african adventures

Before and After: missing a few people and a few...

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:30:13 -0400

June 2010

May 2012

Before and After: missing a few people and a few pounds.

We’re proud to know everyone in these pictures. Good people. Congrats CHED ‘10 Volunteers!

A wintery Sunday morning, huddled next to the heater, with...

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 12:24:00 -0400

A wintery Sunday morning, huddled next to the heater, with coffee and a good book.

and the winner is...

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 12:06:00 -0400

There was no “staying up late” the night of May 26 to hear the results of Lesotho’s national elections. The final verdict only came this week, fifteen days after Basotho went to the polls. Muddy mountain roads and remote polling stations are to Lesotho as hanging chads and voting machines are to America, and in such a tight race, voters here eagerly tuned into radio newscasts to find out how their favorite party fared as more constituencies reported daily.

When all the numbers were in, DC—the newly formed party of the long-standing Prime Minister—won more seats than any opposition parties, but not enough to form a majority parliament; think of is as a USA presidential candidate not quite hitting 270 Electoral College votes. Worse than no clear winner was the fact that Lesotho’s constitution doesn’t have very specific rules when it comes this kind of stalemate or “hung Parliament”. For a few days many wondered if Prime Minister Mosisili might engineer a way to stay in power. The main opposition parties announced they would do anything to prevent that from happening, and recognized that they had enough seats to rule if they combined their votes together. In a literal “the enemy of your enemy is your friend” move, runner-up ABC joined with underdogs LCD and BNP to form a coalition and a majority.

We’re not sure what the new ruling party might be called yet—may I suggest ANYTHINGTOBEATDC? The new Parliament met this past Wednesday to approve and swear-in a brand new Prime Minister, Ntate Tom Thabane (leader of ABC) and his deputy, Ntate Metsing (leader of LCD) and incumbent Mosisili offered his peaceful resignation. Mr. Thabane is popular among young urban voters and hopes to improve the economy and dire unemployment. There’s a long way to go, but a democratic government plays a big role in setting up the better policies to pave the way.

Like we hoped in our last entry, the leaders of Lesotho really did show their African neighbors something special in this election—the closest race in their history. Change in power came peacefully even if it was a bit ad lib at times. The whole saga has been really exciting to be around… we hope it makes Lesotho a better place.

Letsatsi la Likhetho - Election Day

Sat, 26 May 2012 12:44:31 -0400

It’s getting cold and dry here as our third Lesotho winter is setting in, but this morning there’s a distinct energy in the air: loud beats are playing from people’s solar charged stereos, pick-up trucks carry people with bullhorns up and down the road, crowds of our neighbors flock to the local primary school to cast their vote. It’s national Election Day and there’s a lot at stake for the office of Prime Minister.

I’m not sure whether the political hodgepodge is more like Game of Thrones or The Young and the Restless, but election drama and allegiances are alive and well. And for good reason—the past year has had more than its share of fishy political maneuvers and party splits giving Basotho plenty to disagree about.

Much of the controversy surrounds the current Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, who has been in power for 15 years but rather suddenly become a hotly debated leader. A few months ago he was almost impeached by a vote of no-confidence called by his own party after being accused of dismissing several government ministers with no apparent cause (aka thinning out his opponents). A bit shaken-up but still in power, he broke ties with his accusers and declared a brand new party overnight, taking with him over half the Members of Parliament (MPs). This new party, called Democratic Congress (DC), wields a huge amount of political power and name recognition—which can translate into lots of votes from rural areas or the politically uninformed. But it has also created an ever-growing backlash against what some Basotho see as outright and illegal manipulation connected with Mr. Mosisili.

With the many parties involved, the ballot today must look like a giant bowl of alphabet soup: BNP, LCD, BCP, ABC, DC, and about 8 more. Each has their own colors, logos, songs, dances, and no joke, secret hand signals. Most of these take a backseat to the three main parties; DC and Mr. Mosisili will face their main opposition from the party that he renounced earlier, Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) and All Basotho Congress (ABC), each led by other out-spoken MPs. The puzzling thing is, all these different names offer hardly any difference in policies or ideas—they all promise things like economic development and progress fighting HIV/AIDS in very generic terms. A vote comes very much down to personal feelings of loyalty or frustration with whoever might be the head of whatever party.

