One Month In!

Hi all! This post was written on 10/14/18, but I wasn’t able to post it until now, so enjoy and I’ll update you all with a more recent post soon!

Lumela kaofela! (Hello everyone)

The days are flying by here, but I am loving every jam-packed one. My Sesotho is coming along, albeit very slowly. Daily greetings are getting to be second nature, but specifics are still challenging. We studied food and kitchen appliances this week, so that was very useful, and I have been practicing with my host mother when we’re cooking and eating. I also have been eating so many eggs here, I may turn into a one!

We had a trip to Maseru last week, which is capital of Lesotho. Maseru is kind of like the one-stop-shop that volunteers go to when they want to splurge on food and some luxuries. We took a taxi from the training village to a taxi rank in a nearby village, where we got on another bus that took us to Maseru. The taxis look like small minibuses, they hold about 15 people, and usually go from city to city. When we got to the taxi rank in Maseru, we walked through the major marketplace and towards the center of the city. The marketplace was very busy, lots of little shops and shacks selling clothes, street food, and all sorts of things!

From there, we went to a mall that was really beautiful and modern. There was a food court with a KFC, lots of clothing shops, and jewelry stores. I could have been in the U.S., and wouldn’t know the difference! There was even running water and toilets that flush! I’ve never been so happy to use the bathroom in a mall. I also got an iced coffee, which really made the stressful, hot trip from my small village to Maseru so worth it. While I was there, we went to the pick n pay, which is kind of like a Shoprite. I stocked up on dark chocolate (very important), got some things I needed for cleaning my room, and more data for my phone. Speaking of Shop Rite, there are many Shop Rites all around Lesotho! They are not the same chain that we find in the U.S., but they have more options than the general stores that are around the villages.

The day after the Maseru trip was my birthday, which was spent doing lots of technical training! Not the most exciting birthday, but my friends in my cohort made it really special, and of course, sang to me. I even got a chocolate cake from Shop Rite the next day! I felt really lucky to spend my birthday with really wonderful people, and in an amazing learning environment. I was also able to quickly video chat with my family, which made the day that much better! (Shout out to my amazing family who make time for me in their busy days and deal with my crappy internet connection).

Yesterday, we went on a trip to Thaba Bosiu which is a cultural site in Lesotho. This is where King Moshoeshoe I (Moe-shwe-shwe) lived in the 1800’s. He is the beloved founder of the Basotho nation. He was one of the first leaders to spread ideas of love and peace among the clans in Lesotho. Speaking of love, he had 140 wives, so it is said that all Basotho are descendants of the King, furthering the idea that all Basotho are family. His direct descendant, King Moshoeshoe II was the King in the 1960’s and was able to unite the nation and make alliances with the British. His son is the current King of Lesotho. So there is a monarchy in Lesotho, but there is also a Parliamentary system and a Prime Minister, with democratic elections.

This coming week, all of the current trainees will be visiting volunteers all over the country. There are 10 districts in Lesotho, and there are volunteers in each one. I can’t wait to spend some time with a current health volunteer, and see their day to day life! I will also be able to get an idea of what a rural or urban site may look like, depending on which volunteer I visit.

I’d also just like to address the issue of the pee bucket, because I got some questions on my last post. The bucket is solely used for excrement, and I disinfect it every single day! So not to worry, it is perfectly suitable for the purpose of peeing in the middle of the night. 

That’s all for now, it’s been a rainy few days, so let’s hope the rain keeps up! The more rain we get now in the spring, the less likely drought will be in the summer. Big thanks to everyone who has been reaching out and thinking about me. I love and appreciate all of you guys! Sala Hantle!