Into Africa

{Kids playing soccer with some of the jerseys I brought. The soccer tournament was a flop because of the rain - after a very heavy rainfall it took a week or so for field to dry. Note that the kids are wearing their uniform pants in most cases, the referee is wearing his whole uniform. Note the field conditions. On the near side, balls went down a hill toward the creek; on the far side there was no out-of-bounds, balls were played off the hill.}






Getting to Work

This update will be a long one and will include my first impressions of life at my school at Mamohau in the mountains south of Leribe. I was to be driven there on Saturday afternoon but finally left about 630 pm – this seems to be the norm here in many ways. The inefficiency really gets in the way of getting things done. I can imagine a Japanese person would go nuts here. I took two new sponsored girls with me ‘up the mountain’ since they are new students at the school,

Mamohau is a lovely place when the sun is out but not nearly so nice when it is raining – which it does a lot. I did not think that it was possible for rain to be that hard. Last night it rained really hard for four hours and then just ordinary hard for another 6 or so. I am now in Leribe and they have had 48 hours of rain. The rainy season drought seems to be a thing of the past. The problem at Mamohau is the mud. The lowlands are sandstone and the mud is grainy and not too bad. In the high mountains, it is clay and the mud is like a World War 1 battlefield – you end up with great globs on both feet. It is already pretty cool at night – I imagine that by the beginning of March the nights will be cold. I am glad that I have the warm clothes I brought for touring in Europe. I think I will need them.

Mamohau is between 7000 and 8000 feet about sea level and you really notice the elevation when you go up hills (which is half the time – the other half is downhill). Next week I will be going to my other school at Makhlefane which is even higher into the mountains = something like 8500 feet I think. There is only one ‘taxi’ in a day and it comes out the next morning so you have to stay over – it is not far from Lejone which is the town near Mamohau, but you can only get there with a four wheel drive vehicle. More on that later.

I have one of the teacher houses at the school (there are about 12 of them across a little valley and below one of the cabbage fields. It is about 3 m by 4.5 m in size and has a living room/dining room/kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. Only one problem with the bathroom, there is no plumbing. I get water a few doors away and use the outhouse nearby – as these things go it is not a bad one. There are flush toilets in the teachers room at the school so I try to plan ahead. I have electricity – perhaps not a surprise since the power lines from the Katse Dam pass quite close to my house. There is a gas stove and oven but no refrigeration so meal planning and organization is a challenge. Shopping in Lejone is very limited so I will do a fair bit in Leribe this weekend.

I am eating a fairly decent diet but there is not much variety, at least shopping up in the mountains. The local peanut butter is fine and they have a dairy/fruit juice drink that does not need to be refrigerated until it is opened. They have amazing Cheesies here and I do not even like Cheesies!. They are very flavourful and chewy and are a nice add on to any meal. I am getting a lot of use from my Swiss army knife for opening cans. I tried the local canned meat product and the only thing I could think about was dog food – but I ate it. You really get to know what you have and you do not waste anything. I emptied a pill bottle today and I will transfer my jam to it from the open can it is in now. The only problem I am having is with my garbage – mainly cans and plastic drink bottles. I asked one of my neighbours what I should do and he said throw it down the steep hill in front of the house. The hill is steep enough that you would not see it. Instead we see the garbage thrown down the hill across from we were they make the food for the kids.

I am only starting to chip away at getting to know the school system. I have found almost nothing good about it. The kids are given stuff to memorize without concern about how much they actually understand. I went into one class and they had been taught that drugs are ‘chemical compounds that influence the functioning and behavious of a person’. I checked to see if they understood this and they had no idea what a chemical compound was or what influence meant. I gave up at that point. The teachers go into the class and put the answers to questions in the textbook on the board and the kids are to write it down and memorize it. At the same time, I have been looking at the dreaded Cambridge Overseas O-level exams that almost no one passes here. They are not too hard and appropriate for high school graduation I think but you do have to be able to think eg to infer meaning, explain what various expressions (often metaphors mean), that sort of thing. They are often asked to answer in their own words but are not taught to do so.