But that doesn’t stop the clever campaigning. Whole entourages of fancy cars sporting decals of the party logos speed through the villages blasting dance music and packing in as many people as can possibly fit inside and then a few more. Party t-shirts and hats and posters are part of everyone’s proud new outfits. Last week, rallies for each party were held in Maseru in open fields around a stage, lights and sound system that could have hosted Lady Gaga. Mr. Mosisili played a cunning little move by writing personal checks to rent out all the charter buses that bring people into the city on rally day—the ticket to ride was a DC shirt. A friend who strongly opposes Mr. Mosisili, grabbed a free t-shirt, hopped a ride, and just went to a different rally instead.

For all the fluff and drama that politics (anywhere) can bring, this is a big day for Lesotho. This election is the first in over a decade that has stoked the fire in Basotho to get out and let their voices be heard. Our neighbors have definite and diverse opinions that they are taking to the polls today, and it’s exciting to see that. There is still plenty of skepticism about what might happen after the votes are counted—fears of rigged results or unrest or no change in actual governing. But the tiny kingdom of Lesotho has a chance to be an example to a continent that has far too few precedents of peaceful change-of-power, compliant leaders and democratic progress. Arch-bishop Desmond Tutu visited last month and urged all parties involved to set this example. We shall see in a matter of hours.

I should add (for the sake of our mothers) that Peace Corps is being very vigilant about the security of volunteers throughout election season. We’re safe in our village and they made us promise to stay out of any riots. Also, (for the sake of our bosses) none of what I’ve written here reflects the official views of Peace Corps or the United States, who are proud nonpartisan supporters of the election process. Go democracy!

"It is a form of praying, he claimed, to walk out to the very edge of your life. Every time the reply..."

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:52:45 -0400

“It is a form of praying, he claimed, to walk
out to the very edge of your life. Every time
the reply comes clear as a stone
at our thin crowns. It misses
almost every time, humming as it goes.”

- from And On The Third Day

by Andrew Allport

A week of the beach, table mountain, wine tour, half marathon,...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:53:00 -0400

A week of the beach, table mountain, wine tour, half marathon, seafood, birthday, whiskey bar, shopping, ferris wheel, fresh coffee, bliss;

Cape Town.

GLOW Camp

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:50:38 -0400

“Women are on earth to serve men.”

“Women are not allowed to say no to a man.”

“HIV spreads so rapidly because women are loose and sell themselves for sex.”

“Women should be beaten to keep them in line.”

“A young girl is the least important person in a household.”

These are the currents flowing beneath the homes of Lesotho. And they’re not simply cultural norms that are silently understood. These statements are boldly spoken and believed by most men in Lesotho. I feel a fire burn through me when I hear many of the teen boys in my youth groups say these words to my face with no shame. But more deeply, and more softly, I feel a dull ache for the females of this country—condemned to servitude, disease and death by not being allowed a voice, but still being openly blamed by the very perpetrators of the crime.

Because of these beliefs, and because of the fact that girls aged 15 – 35 are at the highest risk for contracting HIV in Lesotho, I joined up with two other volunteers, Adam Peel and Juliana Fulton, in March to hold a GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) camp.

We invited 25 girls from our communities who are recently graduated from high school to attend a weeklong camp focusing on female empowerment. Subjects included:

Self-esteem, where the girls explored the foundation of their self-worth and ways to improve their self-esteem;

Leadership skills, where the girls defined leadership in their own personal ways and learned of other women in history who have changed the world;

Communication skills, where the girls learned how to express their thoughts and feelings and deliver confident and assertive messages;

Relationship skills, where the girls explored ideas of love and romance and discussed aspects of healthy and unhealthy relationships;

HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation information, where the girls were able to hear the life story of a strong, successful woman personally affected by HIV;

Sexual/reproductive health, where the girls learned about, well, themselves;

Transactional sex, where the girls learned about the dangers of entering in relationships that center around goods or money for sex;

Delaying sex/abstinence, where the girls explored their personal choices and found ways to support their choices regarding sex;

Condom use, where the girls learned to put condoms on carrots so they never have a reason to avoid using a condom; and

Career guidance, where the girls explored goals they have for their lives and ways to reach those goals in Lesotho.

The highlight of all the sessions had to be when we had a certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor come in and teach the girls Fight Like a Girl, a fantastic self-defense program that really had the girls pumped. In addition, each evening we showed movies related to our sessions from the day with discussion time after, and then topped the whole week off with a fantastic talent show so the girls had a chance to glow with pride and showcase their new-found confidence.

