Having sent a last blog entry about bed bugs and children picking on other children, I am happy to write today about some amazing things that happened as the week went by. I am back now, day after the marathon. Very tired and getting a cold, but what a great tired. Help Lesotho ran a great camp, a concept foreign to the Basotho. The staff now know what to expect and everyone was psyched to work hard, and work hard we did.
Yesterday was the closing up and all the kids filled out surveys and then had hot chocolate, marshmallows and popcorn before getting the bus fare home. All the dorms had to be emptied and swept, the lavatories cleaned and the dishes done and returned. The grounds had to cleaned up, desks returned and mattresses brought out to the road. Stuart from Victoria drove many loads of things around and Patty, his wife cleaned up craft supplies and returned food to the office. I, being the food person, made 500 shredded cheese and chutney sandwiches after serving the 7 a.m. breakfast to 250.
I go back to the week. Every day, there were two classes each morning for the groups to rotate through. The program was ramped up, with module “b” of the classes last year. The emphasis is on health, gender equity and HIV prevention, but this year they added grief counselling and drug and alcohol abuse to name a couple .The program was excellent. Doug Thicke, an actor , did drama and skits in the afternoons, which were originally hard to get going. By the end of the week , he had the teens acting and taught the teachers tools to get the kids doing improve and skits. At night, the talent show was always good.
Thursday night, there was an explosive outburst of song and dance after the talent show that I can never describe . It lasted about half an hour under the big tent. It was time to
Give out the sweets ( another line up) and somehow the evening hymn, always in amazing harmony, became a chant in Sesotho that said God gave us this moment to appreciate so be happy and love him , or something like that…..and all of a sudden 250 people were singing and dancing loudly with exuberant joy and the Canadians were swept into this mass, changing to Congo line changing to circles, changing to individuals hugging ( one teacher held my elbows and sang the song right to me while dancing) It was a beautiful song anyway, but the way it all happened was beyond my ability to recount . My wide smile turned to tears as I FELT the appreciation for life that even the littlest ones were showing, not to mention the repetitive chant was hypnotic and no one seemed to want to stop. Wow ! This knowing the stories of many of the people there are unimaginably sad.
Friday night we had a bonfire under the stars. Had to order wood and the boys all built a stone pit ( note the gender inequity, had a terrible time keeping them in the dish processing room too !) It was very peaceful compared to the riot the night before. We had the first go of hot chocolate and marshmallows and then they all sang hymns very quietly and with that wonderful harmony learned since childhood. The sky was a blanket of stars
Such as I have never seen. I had one teen boy ask me about the ritual and why the fire and I explained we were inside so much in the winter we stayed outside all summer, and this was one way we could relax and sing. I did not try to explain about cottages and lakes.
Now we all have a day to rest. Tonight a gathering at the Leribe Hotel with pizza and beer. Tomorrow, off to Maseru to the orphanage. I am lucky they have decided to send Doug with me for orientation and we will take his and my heavy things and some groceries and water, so are getting a ride from the HL truck. I will be there for 6 days then home. Hope I can pull off my idea to get them a milk cow.
One more note re unexpected moments. Last night when we got back from camp, I was lucky enough to spend and hour with one of the finest people I have met here or anywhere, “M’e MaHlompho from HL. We did the food together all week and she was a gem to work with. She told me a lot about her family and the loss of her husband. How they had land near Maseru and she has had to leave it, laving the orchard to fall to ruin, to get a job here. Her 3 boys are all smart and hope to go to university. She also told me about a family incident over Christmas that she is still recovering from, when a herd boy with a grudge came into their home during a meal and sprayed pellets around. Only the heavy chairs protected her boys from being hurt badly. We discussed herd boys at length and the lonely, deprived antisocial lives they live away from families and society. They spend the summer by themselves on a mountain usually with only papa to eat. Anyway, her boys are fine and getting over it, with a few pellets remaining in their bodies. All because she didn’t have the doors locked. So many kind people here, and then always the threats…you can't let down your guard. Hard for a Nova Scotian. It was a pleasure to have an hour with her alone to learn more about her life and life here despite the subjects.
She lived in one room for awhile when she stared working for HL and now has a house and practically runs the office, as well as doing comedy plays on late night radio, and raising three boys .
Have a chance to go now to Pitseng as a tag along to take Patty and Stuart back, so will sign out. Its where the camp was last year and HL has built a new centre there I’d like to see- and the scenery on the drive is great.
One more entry next week.
