Leadership Camp


I just got “home”- first shower in 6 days has me promising never to take a shower for granted again. The days were full- full of singing, full of work, full of learning, not to mention full of ripe smells! Hot and humid, heavy rain every day, mud and water up to our ankles in many places. We all slogged around gamely between the tent and the various buildings.

Back to the beginning,that is moving an entire office to the School for the Deaf, including flip charts, beds and bedding and a MASH unit for admin.


There was already enough food for an army there, ordered by the tiny but invincible M’e MaHlompho. We are talking 14 dozen eggs a day, 24 dozen loaves of bread, cases of apples, 50 kg bags of Papa. Pap, as they call it, two meals a day of enough of the sticky white starchy staple to send the Canadians home overweight….and the kids put in the suggestion box they needed more food! Registration went well – except for the late arrivals due to torrential rains, bridges washing out etc. At one point the Camp was at risk, and the tent was creating water falls over the edges that were hazardous to walk under.

It was so fantastic to see the kids from the Bytown Orphahage where I had my 3 month placement. I was especially moved to see our two sponsored kids, Tlalane and Limakatso and hug them, which I did every chance I got.


Helen's 2 sponsored kids - Tlalane and Limakatso



The first meal, complete with 200 china plates and mugs, no one had thought



of how we were to do the dishes. The next five days the kids were organized to do it by group. I sprang into action in the darkened garden shed with candles and the same two or three lovely girls that had helped me so much last time, in 2009. It took us an hour, but the dishes were done. Not being a martyr really, just had to be done….and I just can’t stay out of the kitchen !

The whole week, when there was a break in other duties, I retreated to the camaraderie of the kitchen ladies and the wonderful routine of chopping the food. At least everyone knew where to look for me.

As for other more intellectual duties, I helped set up the key system for the new Graff Centre- HL’s pride and joy. Every day, as 8 classes of studies went on in 8 classrooms at the Camp, I was free for the morning to help with Centre Issues. We were all under pressure to get the 34 Basotho girls in the Leadership Corp stream in place by the weekend- an unfortunate overlap with the Camp- as school starts this coming week. Peg was trying to trouble shoot with the many contractors…there was no water, no electrical and lots to do. By Saturday when they started to arrive, we had bunk beds assembled for 34 with bedding on them, food in stock, appliances in place, keys and locks organized…it goes on and on. A huge building and a huge project- all driven by a vision of children learning and Grandmothers fed and spiritually nourished. I hope, and believe, they will use it. It has been a huge worry and effort and has gone a year over schedule.

In the meantime, back at the Camp in the afternoons….I attended a seminar on anger management and the choices we have about how we react to things….then an interesting afternoon with the teachers on gender issues in the schools. Peg lead them through various lightweight topics like how boys and girls are treated differently. At one point, we heard from a male teacher who had been a herd boy from eight until thirteen- his grandmother rented him out to people with cattle for income for the family. He somehow and unbelievably managed an education- it was an amazing story. His point was that girls were better treated and better dressed, possibly to attract a husband.
The Peg hit them with a heavy weight topic- sexual abuse in the schools- a really big problem in Lesotho. Everyone was squirming, though the women admitted it had to be talked about. Very interesting day, no conclusions were reached as it wasn’t even a certainty that it was a punishable offence in the Country or the Education Act. All agreed the silence would have to end and on the concept that teachers are people in a non-negotiable position of trust.