It is intimdating to go into a class of 70 or so, none of whom has a decent command of English, but the kids are just so willing to learn.. The deputy principal is trying very hard to improve the school and he is my chief ally. I also am getting on quite well with several younger teachers who are my neighbours. The older teachers are pretty set in their ways and, while pleasant at all times, seem a little afraid that I might want them to change – as if!!

It is strange to be the center of attraction here. One day on my way to the school I thought it would make a good picture of the kids waiting for their breakfast. They were a bit more than a hundred metres away – the pic would have them, some school building and mountains in the background. As soon as I unzipped my camera I got this loud, spontaneous reaction from across the way – they had been watching me. Similarly when I was going to the biffy, I heard lots of reaction from the area of the boys dorm about 120 m away. Today when I got on the bus to come here, an elderly man way very excited and smiling. I thought he wanted to shake my hand but he actually kissed me.

I should mention the bus ride on the ‘King of the Mountain’. It was three hours and cost about $3. I know better understand those little stories in the paper about ‘Bus crash in [put in country name here] kills 46.’ The King looked to be about 30 years old and the road it something else. It was built about ten years ago to get stuff into the mountains to build the Katse Dam. Before that time the only way to places like Mamohau was on foot or horseback (this in the 1990s not the 1890s.. You have to cross a pass and both times I have done so it was in the clouds. Going up to the pass the King could only manage about 20 km because of the steepness. At the top there is a big sign that says “Engage Low Gear Now”. Immediately after is another sign that says “Stay in low Gear for Next 12 km”. This in a bus that the driver seemed to have stir around the transmission at each stop to find low gear. Oh well, the King has done the road many times and will continue to do so

I highlight of the week at school was the Form A tryouts for the track team. The entire school headed over to the football pitch which is about 15 away from the school near the primary school. This is the only place that has enough flat land for a field that is almost flat and almost rectangular. I have heard sports fields described as cow pastures before, but this one had a herd of about a dozen cows on it just before the kids started running (with the expected result). All the Form As have to run and they all run barefoot and in whatever clothes they have. Many ran in their school uniform – some of the boys even with tie intact, Almost all of the girls ran in skirts of one sort or another. I now know that, contrary to what we see in the Olympics, not all Africans can run. The top ones are gorgeous runners – so fluid but most just coach along. We hope to start the World Cup soccer next week.

Each morning the opening exercises are held in the space between the upper school and lower school classes, both in terms of forms and geography – as you progress in school you move uphill. It is a Catholic school so there is prayer and then they sing a hymn. The singing is remarkable. It is done in multiple parts with very elaborate harmonies. I don’t have the musical knowledge to explain this properly but is amazing to hear. And this is all done without practice or anyone arranging the parts. People will sometimes just start singing and others will join in but almost always with harmonies.

I am back in Leribe to help Ray do more work on the dorm for the orphans here. It is starting to come together nicely. Almost all of the girls came to the guest house tonight to watch ‘Sister Act’ on a laptop. We had popcorn for them and they devoured it. They are very nice girls and it make you feel good to make their life better.

A general comment about the people here, and this may go along way toward explaining why development is so slow. They seem so accepting of the status quo. The girls have to walk about 600 m from their dorm near the mission to the school. With all the rain they have to cross a very muddy area with a couple of rivulets in it. Between the water and the mud, it is not good for their school shoes (most kids only have two pairs of shoes). About 50 m from this mess is a large pile of building stones left over from the construction of a building. I spent about an hour selecting flattish stones and carrying them over to the muddy area and making stepping stones. Now the girls use them and stay out of the worst of the mud. Several teachers have complimented me for my ‘bridge’ but it seems not to have occurred to anyone at the school to do anything about the problem. To North Americans it just seems so natural to see a problem and attempt to find a solution but not here.