Gender inequality affects so many aspects of Lesotho’s welfare in vast ways. I will say however, females in Lesotho generally have equal opportunity in education and employment. In fact, an article published on International Women’s Day listed Lesotho as the best country in the world for women to learn to read. However, further down in the article, Lesotho was listed as the worst country for women’s health since the life expectancy for women is currently 48. To me, this shows how women are still seen as inferior in their homes and families when it comes to their personal health and how women, far above men, are desperately suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Even though it will be years before the gender norms change in this country, I am so proud to say that I am playing a very small part in that transition.

You might have missed International Women’s Day (March 8), but you can still hug a woman in your life today and tell her exactly why she is so amazing and necessary in this world.

Year in Review Article

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:37:08 -0500

I just wrote a short article for the Peace Corps Lesotho newsletter about a few major stories in the HIV/AIDS world from 2011. Thought it might be interesting to pass along:

The war against HIV has many battlefields: while we sit in our huts planning Life Skills lessons to empower young people, scientists tinker with cell membranes and researchers design ambitious trials. And since we just had to submit our Peace Corps Reporting, we thought it might be nice to check in on how those guys in lab coats are spending their time. So, in case you missed anything, here’s a very short Year in Review of 2011 HIV/AIDS news:

Closing in on a Cure?

Last year marked some major strides in researching a cure for HIV, with two patients in particular grabbing the science headlines. A man known as the “Berlin Patient” was technically cured from HIV and leukemia through complete bone marrow transplants. The procedure is obviously arduous, impractical and very expensive, but it was considered a huge breakthrough. The other man, the “Trenton Patient”, underwent gene therapy and was able to control the virus for a period without the help of any antiviral drugs. The connecting and exciting factor in both these cases deals with disabling the CCR5 protein on the CD-4 cell wall—the door through which HIV enters the cell. Even a small percentage of humans are born without any CCR5 proteins on their immune cells and are thus “naturally resistant” to HIV. The challenge scientists are now facing is to decipher a practical way of disabling CCR5 on a wide-scale, and last year’s protein success-stories may offer major clues.

African Contraceptive Risk

The most common contraceptive in Eastern and Southern Africa is a 3-month hormonal shot—it is quick, easy and doesn’t require a doctor. However, a new study reveals that the hormonal contraceptive can greatly increase women’s susceptibility to HIV/AIDS. The numbers show that women taking the shot double their risk of infection, or if already infected, are almost twice as likely to transmit the virus to their male partners.Researchers are trying to pinpoint the reason for the increased risk and suspect that the hormone shot may cause biological changes in sexual organs and fluids. These findings are troubling because cheap and easily administered contraceptives are critical for African women planning for children and a family. Until the results are better understood, policymakers are trapped in the middle ground between the worrying evidence and premature overreaction.

Scientific Breakthrough of the Year

“HIV Treatment as Prevention”, as the study has been nicknamed, has measured the effect of early ARV treatment in preventing transmission. Selected by Science Magazineas the “Breakthrough of the Year”,the study looked at over 1,700 heterosexual couples with one HIV-positive partner and found that when the infected partner began ARV treatment early on, the transmission rate dropped by a staggering 96%. This evidence poses big implications for possibly seeing ARVs as a form of prevention, rather than just treatment. Major players in the global epidemic including the World Health Organization, PEPFAR and UNAIDS are starting to integrate this breakthrough into their worldwide strategies.

Failed HIV Research

A vaginal gel that prevents HIV transmission but also allows pregnancy has been long sought, especially for women to protect themselves in situations when male partners refuse to use condoms. Unfortunately, a recent study on such a gel has been stopped midway through because of discouraging results early on. Of the 5,000 participants in Southern Africa, the women using the gel showed no statistical difference with the placebo group—new HIV infections occurred in 6% of each group. Although the results are disappointing, developing a successful gel is still a major aspiration, and experiments with others are underway.

Neighbors and friends.

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:28:00 -0500

Neighbors and friends.

Huffington Post - What the Peace Corps taught me about failure

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:17:31 -0500

Huffington Post - What the Peace Corps taught me about failure:

Take away the glitter and adventure and this article sums up a lot of what we go through everyday - what I’ve personally been going through for about 3 months.

It’s still worth it. But it’s really hard.

I love living here, but I struggle working here.

Late-afternoon walk. Special thanks to Erin Williams for getting...

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:08:44 -0500

Late-afternoon walk.

Special thanks to Erin Williams for getting this shot!

"… For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, that we are still able to bear, and we..."

