I can't believe July is almost over and August is just around the weekend bend! Where has my winter vacation gone? Going into the break, I was pretty nervous about finding things to do and seeing people... it was incredibly deserted at my site as soon as winter classes closed (back in late June). All the students who had been coming stopped showing up, and all those who stay in the village but live elsewhere went home-home. Understandable. I had quite a few students ask me if I went home to America for the break. I would either say it is too expensive or too far. Each of my responses got a different answer from my students. If I said it is too expensive, they ask too much, and then cluck and shake their head when I give my best estimate and convert into local currency. When I say it is too far, they ask how long it takes to drive there... and then (for obvious reasons), we start talking about other things, namely why one cannot, in fact, drive to America.
Though I didn't make it home-home, I did find some pretty cool stuff to do. I'll try to give a brief overview of all my latest vacation fun, Most recently, I was at a really great HIV/AIDS and Lifeskills Training, much thanks to the Peace Corps and PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief). We had several days with plenty of guest speakers and sessions about ideas for projects in our schools and communities. It gave me quite a few ideas for things I want to try at school as well as in my village, and I'm excited to start some of these projects! It was also nice to see most all the other volunteers from my group and stay in a beautiful lodge (hot showers and electricity too!), away from the bustle of Maseru and much larger than the training center. I'll elaborate on those projects later.
Before that, I was at a friend's site, helping to build keyhole gardens for several OVCs (Orphans/Vulnerable Children) in and around his village. He had already done the groundwork for where and when we would build, he just needed extra volunteer power. Actually, technically, the Basotho around the area did most of the work. I think the volunteer role was primarily to make a scene and attract attention from the locals. Once they came over to see what exactly was going on, we would give them a shovel or wheelbarrow and tell them to go find manure for the garden. Altogether, we built a garden a day for four days, though I left on the last day and didn't finish that build. It was amazing how quickly we got it down to a science and how fast it went when we knew what we were doing and had sufficient help from the locals. Curious about what exactly a keyhole garden is? Google it. I just did - lots of cool stuff comes up. There are lots of advantages to this type of garden, plus they look really cool. Each garden will be tended by an orphan, who will then use the profits of selling the veggies for whatever he/she needs, probably food, clothes, school fees, things along those lines. It was incredibly rewarding building these. For one, it's always cool working with local villagers. It's also SO nice to be able to see exactly what you accomplished in the day. At the end of each build, we could point to, sit on, take a picture of each garden, and see the actual person it would help.
The second and third days of garden-building, the women who lived around the build-site made us food. First came motoho, a sort of sour porridge. We all dumped lots of sugar in (which is absolutely allowed). My understanding is that they eat it as a sort of appetizer. The only problem with that is that your stomach is actually pretty full when they bring out the next dish. Then was either nyekoe, which is a blend of beans and sorghum cooked together (and was delicious), or papa and moroho - the ever-present papa with cabbage cooked in lots of oil and salt. After working all morning, the snack was perfect and an incredibly kind gesture.
Before the gardens, I went up to help a friend with his library. His school had already received the books and sorted them by category (children's, sci-fi, etc) and so we had to sticker them, shelve them and then do an inventory of all the books. In the mornings, we would give any students who showed up to school (usually just Form D and E) some challenge problems (off a poster from my momma and the MCTM). We let them try the problems for a while and then all went over the answers together. Then we would extend the invitation (and maybe bribe them with our music and speakers) to help us out in the library. The turn-out was great! They all came in at least to see the room and look at a few books, though some actually dug right in. At one point, it looked like a regular story-time read-aloud! I have a feeling this library is going to be well-loved and properly used, which is a big thing here. I must admit though, I had SO much fun going through all the children's books and even some of the young adult books. Lots of fond memories... (We also went running and climbed the mountain near his house. There were parts of the climb where we were literally climbing rocks. It. Was. Great.)
Before THAT, it was the World Cup. I had a few friends over that weekend to watch the games at my school. It was a blast - we also borrowed my school's computer speakers and had a killer dance party. As one of the only ones on campus, I didn't even have to worry about how loud we were being... and we were definitely loud.
Before that, well, I think I'm not THAT terrible about updating this, so I won't go too much earlier.
Up next in my life: School starts Monday. I cannot believe it. I need to get home today to start planning for next week (and semester). Thankfully this semester is shorter than the last and I just found out recently that my momma wants to come and visit around Christmas time! So much to look forward to!
Day to day stuff is pretty good, still lots of ups and downs. I have great friends who are a fantastic support system, and a good school with lots of wonderful teachers. I still get homesick every once in a while, but I still think I'm in the right place for me.
Love from Africa,
Katie
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