Until next time, which is likely not to be for two weeks when I have to go to Maseru to renew my visa (you can only get 30 days at the border). I will be staying in a hotel with real showers and toilets and stuff like that.

BTW, if anyone would like to write to me, my address is

Bruce Clark
Mamohau High School
Box 768
Leribe 300
Lesotho
It would be nice to receive parcels from home but probably not a good idea – they tend to arrive marked, “Damaged in transit” which means someone helped themselves.

{Left photo shows mohair articles being made at the workshop in Leribe. Right photo some of the 16 girls who live in a residence sponsored by a church in Canada. They are attaching the legs to the little coal stove that we bought to provide some winter comfort.}

Leaving from Amsterdam was a bit of an adventure. When I went to the KLM check-in I was told that, because of my week in Europe, I was on two separate journeys rather than one. This meant that the world baggage limit (total of 20 kg) applied rather than the North American limit of two bags of 23 kg each. I asked how much the overage would be and found it was 800 euros (more than $1000). I checked air freight and it would not arrive on the same plane. After a bit of begging, the nice lady said that she would make an exception because of the nature of my trip. She said I was not to tell anyone, so I won’t. Later I found that at least British Airways has a ‘missionary ticket’ which costs the same as a regular one but lets you bring more stuff.

Met a very nice Afrikaans couple on the plane who live in a town called Harrismith which is about 1 ½ hours from the Lesotho border. They said to call them if I run into any problems. There are also Project Help Lesotho staff here now that I can talk to as well. The couple also told me there is a really good hospital in a place called Bethlehem which is quite close to the border (note that there are no decent hospitals in Lesotho – there are four in total).

Joburg, as everyone calls it, is a very modern city of something like 6 million. Some observations: there are huge numbers of people doing labour everywhere. There were many announcements about only using official borders, but no indication about how you could tell. I was offered help by an individual dressed in a tie and blazer – turns out he was not official and indicated that a tip in Canadian dollars was just fine (I had only rand available at this point) but it was the guys in orange overalls who were official. Anyway, I found the shuttle to the hotel. The hotel was very spiffy and almost $200 but very nice.

Next morning I went back to the airport to meet Penney Place who was coming from London. We then met Francis who had rented a car to come and get us. It was an older Corolla and we fit in three people, four large hockey bags, a suitcase, and two backpacks.

Driving through Joburg and rural South Africa was very interesting. It is sort of like Alberta without oil. Huge ranches and corn fields (I know that is not common in Alberta). Six lanes highways became four lanes and became two lanes as we approached the Lesotho border. It also got progressively higher and started to look like Monument Valley in the US (think classic John Ford cowboy movies). The change at the border was amazing, all of a sudden it was like what I expected Africa to look like. In SA, the rich, white society dominates the poor, black. In Bethlehem there were several new BMWs and Land Rovers and modern shopping. In Lesotho, the cows were scrawnier and the corn shorter and not uniform. The population density was much higher and the land much poorer.

I have been staying at the guest house in Leribe that is run by an order of Anglican nuns. It is reasonably comfortable and I have my own room – there is even a shower (some measure of warm water is available). The nuns make us lunch and dinner and there is lots of food but it is pretty bland and repetitious.

People here are remarkably friendly. We asked someone where we could find a store that sells beer and she took us there – it was a 20 minute walk down a very rough road. There are some people here with a bit of money but most people are very, very poor. My main work will start next week when I travel 90 minutes into the mountains – I checked the map today and it is between 7000 and 8000 feet above sea level, so no running for me.