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:01:00 -0500

“… For beauty is nothing but
the beginning of terror, that we are still able to bear,
and we revere it so, because it calmly disdains
to destroy us …”

- The First Elegy

by Rainer Maria Rilke

Maybe we didn’t make it for Turkey Day last week, but on...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:53:54 -0500

Maybe we didn’t make it for Turkey Day last week, but on Friday we celebrated 4 happy, adventuresome years of marriage. This past year, more than any other, has forced us to hold each other and sing the words of this song.

Happy Anniversary, my foxy babe.

Grand Opening!!

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:30:13 -0400

I am proud to tell you that October 22^nd marked the grand opening of the Rise and Shine Community Library in Ha Khabo.

At 9 o’clock the morning of the celebration, I was caught between practicing my speech in Sesotho, calling World Vision to see when the refreshments would be delivered, and calling the sign company to find out when they would be bringing the library sign - essential for photos. The party was supposed to start at 9. I was only slightly bothered though because I had decided the day before that I would celebrate this day with pride and excitement no matter how the party went. At about 9:45, with only a handful of people lazily sauntering around the office compound, a library committee member told me we should begin because time was now against us. I sighed a little and reminded myself to let it go one more time.

But surprisingly, the conference room next to the library seemed strangely fuller when we all filed in to start the ceremony. Little by little, as we sang and speeches were given, more and more people trickled in until we were left with only standing room. The fuller the room got, the faster our feet and louder our claps were as we sang and danced. Principals shared their dreams of how the library would inspire their students, the chief talked about how he hoped the books would bring a sharpened knowledge and power to the people of his village, the priestess offered a serenade of thanks to God for the willing hands and hearts of all those who transformed the dusty room into a sparkling den of treasure, the mother of the chief challenged all those present to take responsibility and take advantage of the new tools being passed to them, and the youth shyly gave their thanks for these small opportunities that could make huge differences in their lives. I was happy – although I must admit that a tinge of nerves hit me during my speech when I expressed thanks for the still absent food and library sign. And just before we were to move to the library, the manna and quail of bread and bologna was delivered, shortly followed by the creaking of a car and trailer inching up our dusty hill to bring us our freshly painted Rise and Shine Community Library sign.

While the women of the library committee began quickly throwing sandwiches together, I took our ululating guest to the door of our brand new library. Lifting her hands in declaration over her head, the priestess offered a bold blessing over our quaint cement library and the chief cut the twisted crepe paper draped across the door. “Library ena e buloe!” I sang as the door was flung open. “Come in everyone. Come in. Kena bohle!”

Matt snapped quick shots of our eager guests but I just stepped back a few steps and pleasantly watched as the library was filled with pointing fingers, necks craned to see a book in another’s hands, curious eyes scoping the large paper insects in the corner, a smile pausing as it passed the Kandinsky poster. Books and books and books, and people reading them.

The committee shared a little about how the library will work. Fiction and Information books, reading levels. For now all the books will stay in-house. In about a month, we’ll begin lending them out to members who bring a note from their chief (the only proof of residence around here) and pay a 60-cent monthly membership fee. Because book lending is relatively unknown to people in Lesotho, members will be able to borrow books in a graduated system to ensure we don’t lose our stock. They’ll pay a $1.25 deposit to take a * book (those of which we have several duplicates). If they return these books on time and undamaged for four rentals, they’ll then graduate to ** books, and with the same deposit they’ll get to take home one our more prized books. After four weeks of success again, they’ll then be free to borrow *** textbooks and other non-fiction books.

We finished our time in the library with our sandwiches, cookies, and Coke (away from the books of course) and people slowly wandered away one by one leaving Matt and me sitting in the satisfaction of a year’s worth of effort.

Thank you to returned Peace Corps Volunteer Kristen Reed (and her friends and family) for securing close to 3,000 books through African Library Project. I also deeply thank my mom and the Sam Houston Elementary School for donating so many needed supplies and organizing their shipment across the Atlantic.

Photo

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:17:00 -0400

How to spend 36 Hours in Cape Town - NY Times

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:46:00 -0400

How to spend 36 Hours in Cape Town - NY Times:

Instructions

1. Read the above article from the travel section of The New York Times.

2. Just Google some pictures of Cape Town in the summer in case you have any lingering doubts.

3. Get on a plane and visit us already! We’ll just meet you there.

4. Cross off that African vacation from your bucket list and brag to your all your friends about your personal tour of Southern Africa.

5. Or pack your running shoes and come with us in April for a half-marathon along the coast from the Indian to the Atlantic Ocean.

