. The enormity of the mighty dam, surrounded by tiny stone and stick huts with people living in the vicinity without electricity, plumbing, heat, transportation, etc.

6. And again, stopping on a crazy curve on the way back, so we could all get out and dance on the road, making our own music with mouths, shoes, sticks and stones!.

It was a wonderful field trip!!

A few days later I went on another school field trip. This time we went to the famous Thaba Basio…the mountain that represents the beginning of the history of the Lesotho people. It’s where King Meshoeshoe I protected his people from the Boars and other enemies. After climbing the mountain and learning the history of the forming of the Kingdom of Lesotho, we went to visit the Parliament building in Maseru. The children got to sit in the councilmen’s chairs, etc.,…but their biggest thrill was driving through a city! None of them had ever seen a stoplight before! On the way home, we stopped at the Lesotho Agricultural College and got to see three camels being cared for by the agricultural students..

That trip was on Friday, the day before a weeklong school break. On Saturday my friend Karen and I left for Victoria Falls. We stayed in Zimbabwe and went on a safari in nearby Botswana. The safari was an all day affair; the morning was spent sighting animals from a boat on the Zambezi River, which separates Botswana from Namibia. I guess I can say I was in Namibia because we pulled right up to shore to watch an elephant give himself a mud bath.

After an incredible buffet lunch, we piled into jeeps and drove through a national park…Wow…I wish I could send the hundreds of wonderful photos home for everyone to see…we saw herds of elephants, hippos, water buffaloes, giraffes, a lioness, warthogs, monkeys!!! It was one of my most special days!

Our day of viewing the falls was just as breathtaking. It’s the dry season in most of Africa right now, so the falls were not at their fullest. We were told that we might be disappointed, but we certainly weren’t. Apparently, when the falls are at their fullest, there’s so much fog and mist that you really don’t get a very clear viewing. Well, we saw everything…even a group of crazy teenagers on the Zambia side sitting in a pool of water RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE FALLS.

Africa is a wonderful continent…and I’ve only just begun to explore it! In trying to sum up my trip, I guess I’ve come back to Lesotho with my eyes, mind and heart more aware of the work that needs to be done here. Botswana and Zimbabwe were so clean…no litter anywhere. I suppose one could say that it was that way because I was in tourist territory, but that’s really not the case. We drove through poor areas in both countries and they were litter free. Both countries had signs on the roads reminding people to pick up after themselves. Not so in Lesotho…but I’ve not given up yet. Even if the government of this tiny kingdom doesn’t have a sanitation department or litter/conservation education, that doesn’t mean it can’t be introduced in the schools…maybe by Peace Corps volunteers!!! (I can feel another school project formulating in this crazy brain for next year.)

I wish I could somehow bring you all with me when I travel. I want you to meet the wonderful and diverse people of Africa! I miss you all, and want to remind you, again, of what a lush, privileged life we live in America. Those of you living in Steamboat, please help the home school group with their project of bringing a library to my children here in Tabola. Go to their bake sale on October 25th at City Market.

Ntate Lebohang Patrick Koto has died. He was a wonderful teacher and an even more wonderful friend. Memories of his smile, his voice, his love of music will be in my heart always. May his soul rest in peace, and may his dear wife and two young children find comfort in knowing that he is no longer in pain. May we all find happiness in his memory.

just a cute picture of Tsoene in his bed

this is the rooster I meant to send last week. He just decided to pay the school (Mopeli) a visit one morning

two donkeys (lidonki, pronounced deedonkee, or liesele, pronounced dee esele. donki is Afrikans and esele esotho. li or ba in front of a nound makes it plural. We met these donkeys on the way to Nkhono's.

this is a baby lamb (konyane) I met on the hike to Nkhono's house

Where do I begin?…perhaps at the point of present thoughts…I hope that this is the worst week I’ll ever have had experienced in the Peace Corps. That being said, I can now tell you that we here in Lesotho are all survivors; we are strong and share a common bond. Thank goodness!

Let’s go back to last Thursday. That’s when I went to visit a dear friend in Peka. Ntate Koto is a teacher at one of the schools to which I am assigned. I went to visit because he’s quite ill with tuberculosis. It is thought that he contracted it when he was at college during our winter break from school. He thought he had a cold, and when his cough worsened, he had it checked out; that’s when it was discovered that he had tuberculosis. He was put on medication, so all of us were relieved to know that he was on the road to recovery. Last week we were told that he had been taken off his medication because of adverse affects on his liver, so many of us went to pay Ntate Koto a visit after school. Now, you may remember the pictures that were posted of Ntate’s 43rd. birthday. You could see that he was a handsome, young and vibrant man. When I saw him on Thursday, he had aged about thirty years; he was small, frail and curled up on his mattress like an infant; he could barely speak, but he was still so happy to see us. It was then that I said a silent good-bye to my friend.

The next day, after an awful night’s sleep, I did something to make me feel much better. I went with some Girl Guides (like American Girl Scouts) to help a very old Nkhono in my village.

This is a view of Mopeli from the top of one of the hills we climbed on the way to Nkhono's hut.

These are the girl guides trudging up the road with supplies for Nkhono

Some teachers went with us, so we all pitched in with the dancing, singing and jobs to be done…

This is a picture of Nkhono Alis

We had found out that she had no food, was too weak to wash her clothes and house, and was desperately worried about her seventh grade grandson for whom she was responsible; both of his parents had died. Nkhono and Sekloholo

Nkhono Alis, Motsoalle and Me 2

The girls were WONDERFUL!!! They sang and danced as they did their chores.

this is a picture of a dunga, a deep, eroded pit, which we passed on the way to Nkhono's place. There are many dungas here because the people haven't quite grasped the concept of soil erosion.

Cow Dung and loam

This is one of the teachers chopping wood with the grandson

This is the mixing of cow dung and soil so that the outside of the hut can be smeared

we smeared the outside of her hut with a mixture of cow dung and soil (part of a Masotho’s spring cleaning).Smearing 2Then we washed blankets,

Washing Blankets

put tons of donated food away and danced and sang some more!!

some of the girl guides who helped that day. They're sitting in the middle of Nkhono's compound.