Until then I am working on a couple of thing here. One is doing some repairs (broken windows, new door, etc) on a dorm used by 16 girls (we are trying to find a better word than ‘orphans’) who are sponsored by Canadians. We may also be installing a small coal heating stove. The room where the 16 girls live has no heat and it does go below zero in the winter. We found one for sale for about $180 including the chimney piping. A cheap price to keep these girls a bit warm in winter. We would also like to find a way to heat water so they have warm water for washing. The kids work very hard to keep clean – two sponge baths per day generally while they stand in a plastic basin. Not sure how far the budget goes for that. I am also trying to see if we could arrange to get some woven mohair articles into 10,000 Villages stores in Canada. These scarves, vests, etc are made at a workshop entirely staffed by handicapped people. They buy the mohair from shepherds who have goats, they spin and dye the wool before weaving. Some of the stuff is very beautiful. I have contacted 10,000 Villages but this will be a slow process. I know nothing about the commercial aspects of this but will work on it.

There are eight volunteers at the guest house but we will be heading off to various parts of the country in the next few days. Tomorrow we have been invited for dinner with the doctors/pharmacists from the AIDS clinic here that is being run by the Ontario Hospital Association.

Spent the morning working on the girls’dorm. The building is about 26 feet by 14 feet and 16 girls live there. They are not all orphans since they may have a parent who is just not capable of loving after them – for example, dying of AIDS with the grandmother who is looking after many children and a terminally sick daughter. There are really any number of stories. We are going to be fixing broken and cracked windows, building storage shelves, installing the heater and fixing up the showers and latrines, along with lots of painting. I was going to help another volunteer, named Ray, do the windows but the guy who sold the glass said he could install the windows for $40 – this involves removing 34 panes of glass and replacing them. Not a bad deal and it does provide some local employment which is the biggest problem of all.

BTW, the alphabetical phone listing for the whole country are 63 pages long. This does not include cell phones though and there seem to be many of them.

I am in Amsterdam and thought I would use the opportunity for an update since I have no idea what the situation will be in Jo'burg for Internet.

The sun is out for the first time in the week I have been in Europe, of course that means that it is pretty cold (around 0C). I understand that Toronto has been having very warm weather. There was even mention of it, with film of skaters and squirrels on CNN International. Also indication that it is raining in northeastern South Africa, which means likely in Lesotho. It appears that the rainy season is happening there for the first time in four or five years. May make it bit gloomy but a *very good thing* since there has been a drought for so long. Should do wonders for the grazing and for reducing soil erosion.

Thought I would mention in more detail what I hope to do when I arrive there. I have to talk to the principal to see if these are ok with him and he may have other tasks for me to undertake.
At 'Mamohau:
1. Helping the teachers in any way possible. This may involve suggestions about alternative teaching methods (lesson planning, evaluation, discipline, feedback to students, etc)
2. Trying to improve the support that students get when they are having academic problems (apparently very common). The teachers are very much over-burdened since the classes tend to be around 70 or so. It is very hard for them to provide much help. I will be doing direct tutoring, but also trying to set up peer tutoring so that this might continue when I am gone. In particular, I will be helping with math, science and geography.
3. Working to organize sports programs. I am bringing numerous balls (mainly soccer - I have to learn to say 'football' here) that are used but still have lots of life. They certainly are better than the ones the kids make from rags and string. I also have four sets of shirts (thanks Pearson Ed, AY Jackson and Peter and Pat) for the kids to wear when we have the:
World Cup 2006 Lesotho.
Actually there will be two - one for boys and one for girls. I hope enough kids want to play that we can have all the countries (geography tie-in here). We will use the same structure as the World Cup. The number of players per team will be flexible as will game length. Also, from photos I have seen, there is little flat land at the school so it may produce interesting games. I hope at the end of World Cups to have the winning boys team play Lesotho (teachers) and the girls play Canada (the Canadian volunteers are almost all retired and need all the help possible - including attacking downhill I think). I also have some frisbees and will be introducing Ultimate to the mountains of Lesotho. I will see if I can set up running programs as well. Lesotho distance runners have had some success internationally (living at altitude) and I want to see what there is with respect to running and how to encourage it. I hope to do some game organizing at Mahlefekane as well. I have some activity balls and many balloons for that. I also want to set up a sports council to continue with the organization of activities after I leave.
4. AIDS support. There is great denial about AIDS in Lesotho and reluctance to even say the word (like in Harry Potter). I have brought many beads with me including ones with letters and I hope to get kids in the AIDS group (which is small I think) to make bracelets for themselves that say things like 'NO AIDS", 'ABC" (Abstinence, Be faithful, use a Condom - a major campaign slogan in Africa), and 'JSN' (Just Say No, for girls; one of the problems is that the girls do not feel empowered sexually. I also hope to tie the sports program to AIDS prevention but not sure how to do that.
5. Orphan support. There are a number of orphans at Mamohau who are supported financially by someone in Canada. I want to make sure that the kids are communicating regularly with their sponsors.
6. Project support. In this respect, I will be acting on behalf of the school in helping them draft proposals for assistance from helplesotho.ca. This could involve making sure that grant proposals are clear and complete and aimed to address major problems at the school. It also will involve making sure that financial accountability is stressed, both in making proposals and in monitoring and reporting on spending. I may be trying to help the principal at Mahlefekane find out why the promised building addition at her school has not happened. The purpose of this proposal is to get the classes out of the tent they are in and into a proper building. I know nothing more about this problem than what I have said here.