Please? ;)

paradox

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:26:44 -0400

Our afternoon walk took us to the river, down the hill where the valley folds before rocks become boulders that become mountains abruptly on the opposite side. Immersed in a landscape alive with yellows and greens against sky blue, it’s afternoons like these that spring weekends are made for. Poncey, our one-year-old pup, approaches the water warily with a paw-poke and suspicious sniff as if afraid of getting pulled in, but a minute later is taking the low stream by leaps and bounds trackable only by a line of carefree splashes. We try to lure her into the deeper spots by tossing in her beloved tennis ball, eager to assess her doggie-paddle skills, but she forfeits the game quickly when she can’t see the bottom, leaving us to fetch our own throws. She darts in and out, this way and that, trying to be everywhere all at once, pestering cows and sheep trying to get a cool drink. We smile because she’s as happy as we are reveling in the fresh air, the sun-soaked views, and the cool water trickling around our ankles. The river cuts around freshly plowed fields of dark riverbed soil and laps at the edges of small sand dune islands that will disappear underwater after the next rain. For now, these are our stepping-stones and a treasury of flat, smooth ammo for skipping. At times my wife and I speak up over the sounds of breeze and brook, perhaps to point out an interesting plant or a new African bird, but mostly we let our surroundings do the talking, content to let our Sunday-afternoon thoughts wander where they may. We follow the meanders going nowhere in particular, instinctively aware of how sacred these moments are—no schedule to keep, no hurry and worry. A chance to loose ourselves from the cultural stress that we often pin on Lesotho, and to just look around at the vivid cliffs above us and smooth water between our toes. The beauty of this place can permeate if only we’ll take a Basotho lesson in slowing down and let it. Our walk probably took about an hour or so but the experience, I hope, will linger on into the week, calming my push for deadlines and action plans.

But our afternoon isn’t over and the gaping wounds of Lesotho are never far away. Our route home runs along the main village road, giving a chance for Poncey to air dry and us to greet friends and neighbors. We wave casually to some teenagers that have sought the generous shade of a willow tree but then pause—not everyone is just resting. A boy is headed towards a thick hedge of bushes with a firm grip around the wrist of a young woman struggling in tow. Feeling our gaze, he turns innocently, smiles and waves back; the girl, silent. I chart a new course straight for the couple, calling out questions: “Where are you all going… Is everything okay… Do you need help, sister?” Our sudden curiosity is unexpected, and, as the nervous smirk of being caught crawls onto his face, he tries to change his wrist-clutching to hand-holding. Finally he gestures the obvious, indicating where he is going and why. But it’s the girl that is hard to read—she shifts back and forth wearing the same smirk. Then, shrugging off our concern, she strolls indifferently back towards the shade and onlooking friends away from the boy. Our remarks follow her: “Wait, sister, are you hurt? Who is this stupid boy? Please be smart… get away… tell him… next time… you really should…”—all things she’d heard her whole life from a million AIDS education campaigns, easy enough to not hear again. The situation is suddenly an awkward stand still, nobody talking, everyone somewhat shocked by the intervention. After a few last phrases of flustered Sesotho—my tone altering between scolding and pleading—I walk slowly back to the road with a shaming look lingering on the boy, knowing that catching this instance is just one in a thousand in Lesotho. Inside, I’m lost.

Maybe that girl was in danger.

Or maybe she’s just playing hard to get.

Maybe they’re just horny teenagers sneaking around.

Or maybe she sees no choice when a man makes his demands.

Maybe her friends would step in if there were any sign of struggle.

Or maybe it’s easier for everyone to pretend nothing is wrong.

Do the messages of gender equity, self-respect, assertiveness, and decision-making that we strive and sweat to impart drone like a broken record? Maybe. Before we turn the corner for home, we glance back to the group. The girl is again in tow as the boy nears the hedge of bushes thick with confusion.

The proximity of such beauty and tragedy is the paradox of modern Lesotho. It confronts us daily in ways that defy simple fixes. And though we’re here to help, it’s not ours to fix. That girl and a thousand others must one day, finally pull away themselves. I just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s beautifully provoking novel, The Poisonwood Bible. I highly recommend you pick it up as soon as you can. I’ll end this with a quote that I’ve been unable to escape:

The power is in the balance: we are our injuries as much as we are our successes … the balance between loss and salvation. Loss and Salvation.

ok, ok. my wife is officially better than me. much better.