I had to leave the “party” early because of another obligation, so I went to say good-bye to Nkhono Alis…but she wouldn’t let me go! She insisted that I wait just one more minute because she had a gift for me. I did, all the while wondering what this woman who owned virtually nothing wanted to give me. Finally Nkhono hobbled out holding two mismatched glasses…kind of like the ones you’d see at a second-hand shop. My heart wanted to break when I saw how proud she was of her gift for me. I wanted to cry, “No, Nkhono, you need those for you and your grandson. Please, please keep them!” But I didn’t because I knew how much it meant to her to be able to give something in return. There was no way I would refuse the gifts and hurt her feelings. When I leave Lesotho I have already decided to leave most of my possessions behind; I still will…with the exception of my two lovely glasses.

the gift

By the way, Nkhono told me that she was born in 1912!!!!! That would make her 98 years old. I asked my ‘M’e who couldn’t confirm Nkhono’s age; but what does that really matter? That day I felt that there was an angel (or maybe a turtle) watching over all of us.

It was an inspiring and wonderful day. It was also the day I found the pen-pal letters from America waiting at the post office for one of my classes!

That same evening I received the tragic news that one of my fellow volunteers had been shot and killed in Maseru. My heart sank when I heard the story of his death. I joined my colleagues the next day and the mourning process began. Hard, hard, hard. A memorial service was held for him on Monday. I am back in Tabola now…happy to be back with the Basotho people I call family. They have been wonderfully supportive during this horrendous week. I worry about my young colleagues. Most of them are having a lot of trouble coping right now. I know that time is a great healer, but I also know that time is slowly passing for all these volunteers. I know that none of us can “fix this mess”…but all of us wish, somehow, we magically could just make it all go away.

I must close by telling you that I am very proud of all the volunteers in Lesotho…especially my Ed. ’10 group (of which Tom Maresco was a part). We shall survive this. A special thank you must go out to the Lesotho Peace Corps Staff. Their incredible work has made this tragedy easier to handle. They addressed and took care of all the logistics of getting every volunteer safely back to headquarters, feeding us, putting us up in various places for many nights, organizing a profound memorial for Tom Maresco, Jr., who, by the way, was only 24 years old and the only child of Mr. And Mrs. Maresco, and finally, having the foresight to have professional counselors available for all involved. Thank you, Tabby, for your kind council. I am still very proud to be a member of the U.S. Peace Corps.

some lovely peach blossoms along the path...they're all over the countryside right now

This is a view of my rondavel and Ntate and 'M'e's house...the peach colored one...as we climbed another hill to Nkhono's place.

I taught the Mamoabis how to make smores one night. This is a picture of Mathabo and Teko roasting marshmallows.

You know those times in life when you could just kick yourself for not having a camera? Well yesterday was one for me. I opened the door to the pit latrine at one of my schools and I was greeted by three frightened, VERY young lambs! When they saw me, they huddled closely together as though I were some sort of evil monster. When I tried to approach them, the three of them scrambled up to the seat of the latrine so fast that I was afraid one would fall in. I backed off and calmly tried to coax them outside...no dice!!! So, I walked slowly toward them, just to get them to jump down from the pit, which they did. The poor things were so afraid of me that they couldn't even utter a whisper of a baaa. Finally, I realized I'd have to pick them up. So I did, one by one, and placed them outside the toilet. As I put each one down, it squeeled a fervent baaa for mama. What an experience! These little guys where so new that they were still white!! I guess those are some pictures that will be in my heart only.

Last week there was a cultural day in Peka. My three schools participated in dancing, singing, debate and poetry competitions! Mopeli took first place in the poetry section because of a poem a fifth grader wrote on A.I.D.s. She'll participate, now in the district (state) competition! Yea! We're slowly making progress toward the connection of electricity to one of my schools; things go slowly here, and I've learned to take baby steps and be happy with anything that happens even in "Basotho time". I'll try to get some pictures of the cultural day events posted as soon as I get back to my home in Tabola. The air is filled with spring...birds chirping, peach and apricot trees blooming, children shedding layers and smiling more! Life is good in Lesotho; I hope it's good for you wherever you are! Rusty

Here are the pictures:

10. should be a picture of a rooster which wandered onto school property

5. girls dancing...note the bells under the skirts...made from bottle caps

12. a group portrait of the Lapholisa boys and girls before they performed

14. boys dancing

20. girls singing

27. the pattern on my seshoeshoe

4. teachers sitting and waiting for the competitions to begin

6. younger girls dancing

13. boys dancing

16. fifth grade poetry winner performing her original poem about AIDs

25. boys singing

This has been such a fun week in Tabola! It was the first week back to school after the long winter break (June 8th.-August 2nd). The month I spent in the U.S.A. helped me to beat the coldest part of the year in Lesotho. Now, although the mornings and evenings are still quite chilly, the afternoons are sunny and pleasant…shirtsleeve or sweatshirt weather.

Thanks to the incredible donation of 308 pairs of brand new socks from friends of Audry and Fran, there are now a lot fewer cold toes in Leribe!

The children were thrilled with their likausi (socks, pronounced deekaoosee).

I also managed to bring back an “I love NY) tee shirt for each teacher in the three schools I service. The teachers have decided to wear their new shirts to the next sporting event, so I’ll try to catch an image during the games.

I also found out that each school will be going on a field trip in September!!!! Fun!!! Renekeng will be going to Taba Basio, the mountain which houses the ruins, gravesites and story of the founding of Lesotho by King Meshoeshoe I. I’ve already been there and am anxious to go back; I want to know as much as I can about this magical “Kingdom in the Sky”. Lepholisa (pronounced Laypodeesa) has decided that their trip will be to Khatse Dam; I haven’t seen this place yet, but here the scenery is magnificent. Mopeli (pronounced Mopedee) has not decided where their school trip will be…I’m hoping we go on some sort of safari…oh well, I can still dream.

