Kena ka khotso! – Welcome to Lesotho
by Sophia Zimmerman, AFI Intern 2011


What a great experience to spend one month in Lesotho, the Mountain Kingdom in the middle of South Africa. I had the opportunity to visit this country from March 15th to April 16th 2011 in order to absolve an internship for university studies. With this report I want to give a short insight into the place where I was staying and the work I was doing.  
   
The orphanage “Centre for the Poor and Less Privileged” outside Lesotho’s capital Maseru is run by the Sisters of Charity. The Centre provides a home, gives food, clothes and education to about 75 children and youth who mainly lost their parents or relatives to HIV/AIDS. Taking care of all the girls and boys involves a lot of work. I was happy to be part of the Centre (at least for a short while), to work and live with the Sisters, the employees and the children.
    
My work usually started in the morning around 8.30am in the crèche. This is the place for the youngest (3 to 6 years) who stay out and come to pass the morning with other children. Together with one sister and one other teacher I took care of the children. As soon as they arrived in the morning they got tea and some food after which there was plenty of time to play and feel free in the relatively well equipped playroom. Many of them often came to me and ask me to join them playing, some wanted to sing, yet others wanted to tell stories (without minding that I did not speak Sesotho), while others just wanted to sleep in my arms...

Occasionally there was an hour in between when they were taught how to write the letters, how to count, to draw, to sing, and learn their first English poems. At noon they were hungry enough; so they had their lunch before they went to rest. Most of the children were usually picked up at around 1pm. That was the time for me to have a break, too.    
When the younger children of the centre came back from primary school at 4pm; I went to meet them. Except for one week we did not have a fixed afternoon program but there was always something to do. They often needed some help with their homework. I was sometimes asked to explain and repeat things they did not understand in school and help them in preparing for their tests and exams.

For this I organised some learning-groups. Nevertheless, we also played a lot outside on the huge compound. I brought some games and balls so we really had a lot of fun together. As it was the beginning of winter it was also good to have some indoor games for the rainy days. For a week, I organised a workshop with the topic “My Future” for some of the girls. Every day of that week we met and talked, discussed, wrote and drew. At the end of the week each girl had created her own small book with poems, writings and drawings. It was obviously good for them to deal with some real plans, expectations and fears about their future. We usually closed at 6pm in the evening.    
After having supper and watching the news together with the sisters I met the older pupils who attend the secondary school. They have their study-time from 7.30pm-9.30pm and I am glad I could help them with their homework and other things they had to do for school sometimes.
Even though it was a quite regular daily routine it did not become boring at any time. Every single day was a precious experience with new surprises and challenges.    

On the weekends I used to go to church in town or to the Basotho mass in the village. I tried to use the free time for my own studies and work but as we lived all together it rarely happened that I got out of the house without having some of the children around me. These were at the moments that made me feel like living in a very big family and I am very grateful that I could experience all this. I do appreciate this wonderful time with all these wonderful people around me and I hope to come back one day.    

I want to express my gratitude to the people who made my stay in Lesotho possible, thanks a lot to Dr. King and Sisters Margaret. Kea leboha le salang hantle!