Anyway, these should all keep me busy for the months to come and I will report back with progress (he said hopefully!)

Not sure when I will be adding to this. Have to figure out the vagaries of Internet in Lesotho.
Bruce

Not sure what being in Paris has to do with writing about Lesotho but here goes. I am in western Europe for about a week on my way to Lesotho. Three days in London (counting jet lag and a quick flight from Amsterdam), in the middle of three days in Paris and then two nights (really only one day for sightseeing in Amsterdam). There are advantages to being a tourist at this time of year, but weather is not one of them. It has been cool and now rainy here. Prices are much lower. I have a very nice hotel in Paris in the 5th arrondisement (Left Bank) for $88Can a night which is remarkable (the price on the door was 173 euros) - it even has the best European plumbing I have ever seen - two different buttons for flushing depending on the seriousness of the event. If you know Paris, the hotel is a short block from the Cluny museum.

Observations on Europe> I cant imagine how anyone can live in London, it is so expensive. Tube fare is 3 pounds in the inner city - with the local version of a metropass it is still 1.50 for each ride. I stayed two nights at "My Club", I belong to a sailing organization called the Cruising Association and it was only 25 pounds a night including breakfast. I stayed one night in the city for 45 pounds but without my own wc, that was 20 pounds more and seemed an extravagance, until I got a bit of the runs. It was an 18th century town house in Gower St that was certainly convenient. The difference between the rich and poor is growing huge(r) in London. One bedroom apartments sell for $500,000+ but I saw more Bentleys in a couple of hours in Mayfair than I saw in my whole life. Meanwhile there seemed to be a lot of homeless people on the street - dont remember that from before.

Strangely enough, I feel more comfortable in Paris than in London. Strange because of all of the cultural links around me in London - places names, things in movies, historical references (Florence Nightingale lived and died in this building). I have no real connection to Paris but it just seems such a comfortable and human place. Makes it even harder to believe all that happened with the riots here. There really is a huge division between the white French and the north Africans. You just do not see many of the latter downtown. You do see sub-Saharan Africans though - in business suits and as guards in the Louvre for example.

I am reading an interesting book by a former Pentagon analyst about how the world is changing. He talks about those in the world who are 'includeds' and those that are not. He would suggest that the west will not end up in a war with China because the latter has become an 'included' in economic and cultural globalization and there is nothing to be gained by fighting. On the other hand, North Korea has chosen not be included and is a risk. Many in the Moslem world are also not included and this may well apply to those in the poor suburbs of Paris. There is visible evidence of an attempt to include in the city with signs about racism and a major exhibit at the Louvre about the art of Islam. In the written info (brochure for example, this exhibit is listed by its geographic area and not by the religious group. Here is a link to Lesotho - it is a not included and largely because it has not been given a chance to be included (perhaps this could be true for the Moslems in Paris who riotted). Even if they had resources to exploit (which to an extent they do not), things like protectionist trade policies in the developed world are against them being included. They cannot do much about this, because they are too far away from developed countries to even be able to sneak in (eg from North Africa and from Latin America)