My last bit of fun news is that the Steamboat Springs home school parents have decided to help build a library for one of my schools! I believe they’ve already begun fund raising and collecting new and gently used books. If anyone in the area wants to lend a hand with books or fund raising, I’m sure they’d welcome your help.

Tomorrow I shall take a young boy into Maputsoe to buy him a pair of shoes. Then I’ll meet some other volunteers later in the day to discuss a workshop we’re planning about teaching life skills (mainly H.I.V./A.I.D.s prevention and care).

I spent a lovely afternoon playing cards with Ntate and ‘M’e Ramoabi. I was the BIG loser…but it was still so much fun. We sat outside to play, allowing the spring sun to beat down on us…lovely. It’s truly wonderful to be back!

August 2, 2010 It's good to be back home in Lesotho! My visit to the U.S.A. was very good, but I am glad to be back and working again!! It was wonderful to see Joey and Lulu, my two grandchildren!! Yes, of course I've come back here with loads of pictures of the darlings. I've finally figured out how to get into this blog, so I'm writing directly to it rather than through Audry. Unfortunately, I haven't the slightest idea of how to post pictures; maybe Audry will be kind enough to post Joey and Lulu for me. The east coast was hot and muggy...CT was just a bit better, but the joy of being with Golfo, her family and my family made the weather quite bearable! ( Golfo, by the way, is doing quite well; she had surgery two weeks ago to remove the cancer from her body. According to the oncologist, there is no visible cancer left. She will undergo 3-6 more chemo sessions, and, hopefully be back on her feet and running around by mid November.) I must admit that the first two weeks I actually savored the heat...having come from the middle of winter in Lesotho! My timing for the trip back to the U.S.A. was just right (thank you, Audry and Jedd) as spring has just begun here. I am told that July was incredibly cold! Thanks to the generosity of two of Audry's friends, I brought back over 300 pairs of brand new black socks for the school children. Mornings and evenings are still quite cold here, and will be through September, so the socks are very welcome!!

Life is hard but good here; I am loving working with the young teachers and learning from the old M'es.

Of all the things I've experienced so far, the hardest has been the constant appearance of death in every family. One in four people is infected with H.I.V. Most are very religious and refuse to believe it exists...or that its contracted through sex. Educating the young has been difficult because of the elders' resistence to the entire idea that this disease exists. But...kids ARE listening. Elder Basotho culture believes in the inferiority of the female; they also believe in the concept of multiple partners. Our biggest mission has been to promote the idea of safe sex through one love relationships. I fear that if the Basotho don't "catch on" soon, there will be no future for the country...in fact, there may be an extinct group of Africans if we don't get this awful disease checked. Saturdays are designated official funeral days in this country. You see, the elders who are still around are from the time before the outbreak of H.I.V. In their minds, most of the young are dying from "broken fingers" or common colds...this is true...I have seen these things written on death certificates.

But, as I said before, the young are listening; when I help to teach life skills, they are asking good questions! I love these people and can't wait until you get to meet some of them...

You know, cold is really quite relative; of course you know that, but it's such an acute reality for me here in Lesotho. Coming from the mountains of Colorado, I've boasted about the cold temperatures with pride, claiming that I was one of the “hardy” ones...able to withstand the minus numbers with a smile on my face. And that was true, not withstanding a few facts like a lovely car heater, a toasty fireplace in the living room, heat in every room of my house...with two thermostats...and all the perfect cold weather clothing a person could want!

Let me tell you about my winter in Tabola. First of all, the temperatures don't plunge nearly so low as they do in Steamboat...BUT...it's pretty darn cold here. There's no snow on the ground to soften the chill, and the wind just whips through the air like its ready to cut everything down. I must say, however, that the sun, starting at about 10:30 each morning, does change my outlook quite a bit...especially when I stand with my back soaking in all the magnificent rays!! By midday the weather becomes bearable...so long as that ole sun is shining! If it's not, well...there's nothing but misery until I climb into my indispensable sleeping bag WITH SOCKS ON, something I've learned to do since coming to Lesotho. That's the outside temperatures.

What makes life so different in the winter here, is the fact that there's no difference inside!! It's, cold, cold, cold! On weekends I open my door at about10:30 to allow the sun to do its magic. Luckily for me, my rondavel is tiny; I am able to heat it to an almost comfortable (with coat on) condition with my gas heater. Now the schools, on the other hand, have no heat, no electricity and many broken windows. I still bother to pick out my clothing for each day and dress according to the colors of the uniforms necessary for the school to which I will go, but I don't know why...since I never take my coat off! There's one classroom, in particular, which I run to every time I'm at Renekeng Primary School. It's the standard seven room; the sun just pours into the room and warms all who are lucky enough to have sun at their desks. The teacher's desk is RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUN!!!!... and she always lets me sit with her. Ah, it's the little things in life that make us most happy! I must tell you that I would flock to this room even if it wasn't the sunniest because these kids happen to be my favorite seventh standard class.

I had a very interesting weekend. It started on Friday, when Mopeli Primary School was having a “funny” day. This is a very common fund raising activity in the Lesotho schools. For 50 disente (fifty cents...which is actually equivalent to less than 1 cent American), the children are allowed to wear crazy things to school. It's a really big deal since they are required to wear school uniforms to school each day. Most of the girls dress as herds boys, and most of the boys either borrow their 'm'es' seshoeshoes or find some cool sun glasses and try to look like rap singers.

I borrowed my 'm'e's seshoeshoe (she's twice my size), and stuffed myself with pillows...both front and back. When I looked at myself in my tiny mirror I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen!! And, I was toasty warm walking to school.

(here I am, fat and beautiful...according to the Basotho!)

On the way to school I met many ntates, 'm'es and Mopeli students. The students looked at me and laughed and laughed, but the adult reactions were quite different. Most of them stopped me and complimented me on how beautiful I looked!!! “Ou motle, 'M'e Neo...ou motle hoholo!” (“You're beautiful, 'M'e Neo...very beautiful!”) You see, the ideal Basotho woman is quite large...big hipped, huge “mountains'...breasts, and huge arms and shoulders. In fact, one of the nicest compliments you can be given is for someone to say you're getting fat! The men, on the other hand, are quite slim.

