I have had several requests for information about the traditional food in Lesotho thus I would like to address this topic thoroughly, it’s fascinating:
Let me begin with the most popular meal, papa and moroho. Papa is the staple starch in the diets of the Basotho. It is served at literally every meal. It is made out of maize meal, it is white, and it has the consistency of extremely stiff porridge. You can cut through it with a fork. Moroho is any leafy green or cabbage that is boiled down to the point that it no longer contains any nutrients. Then, many times, it is saturated with salt. It actually resembles the canned spinach the schools used to try to force feed us as children in primary school. Strangely, this combination has grown on me.
The second staple meal is linaoa le bohobe, or beans and bread. Pretty strait forward. Beans. Bread. What more do you need? The beans are seasoned and slightly soupy. Considering I wouldn’t touch beans until two months before I left the states (my mom can attest to that statement) I think it is a minor miracle that I enjoy them so much now.
Next, there is a meal called stamp or setampe. It consists of maize, corn (yes, it seems there is a difference), and beans cooked in some sort of goopyness or creaminess (I don’t know, it’s thick and it’s grey, that’s the best I can do at describing it). Again, surprisingly satisfying.
Lesheleshele or motoho are the typical breakfast fare. Lesheleshele is a soft porridge while motoho is considered a sour porridge. If there is enough sugar in it motoho is definitely satisfying. I’m not sure how they make motoho, but if I understand correctly it involves leaving the porridge to sit for a few days in water (or something) so that it sours, then cooking it. I’ll give a full explanation as soon as the teachers show me how to make it like they promised.
Finally, and this is possibly the most disturbing (I haven’t developed a taste for this yet), there is papa and lebese, also known as papa and milk. Keep in mind the milk is full fat milk (nearly cream) packaged in cardboard boxes. This is what the schools feed the primary students every Friday for lunch. Papa and milk. Only.
As for protein, there is often chicken involved in one meal or another. Because the school I work at cannot afford to provide the children with meat during the week the primary students are given hard-boiled eggs with one or two weekly meals. However, as soon as the girls reach puberty (considered secondary school) they are no longer given hard-boiled eggs due to the belief that eating eggs makes girls horny and loose. Yup.
Another interesting fact: I recently acquired a massive burn on my arm from trying to turn the bohobe (bread) I was baking. Baking on a gas stove is a completely different experience in itself. I’ve learned many new tricks and skills as far as baking goes. Anyway, the point of this is that when I walked into the staff room the following morning the bo-‘M’e began talking about how I was becoming a true Mosotho; how I would be a great wife because, apparently, the more burns a woman has on her forearms, the better she is at cooking. I don’t quite understand the connection.
Moving on, it is hard to believe I have been in Lesotho for 4 months already. Soon it will be 6 months; then a year will have passed without the blink of an eye. School keeps me occupied, and trips to Quthing every few weekends break up the weeks. There always seems to be something happening even though I am so rural.
This week, for example, my school has had several visits from a local couple that wants to build housing for students at my school. This is extremely exciting for several reasons; many of the students have to walk up to 8 miles to school each morning, the funding is local, and the school desperately needed housing to draw in more students from surrounding areas. The schools tend to compete for students in order to gain recognition from the government. More students means more recognition which means more funding. Speaking of more students, each of my classes has grown by 7 to 10 students each since the last time I wrote. They just keep showing up!
I also gave my first round of tests this week. I have completed grading and recording my Form B mathematics tests. So far, out of 43 students, 11 passed. Fifty percent is considered passing. I didn’t feel so bad after I found out the other mathematics teacher only had 13 of her Form A students pass. I really hope these students are learning as much from me as I am learning from them.
I will close for now. Thanks to all who are keeping up with my adventure. It means the world to me. Never worry, I am enjoying myself and learning so much at the same time. Who knew learning could be fun? I hope you will all keep me updated on life in the states as well. I can’t tell you how happy I get to hear about what is going on at home. Mom keeps me updated as much as possible but she can only do so much. But again, thank you for the support!
Love from the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho,
Sadie
Oh! one last thing, as the days begin to get shorter and the nights a little colder I am beginning to think bathing everyday is going to be difficult. I'll keep you all updated. No worries. At least I still shave my underarms.