There is huge evidence of security here and in London and Amsterdam. I have been frisked physically 3 times (not including the paddles like at home). There were three guys in camo uniforms with sub-machine guns wandering through the courtyard at the Louvre. Not sure what they were going to do. At St Chappelle (I am not responsible for any spelling errors in this blog) I kept making the machine go off but when the gendarme checked me with the paddle he found nothing so I guess the big machine was not working. The terrorists have been successful in making the west spend an immense amount of money for security - not to mention the inconvenience.

By the way, there is nothing at the Louvre to suggest a connection to the Da Vinci Code - I think they are missing a great marketting opportunity, but perhaps the book is not that popular here. BTW again, the Mona Lisa has been moved to a new gallery. It looks much better there.

Enough blather. I will try to get on in Johannesburg before heading into Lesotho.

{Left photo is taken outside the school at Mahlekefane. There can be few schools in the world in such a spectacular location. Both schools are around 7300 feet above sea level. Right photo shows a morning assembly at Mamohau (where all the lovely singing happened- the buildings in the foreground are the school, those in the back are the mission and hospital across the building; you can see that there is very little flat land. This pic was taken during the rainy season - the clouds would come down the valley as you see and it would really rain; the soil is clay and the mud was terrible}


Attached below, with my comments is the information I was given about 'Mamohau.

Description of the location

'Mamohau and Koa are small villages within the district of Leribe and are high up in the mountains. Both are accessed through the larger village of Ha Lejone. Mahlekefane is approximately a fifty minute drive higher up into the mountains and ‘Mamohau is another 7 minutes along the main road. There are no phones lines at either school and no electricity at Mahlekefane. It is a very beautiful area with very green mountains in the summer months. Temperatures can drop below zero in both locations during winter months. Summer nights are warm, however.

I will be helping at Mahlekefane as well as 'Mamohau. It seems to be much worse off. Classes range from 100 to 115 students (the govt provides one teacher per grade no matter how many kids this is). Half of the classes are held in a large tent. There is no heat in the tent or school building.

General information

Transportation: Taking public transport to ‘Mamohau High school is simple. The Hlotse bus rank is located behind the main road (on the same side as PEP) The stall for ‘Mamohau is on the far right past all the market stalls. You must buy your ticket (R22.30) before boarding the taxi. Hold on to your ticket, as you will be asked to present it once you reach your final destination. Approximately half way through the mountains, there is a checkpoint where you will be asked to get off the bus with your luggage and walk through the gate on foot. They may check your bag but white people are usually waved through. The checkpoint was built during the building of the Katse Dam. Car theft was a huge problem and this checkpoint was built to stop thieves from stealing the cars of those workers working on the Katse Dam Project. If you are driving through the checkpoint they will simply open the gate for you and wave you through.

$can = about 5 rand. The South African rand is worth the same as the Lesotho loti and both are used

Ntate Peter Sebuyira is the deputy of '‘Mamohau and lives in Hlotse. He normally travels to ‘Mamohau on Sunday pm and returns to Hlotse on Friday pm. He is happy to give people lifts to and fro.

I think I will be going to Hlotse for the odd wild weekend. I can stay at the guest house run by the nuns - and it has, wait for it, - a shower! It is also where the office of Help Lesotho in case I need help with something. I suspect that I can get reasonable Internet access there.