Sunday was another very interesting experience. I had “locked” myself into my rondavel all day to finish some important Peace Corp paper work. Outside, I could hear my family scurrying about , back and forth, back and forth. I knew something important was going on. When I took a short break, I asked what all the bustle was. It seems that they had an order for 34 chickens from the South African Embassy in Maseru and had to have them slaughtered and cleaned by Monday morning. I went back inside, worked a lot more, and when my eyes had “had it”, I went back outside. I asked if I could be of any help to them in getting things ready for the morning...well...'M'e Mamoabi said, “Why yes, that would be wonderful. You can pull all the feathers off the heads and pull off the top and bottom beaks.” I DID ask, so I proceeded to learn how to clean chicken's heads! I stopped helping when it got dark, about 6:00 P.M., but the rest of the family worked well into the night...outside...!!

One of Ntate Ramoabi and 'M'e Mamoabi's daughters works for the S.A. Embassy and got them the order.

On a more serious note...the cold again...I joke about it. I am well equipped with the proper outer wear, but it breaks my heart to see most of the students coming to school with no socks, tights, hats, gloves...even coats. If any of you are serious about wanting to do something to help the Lesotho children, you can send some black tights, black or white socks, hats or gloves of any kind, sweaters, old jackets, etc. None of the stuff needs to be new. Any size will do, since primary school houses children from ages 6 through 18. That would be such a needed and appreciated gift. I'd be sure that the neediest children got whatever is sent. Packages can be sent to Rusty de Lucia, P.C .V.

P.O. Box 31

Peka 340, Lesotho

(southern Africa)

Thank you for anything you can send to help the children, Rusty

It's so nice to have the internet again. I was feeling really isolated for a while...thank goodness for my children's weekly phone calls!!! It's Sunday; I have a HUGE trimester report due in the Peace Corps office by the end of the month...but I'd rather talk with you.

School's almost over...June 11 will be the last day before winter break. I know, I know, winter break in June seems strange to me too! Hopefully, I shall be able to come back to the U.S.A. In June or July to see Golfo. Everyone keep your prayers going for Jedd and Aud to find an inexpensive ticket.

The multiplication Bee was a huge success. I was so proud of all those who competed! The coveted prizes were passed around and shown to every student!

(this abuti was the grand winner of the Multiplication Bee. He's showing off his new ball)

I want to thank Aud and Fran, Jedd and Lauren, and of course, Bobbi for all the lovely donated items!!! The day turned out to be sunny and warm; we were able to compete outdoors and then spend the afternoon playing soccer (boys) and netball (girls). Mopeli won the Multiplication Bee and Renekeng girls won the netball match. Lepholisa didn't stay for the afternoon activities.

(boys having a soccer competition after the mult. bee)

The well in our compound has either broken or gone dry; we've been without water for two days now. Oh well, such is life in Lesotho...we all just keep singin', dancin' and smilin'!! Maybe we'll have some water tomorrow. I'm making this really short because I DO have to do my Peace Corps report today. I'm so glad to be back in touch! Enjoy the new pictures, Rusty

It's been almost a month since my last entry...so much has happened...both good and bad. Life is pretty much the same, whether in North America or South Africa. I am learning a deep appreciation for the little things that make a day bright,

(a morning sky in Tabola)

(our new chicks...they're two weeks old now)

(our pig...no name; I just call him Fariki (pig))

like seeing a pig and and its five little babies feeding on my way home from school, or watching the young ones perform some of their traditional songs and dances ...and speaking of songs and dances, Lepholisa had a Cultural Day last Wednesday. We spent the morning cooking traditional foods for the afternoon feast.

(believe it or not, we cooked bread (actually steamed it) in plastic bags in one of the big black kettles...open fire, outside...no, the plastic didn't melt and the steamed bread was delicious!)

(a girl carrying water to one of our fires for the big cultural day feast)

Most of the children wore traditional garb...seshoeshoes borrowed from Mom for the girls and blankets for the boys. The girls actually wore traditional blankets over their seshoeshoes.

(some of the girls and boys in blankets accompanying the dancing with song and drum (plastic buckets))

(some of the girls wearing their own homemade dance skirts...made from rags and plastic bags...plastic bags are quite a commodity here...very recyclable.)

I, too, dressed in the traditional garb of the Basotho women...seshoeshoe, head scarf, blanket and Lesotho hat.

(seventh standard girls doing a traditional Basotho dance in costume)

(standard seven girls doing a different traditional dance...it's white clay from the river on their bodies)

(two standard five girls dressed the way the Basotho used to dress. They are covered in red clay.)

(this is a typical traditional Lesotho blanket. They're all quite lovely.)

(These are the boots the herdsboys wear. The latest fad is to try to decorate them with the tops of different sports socks. The boots come in all colors.) (this is one of the traditional abuti (boys') dances)

(Oh. this was a school concert...some of the m'es just got up and started dancing with the kids)

(this is one of the mamas watching the concert. I included this picture to show the healthy attitude Basotho have about the natural beauty of breast feeding. It's a common and open occurance...done with pride!) (another mama watching the concert)

In the afternoon we feasted on what the classes had prepared after performances from every grade level. It was wonderful!!

By the way, I still have no internet; I'll try to make it in to Maseru this weekend to see if the problem can be resolved. I don't remember whether or not I spoke of Clarens, South Africa in my last entry, but it was quite the experience! (a typical house in Clarens)

I went through a bit of culture shock to find myself suddenly surrounded by white people instead of Basotho. Needless to say, I quickly adapted to the creature comforts I'd missed since living in Lesotho!

(the taxi rank just over the border into Ficksburg, S.A.)