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:07:00 -0400

This was Rivalry Week. And I lost (gruesomely) to my ~~archemeny~~, uhh, I mean, dear wife. Our Fantasy Football league, called “The Lesotho Prisoners”, has been the weekly stage of all-out warfare for us PCVs, and each week Lauren has kicked serious caboose. Despite the quagmire of bye-weeks and injuries, I was feeling good about the rag-tag crew I started until I woke up this morning to the screen shown here. As part of her Rivalry Trophy, I’m publicly posting this in hail to the Fantasy Football Goddess and tucking my tail between my legs just hoping not to again be the victim of the biggest blowout.

happy 4th of october?

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:21:00 -0400

Today Lesotho celebrates Independence Day. I wish we could say we were going out tonight to watch fireworks or having a barbeque with fresh lemonade and juicy watermelon, but such things haven’t ever quite caught on here. Instead, most people are glad enough for a day off of school or work and fill it with normal things like washing clothes or tidying the house; perhaps a few will head to the local bar for an extra beer or game of snooker (just billiards with some pesky new rules), but all in all special attention is hardly paid to the memorial of independence. I even greeted a highschool friend with a high five and said, “Happy Independence Day!” but his reply was, “Yeah, but I’m pretty bored.”

None of this is meant to be a critique of Basotho patriotism… just a simple cultural observation. In fact, Basotho are a very culturally proud people and know a great deal about their history—especially that related to the founding of the Basotho nation and the great King Moshoeshoe I (pronounced Mo-shway-shway). To make a long story kind of short, King Moshoeshoe was the local chief of an area about an hour’s walk from our house and steadily rose to power by holding his ground against encroaching rival chiefs. His reputation is one of bravery, shrewdness, and not only beating his enemies but picking off plenty of their cattle as booty. As a result, his influence quickly grew around the area. Though it was a competitive time to be an ambitious chief and he met a surplus of challengers, Moshoeshoe’s statesmanship and even kindness to those he defeated increased both his power and his wealth. Before long, the many tribes represented atop his mountain stronghold, Thaba Bosiu (Mountain of Night), started calling themselves Basotho people, united under their proud leader.

So, that’s before independence and that’s the legend that every kid can recount scrambling up a boulder, their own Thaba Bosiu. The rest is mainly a story of survival. Moshoeshoe’s focus quickly shifted from contending with chiefs to holding off the colonizing Dutch and white Boers that had advanced through most of South Africa. In 1868, on the verge of going down, he appealed a to a few powerful British friends for protection and before nightfall Basotholand was a protectorate of the British Empire—an enclave that is now literally a country within a country. For almost 100 years Lesotho (as it came to be called) enjoyed successive kings and a decent amount of autonomy, leading many to crave all-out independence. King Moshoeshoe II was charged by the powers that be to set up a Parliament à la Britain, form political parties and write a constitution. It took several drafts over several years, but finally, on October 4^th 1966, Lesotho was independent.

Sorry for rambling too long on the history, but I think it’s a great story. Unfortunately, plenty of unrest, power struggles and corruption have plagued the young nation, which has translated into political frustration on the behalf of most of its citizens. Despite several levels of local government, people don’t feel their opinions and needs are well represented and pretty much remain apathetic. Or, as someone recently put it more frankly, “Politicians in the Lesotho government eat money for dinner.” In addition, Lesotho has always leaned heavily on successful big brother South Africa for a lifeline of goods, jobs, food, technology—well, just about everything we buy at the market. Sometimes whispered rumors creep up of Lesotho even merging as a part of South Africa (though, practically, this would do very little to benefit either party). From an outside perspective, I can see why this day is a little lack-luster, maybe why people would rather recount the days of old King Moshoeshoe and break out the traditional dance moves on cultural holidays while leaving the dirty laundry for their Independence day-off. I keep searching for some sort of national tradition, but it looks like I’ll have to be content to split a beer and snooker game with my friends and avoid bringing up politics.

african adventures

Before and After: missing a few people and a few...

A wintery Sunday morning, huddled next to the heater, with...

and the winner is...

Letsatsi la Likhetho - Election Day

"It is a form of praying, he claimed, to walk out to the very edge of your life. Every time the reply..."

A week of the beach, table mountain, wine tour, half marathon,...

GLOW Camp

Year in Review Article

Neighbors and friends.

recommended reading

Huffington Post - What the Peace Corps taught me about failure

Late-afternoon walk. Special thanks to Erin Williams for getting...

"… For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, that we are still able to bear, and we..."

Maybe we didn’t make it for Turkey Day last week, but on...

Grand Opening!!

Photo

How to spend 36 Hours in Cape Town - NY Times

paradox

ok, ok. my wife is officially better than me. much better.

happy 4th of october?