Facilities: Ha Lejone is a village which you must pass through in order to reach both Mahlekefane and ‘Mamohau and is the village identified on most road signs for the area (there is a road sign for Ha Lejone in Hlotse but not for ‘Mamohau). It is also the home of a number of teachers from ‘Mamohau High School including the Principal, Moima Kaoli. There are no banking facilities in Ha Lejone. There are a number of small shops where supplies are available including fruit, vegetables and household items. There are two restaurants in Ha Lejone. Turn left at the first road in the village and about 200 metres down (past the primary school) on your right there are a number of grey hut/houses. These are available for rent. (Prices are not known). There is a small ‘restaurant’ on the premises. You can either eat in or take it away. A typical dish cost about R20 and included meat (beef or chicken), rice and vegetables. Chooks is another restaurant. It is located another 200 metres down on the left hand sign. There is a sign at the entrance of an off road. Both offer similar meals at similar prices. You are best to let them know in advance that you are coming, as they do not have regular hours. The owners at Chooks are very flexible and accommodating for special food preferences s long as it is given well in advance. Beer and other alcoholic beverages are available at Chooks.

I was told that the restaurants 'often' have meat. I think it is about a 90 minute walk for me and I may end up going once a week.

Accommodations: Ntate Moima Koali, the Principal of ‘‘Mamohau High School, lives in Ha Lejone has offered to have volunteers stay at his home. This is good for short stays (1-3 night). He has Internet access at his home and is fine with people using it. Volunteers should limit their use to no more than 15 minutes a day as Internet is very expensive. Emails should be written off-line on a word document and pasted into an email. Emails received should be cut and pasted and read off-line. Surfing should not be done for any reason. If you need specific information you can email someone in Canada and have him or her do the research for you.

I am happy to receive emails (n35sailor@hotmail.com) but I can only copy and paste them later. It may be something like a two week wait for a reply (at best), so don't worry if a reply does not come quickly.

There is a small Basotho Hut near ‘Mamohau High School (500metres) which is owned by Ntate Mothobi who is on the regional Education Board. He has offered to have volunteers stay there. The hut is very comfortable with a large bed and kitchen table and wardrobe. It also has good cooking facilities including paraffin stove but there is no running water or electricity. Water will be supplied, as you need it. Arrangements for longer stays should be negotiated along with price.

I think I may be living in this hut but I am not sure. I have been told there is accomodation but not told where.

Accommodations at Mahlekefane have yet to be organized. ‘Me’ Ratia, the principal of Mahlekefane says she can put people up at the health centre around the side of the mountain.

‘Mamohau Mission Hospital is located near the High School. It is attached to the SOC Convent. Sr. Constancia (head of administration), Sr. Catherine (Hospital matron) and Sr. Bertha (Superior) live at this small convent. Volunteers may stay at the convent for short periods (1-3 nights). They are very welcoming. Even if you are not staying at the Convent they would appreciate a visit.

There is an excellent Clinic on the way to the convent which is very forward in its thinking. HIV/AIDS testing is available.

I have almost got everything ready for leaving on Friday. By Canadian standards I am not taking much in the way of clothing - about 6 shirts and 4 pairs of pants/shorts. It is made more complicated by the fact that I am going to be in London/Paris/Amsterdam before heading off to Africa so I have to be able to handle the cold weather there. In spite of this I am still taking a lot more clothing than most people there would own - and I am leaving huge amounts here for my return.

Money is complicated. I have some pounds and euros for Europe and rand for South Africa/Lesotho. I think I my need to get some more rand since I forgot that I have to pay the driver who is coming to pick us up in Johannesburg. I will be sharing the cost with another volunteer, Penney Place, who is flying in from London the day after I get there (I will be staying at a nice hotel near the airport - probably have several showers and a steak there!). In total there are 8 Help Lesotho volunteers starting in mid-January. I think Penney is the nearest to 'Mamohau (that is not a typo, it is starts with a hypen). She is at Pitseng which is about 40 km I think. I have a reasonably good map, the only problem is that 'Mamohau is not on it, so I am still a bit vague on where I am in relation to other places.

I guess I will have to take my rain suit - which is a good thing. The last several years the rainy season has failed but they have been gettting some good rains this week which should really help with the food supply situation if they continue. The UN food aid has been cut to Lesotho this year, in spite of the fact that the need is greater - UN does not have the money to buy more and the overall need is higher than last year.