Our cottage was lovely;

it was called Treehouse because of three huge trees growing up through the roof of the house. (the tree house we stayed in in Clarens; notice the two tree stumps growing through the roof toward the bottom of the picture and the dead tree growing through the roof toward the top of the picture (my bedroom))

Two of the trees were in Kaye's bedroom and one was in mine. (me in my bedroom in the treehouse cottage)

The cottage was equipped with electricity, heat, running water, flushing toilets and and a beautifully tiled shower! The town was teeming with restaurants, art galleries, fashion shops, etc....and, best of all, there wasn't a small scratch of paper to be seen anywhere on the ground. Lesotho has not caught up, environmentally, with the fact that they now have canned and wrapped goods, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, etc. There is no department of sanitation in this country, and no one in the government has made any effort whatsoever to teach the population what to do with all the new wrappings. Consequently, wherever one walks in Lesotho, one steps on paper, snack bags, broken glass, etc. At any rate, the weekend was a lovely rest from my extremely basic living in Tabola. One of my pipe dreams is to start an environment awareness project in my village. Hopefully, starting with the primary grades, I can make the community aware of picking up trash and not just dropping things on the ground when their use is over. I'd even like to get a couple of barrels placed along the main road that runs through town, and then have some high school clubs empty the trash barrels weekly...big dreams, I know!

The young Ausi Mathabo who has been living with us at the compound has been sent to Maseru to work for one of the Ramoabi's daughters...the mother of young Teko, in fact. Today was a very sad farewell for all of us. I hated to see Mathabo and Teko leave...but, this is life in Lesotho. Mathabo is the young lady I've been trying to get a Peace Corps scholarship for so that she may attend high school. If the scholarship comes through, maybe she'll be able to attend school in Maseru. She and I have become quite close, so the next few days will be difficult, indeed. Again, I am learning to appreciate the people I meet with a new intensity...one that reminds me that we may cross paths ever so briefly, but the influence of the moment should never be taken for granted. In two weeks (June 3rd.) Kaye will leave for America.

A special note for Lauren: Oh my goodness, Lauren, the two homemade hats that you sent in the package of winter clothes were the hit of the day!! M'e Mamoabi took the green one and has been wearing it all day!!!

(M'e Mamoabi in one of Lauren's hats)

Mathabo took the pink one and wore it as she rode off to Maseru. Ntate Ramoabi wants to know where his is!! Jedd, the scarves and long underwear were passed along to Abuti Morolong. They should come in so handy in the fields now that the weather's getting “down there”.

This Thursday will be the big Multiplication Bee between my three primary schools. Thanks to all the wonderful stickers and special supplies my family has sent, there will be prizes galore to celebrate the victories of the top students!!! I can't wait; it's just wonderful to see the students learning for the fun and excitement of learning rather than just because they might be hit for not doing well!!!...little steps. I am so sad that I can't send this right off to all of you; you are all missed!

Here's a picture that Kaye took when we went to dinner in Clarens.

To my left is Becky, a former volunteer now living in Maseru and working for a non-profit org. named Letsema; she's working on the African Library Project. Sitting on the other side is Eliabeth from Great Britain. She's about my age...a bit younger, actually; she and her husband, David, (sitting on the end) are working at a Church School near TY. They're a lovely couple; I'm so glad to have met them...especially since Kaye is leaving in a few weeks. David is a retired C.O., now a computer wiz. As soon as I can get into TY, he'll try to fix my internet problem. The CA looking blond is Kaye...a great volunteer from Sacramento. She's the one who will go to Jamaica when she leaves Lesotho in June. That meal gave me my first taste of hard apple cider...yum!!! Love, Mom...as soon as my computer is fixed, I'll send my own pictures from Clarens, S.A.

Yesterday was my son's birthday. I sang happy birthday to him on the phone... it was April 26 here in Lesotho, but only April 25 in the U.S.! Oh well...better early than not at all.

Since the weather is getting colder, I decided to try to work my gas heater...in preparation for the really cold days. It was out of gas so Ausi Mathabo and I filled the empty gas cylinder into a wheelbarrow and proceeded to wheel it down to the shoppong (store). I am so glad she was with me...we no sooner left the compound than the rain started pouring down. What a sight...a black girl and a white old lady tripping and laughing through the mud and getting soaked to the blankets!!!! The wheelbarrow rolled over and the cylinder fell out, inching its way down the muddy stream of a road. We ran, caught it, lugged it back up to the wheelbarrow and started again. When we finally made it to the shoppong, we were both black...head to toe!! It cost me one hundred ten maluti to fill the cylinder; I believe that translates to about seventeen dollars. It's a pretty big cylinder too; it stands about two feet tall and has a diameter of about twelve inches. I should think that that will hold enough gas to get me through the winter.

By the time we got back to the compound (it's about a ten minute walk there and a fifteen minute walk back...all uphill), we were soaked but warm with laughter and the exertion of trying to get the wheelbarrow back up the muddy road. Poor Tsoene; he HATES the heater. As soon as I lit it, he cried to be let out;

(Tsoene on my roof)

I let him out and he cried to be let in out of the rain; I let him in and he began crying again. I finally realized the problem was his fear of the heater and picked him up to ease his tension. It worked...at least we hit a compromise; I was allowed to leave the heater running so long as I held him in my lap. So far that's the only thing my little Matata (trouble-maker) seems to be afraid of.

I am still without internet service in Tabola, so I am sorry for the long pauses between blog entries. I am trying to get the problem solved. This weekend I shall take my first vacation in five months!! Another volunteer, Kaye, and I will rent a cottage in Clarens, South Africa. If you've a map handy, Clarens sits just north of the most northerly part of Lesotho...a bit below Bethlehem, South Africa. Some other volunteers are also coming with us; we're all chipping in on the cost of the house...and yes, I'm bringing dominoes along!!!

Let's see, what else can I report about the schools??...not much more than they're really cold! We wear our coats all day in the classrooms and squint to see the chalkboard writings when the days are dark and gray. The children still assemble outside each morning, but now the sound of so many little coughs usually drowns out the morning prayers. All three of my schools are getting ready for a multiplication Bee Competition. Kaye, my friend who will leave the Peace Corps in June, gave me two huge maps...one of the world and the other of North America. I've decided that it would be unfair to just give the maps to one school and not another, so they will be the prize for the school which does the best in the Multipllication Bee. Oh, if any of you have any old children's coats or jackets that you'd like to send here, I KNOW I can find some adorable but cold little bodies to gratefully accept them....even some old tights, sweaters, heavy socks, mittens, scarves, hats would be loved and well used.

