Greetings from Lesotho!

(Please overlook any grammatical errors or redundancies—I didn’t have my sister proof read anything!)

            I have been in country for almost three months now and haven’t had the opportunity, until now, to share my experiences with anyone but family. I think it is safe to say I am getting a ‘true Peace Corps’ experience, as the volunteers put it. There is nothing ‘posh-corps’ about my situation. Let me explain.

           

            I arrived in Lesotho with 22 new acquaintances on October 14^th (or 15^th—its all a little hazy after over 24 hours of traveling). We were immediately split into three groups upon our arrival at the Lesotho airport and ushered to three separate villages in the Berea District (Lesotho has 10 districts, similar to the 50 united states, but much smaller considering Lesotho is approximately the size of West Virginia), our training villages. We spent 9 weeks in training, learning Sesotho (the local language), how to teach, and self-health and safety techniques.

           

            English is the primary language in all secondary schools (equivalent to 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th grades) in Lesotho because all their exit exams (graduating exams) are English based: Cambridge tests. Thus, I get to teach Math and Science in English. However, Sesotho is necessary for my everyday life, interacting with the local people.

           

            Approximately a month into training, we were each given our permanent site placements. It was at that point that I learned I would have an additional challenge to cope with, one that other volunteers do not; I would be required to learn another language, Xhosa (the X is a click, by the way). I have been placed in one of the southern districts, Quthing (the Q is a click as well), in the rural mountains where the people take pride in their Xhosa heritage. This is difficult for multiple reasons, the first being I have to learn ANOTHER language. Enough said. More importantly, this is difficult because the students I will be teaching have learned English as a third language (instead of their second like at many other students at other schools) and have been particularly sheltered from extensive use of English considering they live in such a rural area. It also doesn’t help that their teachers (who should be teaching all secondary classes in English-by decree of the Ministry of Education) often teach in Sesotho in order to get their point across. This is particularly harmful to the students because, as I mentioned before, all their exit exams are English based.

           

            Okay, so we finished training, all 23 of us, and swore in as official Peace Corps Volunteers on December 12^th, 2011. Swearing in is a big deal. Peace Corps invited our host communities during training to attend, there were Ministry Officials present and the ceremony was even broadcast on television in Lesotho. Even bigger, our host communities prepared a feast for after the ceremony where they actually killed a cow. That’s a BIG deal.

           

            How rural is rural? I don’t have running water or electricity. I expected as much. Many volunteers don’t. However, most volunteers who don’t have electricity can access it at their school. If the school doesn’t have it at least they can go to a local shop where they can charge their electronics for 5 Maluti (the local currency). I can’t. My father loves to tell me ‘I told you so’(and I’m sure Uncle Berry is getting a good chuckle out of this). Thankfully, I have a small solar charger to hold me over! It charges everything except my computer. Additionally, where most volunteers have cell phone coverage, I don’t. I speak to my parents on the phone when I make trips into my local camp town (equivalent to a capital city) once or twice a month (still trying to work out a system). Doesn’t this just sound better and better? But there’s more! I get to use a latrine! And! I have mastered the art of ‘bucket bathing,’ which consists of boiling water, pouring it in a small basin, and tempering it with cold water. Yay! Don’t worry, I haven’t given up bathing everyday…yet.

The Holidays

            Though I have been experiencing many changes to everyday life since arriving in Lesotho, I recently passed a milestone in my life, my first Christmas without my family. Skipping the emotional details, I spent the holiday with 12 other volunteers in Quthing camp town where another volunteer, Tishina, lives and works (you’ll be hearing more about Tishina because she is the closest volunteer to me and I will be staying at her house whenever I visit the camp town because she has running water, which means a flushing toilet, and electricity!!!). All 13 of us squeezed into her tiny house, utilizing our sleeping bags and pads to the fullest. It was a joyful reunion for many of us new volunteers, as we had been at our site for an ENTIRE week with no one but the Basotho people to talk to (that’s supposed to be funny). We cooked, we sang, we even danced with Tishina’s drunken host family. Where Christmas is traditionally a calm, family holiday in the U.S., Christmas for the Basotho includes family and an excess of alcohol multiple days in a row. Another cultural note: the women in Lesotho do not drink in public. Period. It is commonplace to see drunken Bo-ntate (men) roaming around on a daily basis, but not women. Christmas is the exception J. Needless to say it was a Christmas to remember. I even got a package in the mail from mom and dad on Christmas Eve!

            I returned to my site shortly after Christmas only to turn around and have visitors for New Years. Although I am more than an hour from the nearest blacktop road, Tishina and another volunteer and friend from my training village, Aparna, made the trip out to Tiping to celebrate. It was by far the most low-key New Years I have ever had. Next year promises to be much different if mom and pop Nelson decide to visit!

            Finally, school is scheduled to start on the 16^th of January. I am soon going to have my hands full trying to find clever ways of communicating important topics to students who will probably only understand a third of what I say. I need as much support as I can get, and your prayers can only help!

            Keep in mind this was but a brief overview of what has happened to me in the past three months. Though I have many adjustments to make, I am content with where I am and anxious to start teaching. I am ready for this challenge!

             I do miss many things right now, like hot showers (never again will I take a shower for granted), a flushing toilet (oddly, this is easier to live without—but still…), electricity, cellular service, and many food items (particularly quality cheese and wine), but none of that compares to how much I miss the people in my life who are constantly sending me so much support and love. I wish the best for all of you and hope this new year is promising and fruitful.

With love and gratitude,

Sadie

P.S. Check out a couple photos I posted at the bottom of the blog (my Flicker account). It's not much and I reduced the photo quality, but hopefully it gives you a little bit of an idea. More to come!!