As far as Golfo is concerned, the only news I've received is that she's begun her chemotherapy and had an extremely hard first week. How I wish I could be with her right now. I guess that positive thoughts and conversations with that Higher Spirit will have to do for now.

Hopefully, I'll be able to send this off to you from Clarens. Miss you all, Rusty

Morning...it's chilly here in Maseru, but not yet bitter cold. We've (the 2010 Education group) been here since Sunday...recapping, analyzing, relaxing, enjoying hot running water and flush toilets, malls, movie houses, restaurants and each other's company....and I'm more than ready to go back to my not-so-sophisticated village of Tabola. Every afternoon this week we've continued with Sesotho lessons...now we're into learning many of the “slangs”. That should be pretty useful to us.

My friend, Mary, has decided to go home; that's kind of sad for me, but she needs to do what her heart tells her. My next closest friend, Kaye,,,a C.H.E.D. (community health and environmental development) volunteer...will be leaving on June 1st. So, things are looking a bit different right about now. Thank goodness for all the emails and pictures; that's really keeping me going!

Last week St Rose High School held a huge cultural festival. We started the day by parading from the high school grounds into the town of Peka and up to the chief's place. The kids were dressed in traditional garb...quite a scene as we paraded through the streets of the village (dirt roads). Some of the girls had painted their bodies and were wearing dancing skirts only...totally acceptable in this culture. Others wore incredibly beautiful seshoeshoes (pronounced seshwayshways.). Both boys and girls wore traditional Lesotho blankets over their things...yes, blankets are worn in all weather; they protect from heat, cold, wind, rain and sun. Most of the students performed in the afternoon; it was quite a day.

At Lepholisa last week the fifth grade home economics lesson was the drying of peaches and moroho (vegetable leaves). The particular leaves in the picture are pumpkin leaves. They're washed and chopped finely and then laid out to dry for about three days. The peaches (peregise) are sliced and laid out to dry also. It's been kind of hard for me to accept the constant presence of flies...zillions of them...especially during the drying of food. You see, it's just laid out on whatever for about three or four days...brought in at night and laid out again in the morning until the food has completely dried.

We've been at the training center since Sunday...more language lessons, H.I.V./A.I.D.s lessons, lectures, lectures and more lectures...ugh. After leading such active lives in our villages for the past three months, it's really hard for all of us to sit all day long and be talked to, at and about! I just got called out of my room to watch one of the gals shave all the hair off one of the boy's heads!!! Now you know we're getting pretty anxious for some action. We were all going to treat ourselves and go to see a movie...yup, there's a brand new movie theatre at a nearby mall here in Maseru...but it's one of the girl's birthday, today, so we stayed home, made a cake, sang, etc. Poor Eric; it's a good thing his mama can't see his head right now! Shanti, the girl who's shaving it, has been really “celebrating” the birthday, so her handling of the shaver is not quite perfect. Have I told you that all these kids are great...and REALLY crazy?

April 2, 2010

Easter is a very big holiday in Lesotho because 99% of its inhabitants are Christians. Ntate Ramoabi and M'e Mamoabi have almost the entire family here for the holidays. Ntate Motalla...that's Ntate's first name...is just like my father. In fact, his Christian name is Joseph! At any rate, he's in his glory, joking with all the grand children and enjoying the company of his older sons. M'e Mamoabi is just so happy to have all of her children around her. The truth is, I'm a bit jealous because I miss my family so much, but I have been welcomed by everyone into this family, and that is quite an Easter blessing. Yes, I am sad to say that commercialism has hit Lesotho; yesterday, when I was in Maseru, I went to a mall with a friend and was greeted by an Easter Bunny!!!! There are no Easter baskets, but the stores do have Easter candies. Here in Tabola the holiday is a lot more spiritual and not at all commercial..I'll let you know more about it tomorrow after the big family feast. Rusty

1.This picture shows how my rondavel turned into the arts and crafts center during the big feast.

2.Shows a picture of Ausi Mathabo. She's the orphan who lives with and works for the Ramoabis. They are so good to her...treat her like one of their own. I'm trying to get her a scholarship so that she can finish high school. She's only completed seventh grade because that's as far as free education in Lesotho goes. In fact, she did seventh grade twice, just so she could stay in school. She's so bright.

3. This is a picture of one of the younger grandchildren, Ausi Neo..yes, same as my name. She's fascinated with her new paper crane. Can you see Tsoene crashed on the bed? He was out hunting all night!

4. Ausi again.

5. This is most of the grandchildren standing in front of my rondavel.

6. ...me and the grandchildren

7. ...some relatives who came to the feast.

8. M'e Mamoabi wearing her traditional blanket.

9. Kids in the doorway...we had so much fun doing arts and crafts and playing yahtze.

April 6, 2010

Easter in Lesotho was quite the lesson in cross cultural learning! On Easter Saturday, my family threw a HUGE feast for all the relatives and many of the close friends in the village. Joala (Basotho homemade beer) was made, a cow was slaughtered, vegetables were chopped, chopped and chopped! Preparations began early in the morning, but the cow wasn't killed until the entire family had arrived. I was invited to watch...now here's where I needed to be sensitive to the Basotho culture...so, I politely accepted the invitation, saying that I'd be there as soon as my camera was ready. Luckily, that worked and I missed the slaughter. I was obliged, however, to take a picture of the carcass; no, I'm not sending that shot along to all of you! The feast was wonderful! Dancing, singing, eating and drinking went on all day and long into the night. I felt very much “at home” celebrating with my Lesotho family.

The next morning, Easter Sunday, Kaye and I went to the Easter service at St. Rose Roman Catholic Church. Paul and Kay, if you're reading this, I want you to know that I couldn't stop thinking of the two of you! When we walked into the church, we felt as though we could have been in any church in America celebrating Easter...(our eyes have grown so accustomed to peeling paint, gaping roof holes and cracked floors that we didn't notice them.) All we saw was the beautiful white alter coverings, the lovely robes on the priests and alter boys and the gorgeous flower arrangements! Then...the service began...oh the rhythms, the body movements and the sounds coming from the choir and the congregation were something to see and hear!! It was all magnificent! M'es and ausis were decked in their best seshoeshoes, the men had their best clothes on and the children were in new Easter outfits. There were many traditional blankets covering both Ntates and M'es. It was quite a sight to see all these outfits moving as one to the rhythm of the church music....we were quickly brought back to reality when the Easter sermon lasted well over an hour!!!

After a lovely afternoon visit with Kaye (our Easter meal consisted of raman noodles mixed with a can of sardines), I traveled back to Tabola; it's beginning to get dark much earlier now and Peace Corps volunteers are highly discouraged from being out after dark, so my visit was a short one. When I stepped out of the combi (a small van used as a bus), I heard lots of singing and carrying on. The singing got louder and louder as I approached my compound. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by MANY villagers who had been enjoying M'e's joala all afternoon! Yes, all were feeling just fine!! M'e somehow managed to shoo them all home, but told me that they'd be back Monday afternoon since all the joala had still not been finished! It was quite the Easter weekend.

Tsoene...growing!

Picture of Ntate throwing Teko onto the dried bean pods to break them and get the beans out.

Picture of a natural healer I met at a running event.

Here are some of the girls playing their version of hopscotch (they use a rock) during mid-morning break.

This was an actual writing lesson...given outside in the dirt. The classroom was too crowded and dark for writing that day.

One of the fifth graders cutting the peaches for drying.

This is a picture of the leaves we cut up for dried moroho.

Drying the Morpho and Peaches

Girls' traditional dance.

This is a picture of the H. S. principal; he's wearing a traditional blanket

A picture of the boys marching to Peka in traditional garb on the cultural day at St Rose High School

Two of the many H.S. girls in the Lesotho hat.

Girls drumming on a bucket.

Boys' traditional dance.

Another picture of the march from the H.S. to the chief's house in Peka. The boys are in traditional dress.You can see the one tarred road in the background. The dirt road we're on is like the ones I walk every day.

In response to your inquiries, yes, there is wireless in Lesotho. The modem that I bought is not part of my cell phone...although, I do have to use my cell phone to reactivate computer minutes for which I pay. It looks like a flash/memory drive which connects to the side of my lap top. I can't get more technical than that 'cause I'm computer challenged!! The electricity here needs an adapter for it to work on things brought from America.

I just got back from my site at Tabola...I'm back in Maseru at the Peace Corps training center...it's kinda like a dorm compound...there's running hot and cold water, electricity, a dining hall, washing machine, dryer and it's in the heart of the capital city, so the "kids"...the other 28 volunteers in training...are in heaven because they can get drunk every night. It's NOTHING like the real world of Lesotho. My village is very poor...hardly any men at all...only those who are sick with AIDs or seniors (by seniors I mean anyone older than 50)...I have a well right in front of my thatched roof rondavel...I am very lucky. Many of the volunteers have to walk quite far to fetch water.

This is my new home; a small, cozy rondavel...which will be nice when I'm trying to heat the place this winter....we had an after dinner meeting to learn how to light our propane heaters.

I'm living at the compound of M'e,(mother), Moabi and Ntate,(father), Ramoabi. This family who has taken me in in Tabola is wonderful. They are a retired couple. They've given me the Lesotho name of Me Neo...(neo means gift). I'm quite honored by the name. I hope I'll be able to live up to their expectations.

I'm living in their first home; they've since built four other buildings on their land...mine is the only rondavel. Their daughter-in-law...now divorced from their son, but their responsibility, is living in their second house. It has electricity. On either side of my rondavel are two tin roofed houses, similar to the one in which I lived in Hamenbekenyane...no electricity. Herdsmen/boys live in those two houses. The daughter-in-law sent an electric wire from her window through my window so I'd be able to plug in my computer and light a lightbulb at night...but the Peace Corps didn't approve it. They said that all windows must have security locks on them...therefore cannot be left open. I'm back in Maseru until 1/9, so today I bought a 20 meter cord that we'll try to run underground and through the floor of the rondavel. If that works (and the Peace Corps doesn't see it), I'll have electricity!!

My rondavel is a single room...in fact, it's so small that the double bed in it takes up more than half the space! I'll take some inside pictures when I get back. Rondavels vary in size and construction materials. Many are made from thatch and cow dung. I am very lucky that mine was made with stones.

The Peace Corps supplied me with a propane heater which looks like it's ready to fall apart. I tried it, and it works,kinda...I just hope the thatched roof doesn't go up in flames...Ke swa swa....(I'm kidding)! I have no intention of leaving it on when I go to sleep...no matter how cold it gets. I'm living in the lap of luxury; a brand new pit toilet was built just for me...it's a big hole with a seat over it, some corrugated metal sides, and a corrugated metal slanted roof. It has a wooden door which locks from the outside...great...but when you go in and sit down, there's no way to latch it closed, so when the wind blows it just swings wide open!! Tomorrow I'll venture in to town to see if I can find a latch of some sort to rig up. I'm also lucky in that the water pump is not far from my rondavel...unfortunately, it's the hardest darned thing to pump!! A couple of the village kids jumped up and down on the handle to get some water into my buckets...then the buckets were so heavy that I couldn't manage them back to my rondavel; thank goodness for wonderful, enthusiastic Basotho kids!!! Oh, and have I mentioned Basotho (that's the people of Lesotho) time? It's very interesting...here's a typical example of how the Basotho deal with time...the principal of the Govt. Primary School (my main school) took me around the town on Sunday; she introduced me to te village chief and brought me to the local police station...showed me the local shop (not much bigger than my outhouse...it was all wonderful, and I was so well received...oh, another sidetrack...My new family renamed me. I am now M'e Neo (the word means gift). At any rate, after a full and lovely day with the principal, she said she would be at my rondavel at 9:00am the next morning to show me the main school...Mopei Primary School. Knowing that Basotho are never on time for anything, I didn't worry when she still wasn't around by 9:30. When 10:00 rolled around, I began to question my Sesotho. I thought I'd misunderstood her and was supposed to meet her at her house. I told my M'e and she had her grandchildren walk me over to the principal's house. When we got there, I proceeded to apologize for my mistake...at which point the principal, M'e Matobo, smiled and said, you made no mistake...I said I would pick you up at your rondavel. She then proceeded to sit me down in her kitchen, saying, "I'll be right with you." That was at approximately 10:30. At 11:35 she emerged from her room, ready to start the day! This is very, very typical...it's not rude in the Basotho culture. One must always be patient and wait. It is, however, EXTREMELY rude for someone who is waiting to get up and leave...even if the wait is over 4 hours. The people are all relaxed and happy; I wrestle with the idea that the Peace Corps would like to change some things that the people really don't want to change! Anyway, enough philosophy for tonight. Well, one final note...if, in my exchanges with Basotho children, I can get one child to think more critically...more in a problem-solving mode, rather than memorization mode, this next two years will have been worthwhile. I love the people I've met...but I'm not sure they are ready for all the "development" that's being offered.

A few more pictures: M'e Neo's house

and a view from the hill in Tabola:

This is the main school at which I'll be working:

This is a typical morning assembly...even during the winter, the morning assembly is outside...I guess it really doesn't make much difference, since there's no heat or electricityin the classrooms anyway.

Here's the bus depot in Maseru:

and an agave:

My eigtht weeks of training have been in intensive Sesotho (language) classes, political, HIV/AIDs, economic, culture and the education system of Lesotho training.

On Thursday at 8:00 a.m., I will take my final exam, an oral assessment test in Sesotho. I am so nervous!!!! It's an individual test; I'm glad I'm going first...get it over with... If I don't pass, they'll keep me here at the training center until I do! I guess that's not really a bad thing, but I'm anxious to move along off these grounds and into Tabola. When I go back (hopefully on the 9th) I'll ask if I can have a dog. If they say yes, I'm going to go back up to Bhuta Bhute and find my Mtatata. I wish tomorrow was over. I guess I'd better get back to studying.

wish me luck. Gotta run to class. ...

Love to all of you, Rusty

Spending Christmas at the Peace Corps training compound in Maseru - thought you'd like to see a few pictures from my training assignment in Hamebekenyane.

This is my Friend Mary, another Peace Corps trainee in my group, standing on a hill - the thaba...(mountain) behind me and Mary, is Thaba Bosui (Mountain of the Night), the mountain depicted on the Lesotho flag and shaped like my traditional Lesotho hat. Thaba-Bosiu is Lesotho's great national monument.

This is a picture of the house I called home while posted in Hamebekenyane:

And here is a picture of M'e and Nthethe, my family in Hamebekenyane:

Merry Christmas,

Love Rusty

I just left my home in Hamebekenyane. It was a one month off base training time....a combination of wonderful and difficult. It was wonderful because I was so happy in my little home, surrounded by cows, horses, chickens, dogs and a mother donkey and her baby. My host family was incredible and I cried all the way back to the training center in Masseru today.

It was so hard to leave today, because I'd become so attached to my host family. But...as soon as I sat in a real toilet...with flushing water, I was glad to be back. The line is "out of the gates" for showers so I've decided to just wait 'til early tomorrow morning. My experience was both incredible and very difficult. It seems that half the people I've met are HIV positive. My village had a funeral every Saturday while I was there. How I wish you could meet the people I've come to love so much; they go through the days always singing...really...every incident, no matter how minor, is a reason to break out in song and/or dance. Today the village threw a huge feast for all the baithaopi (volunteers) to thank them for spending time in the village. Our village had seven baithaopi (pronounced baetoape) and the party was at my compound since my M'e is the chief of the village. We gave her a beautiful Lesotho blanket...and she gave me a traditional Basotho hat...The hat is the symbol you see on the Lesotho flag...it's taken from a famous mountain which we went to visit last weekend...Thaba Bosiu...which actually does have the shape of a strange straw hat! I have great pictures of the mountain and will send them along as soon as I get another card. I became very close to a little orphan, Nthethe. He's eleven years old and brilliant. In fact, he skipped from fifth standard to seventh for this next semester which begins after the new year. An orphan in Lesotho is a child with one parent; a child with no parents is called a double orphan. The village does a wonderful job of caring for ALL the children, but it's still a very hard life for Nthethe; he is a herdsboy who works for my M'e. She takes good care of him, but the situation is still sad. His mother has moved to South Africa to find work because the father died last year. Nthethe has a younger sister just going into fifth standard who takes care of his even younger brother all day while he watches the animals. Their grandmother is now their M'e...she fetches water and washes clothes for my M'e...and works in a small village shop. Needless to say, Nthethe got spoiled for Christmas...I bought him a white long sleeved uniforn shirt, 2 pairs of socks, a green uniform sweater and a small backpack. I've taught him to play yahtzee and he loves it. I'm hoping to apply for a Peace Corps grant so that he can go to high school next year. The government does give money, but it's mostly for double orphans. There's just so much to tell...and I haven't even begun my permanent assignment yet!! Anyway, Nthethe is someone I'll not forget for a very long time.

A baby donkey was born while I was in the village...so adorable...he actually let me get close to him this morning for the very first time! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be sitting here with electricity. I still wouldn't trade this experience for anything...I hope that when I come back I'll be able to help people in America see how much we all have...how very lucky we are to have everything in such abundance...even the poorest of us has so much compared to the Basotho. I guess the most upsetting thing about living conditions here (other than rampant AIDs ) is the ignorance of the country when it comes to the environment...houses are so very clean...even the dirt in front of each house is swept once or twice a day..but the areas between houses has garbage strewn all over. If a Basotho finishes with something, it is just thrown to the ground. There's no garbage collection, so things just get burned on the property...plastic, styrofoam,

metals, etc. And of course the towns all smell because there's only pit toilets for each family. Oh, there's so much to tell and I feel as though I'm just rambling right now...very tired. I wish you all a wonderful holiday. Please know how very much you will be missed tomorrow.