Lesotho’s jaw dropping mountain vistas, unique culture and welcoming people make it a beautiful place to visit.
Cosmos:
These resilient, beautiful wildflowers flourish in tough, hot or dry conditions with little water. They seem to flower best in poor soils with less organic matter, and they are often seen growing along the road side in Lesotho in full sun, with no fertilizer in the soil and surviving on rain and dew. They can even survive in drought. Appropriately, the word Cosmos comes from the Greek word ‘kosmos’ which means ‘beautiful’.
Sunsets:
There are few things more beautiful than the sun setting over Lesotho’s mountains.
Sunflowers:
Sunflowers are cousins of the Cosmos flower. The French word for sunflower is “tournesol,” which means “turns with the sun.” In their bud phase, sunflowers will literally seek out and face the sun.
Did you know, sunflowers are not just pretty faces; sunflowers are actually good at absorbing toxins, too? Millions were planted after the devastating tsunami destroyed reactors in the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.
Mountains
Lesotho, also known as the Mountain Kingdom or Kingdom in the Sky, is situated on a highland plateau entirely within South Africa. The lowest point in the mountainous country is 1,400 meters (4,593 ft) above sea level.
We have yet to find a vantage point in Lesotho where mountains are not in sight. This landscape makes every view breathtaking as you drive through the winding mountain roads (another engineering miracle).
The mountains are the source of Lesotho’s crystal-clear water, which also waters the greenpastures for livestock. When the thunderstorms rage over the Maloti Mountains, even the smallest stream can rapidly become a vigorous torrent. In winter, the melting ice and snow trickle into freezing streams.
The Basotho People
The beautiful people of Lesotho are warm, friendly and hardworking. They love their families and want the best for their children and grandchildren. They are strong and resilient, despite the hardships they face, just like the cosmos flower.
At Help Lesotho, we work together with the local community, leaders and government to teach youth, adults and grandparents how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, learn about gender equity and develop leadership skills.
August marks the start of a brand new cohort of Herd Boys receiving life saving information through HIV/AIDS education, gender equity training and life skills.
Herd boys like Mphepe (left) and his friend Mohato often have to leave school to earn an income for their families by herding sheep or cattle.
“I started herding animals in 2014; my family didn’t see the purpose for me to acquire an education. My father was burdened by a lot of work so I had to help him with field work and herding animals. I dropped out of school when I was in Grade 4.”
Herd Boy Training
Mphephe, 15, and his friend, Mohato, who is deaf, joined the Herd Boy training program in 2017. The boys live in the rural, mountainous district of Thaba Tseka.
“One of my greatest memories is when I roasted maize (corn) in the mountains with my beloved friend – Mohato.”
Stigma in the Mountains
But not all days are good on the grasslands. Mphephe and his friend narrated the unfortunate ordeal of a day when they neglected the animals while roasting their favourite maize cobs. The animals went astray and destroyed someone’s crops.
“We actually got carried away with the roasting without keeping an eye on the animals; they disappeared and fed on one man’s crops. He was furious and we were beaten thoroughly.”
Herd boys are often stigmatized by their communities and accused of sexual violence, theft, and destruction.
Life Saving Information
Help Lesotho’s Herd Boy program provides the young men with life skills needed to navigate their lives successfully while showing them compassion and acceptance.
The training includes sessions on anger management, drugs and alcohol abuse, gender based violence, as well as an opportunity to test for HIV.
Mphepe says he stopped smoking as a result of the training. After the alcohol and drug abuse sessions he decided to break the smoking habit.
“One of the most important things that I have done as a result of the knowledge I gained during the training is to quit smoking. We were taught about the dangers of using tobacco and other drugs and I stopped smoking, although it was not easy!’’
When herd boys are educated on the consequences of their actions through compassion and support: change occurs, violence ends and hope is born.
If you’ve ever had the privilege of visiting Lesotho, you already know what it’s like to be surrounded by majestic mountains at all times! Every vista is breath-taking in this tiny kingdom (only about the size of the state of Maryland), so we wanted to share 10 reasons why the Mountain Kingdom lives up to its name:
1.Highest lowest point: The lowest point above sea level in Lesotho is 1500 metres, making it the country with the highest low point in the world.
2. ALL the Mountains: Lesotho did not gain the name “the mountain kingdom” for nothing. Nearly two thirds of the country consist of mountains (2200 – 3000 metres). And when driving through the country, you’ll see mountains, mountains, MOUNTAINS, in every shape and in every form.
3. Katse Dam: The Katse Dam is the highest dam in Africa (the surface reaches 2050 metres when at 100% full) and with 185 metres is the second largest dam wall in Africa.
4. Maletsunyane Falls: With a drop of 192 metres, the Maletsunyane is the highest single drop waterfall in Southern Africa. According to the Guinness book of records, the longest commercially operated single-drop abseil is one of 204m (670ft) down the Maletsunyane waterfall.
5. Sani Pass: The Sani Pass is a mountain pass which cuts through the UNESCO designated Drakensberg mountain range linking South Africa with the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. This pass, also known as the Roof of Africa, runs through no-mans lands between the two border posts. The Pass is approximately 9km in length and requires above average driving experience.
It has occasional remains of vehicles that did not succeed in navigating its steep gradients and poor traction surfaces dotted along its length, and has a catalogue of frightening stories of failed attempts at ascending the path over the Northern Lesotho mountains. More recently it has become tourists magnet for 4×4 adventurers, eager to experience the challenging off-road drive and magnificent views of the Drakensbourg mountain range. It’s also one of Africa’s highest mountain passes and home to the highest pub in Africa at the top!
6. Thaba Bosiu: This is where the Basotho nation was built. In July,1824, King Moshoeshoe and his people took occupation of the mountain which his brother Mohale had reconnoitred. Moshoeshoe named the mountain Thaba Bosiu – Mountain at Night – because he and his people arrived there in the evening and barricading the mountain took him until late at night.
Rumours spread that the mountain grows larger at night, which intimidated their enemies. The fortress has eight springs and seven passes, the main one being Khubelu. Thaba Bosiu was never conquered by invaders.
7. Afriski: Afriski is the only skiing resort in Lesotho, located 3050 m above sea-level in the Maluti Mountains, operating near the northern border of Lesotho and South Africa. It is one of only two ski resorts in southern Africa.
8. Thabana Ntlenyana: Thabana Ntlenyana means “Beautiful little mountain” in Sesotho, and this mountain is the highest point in Lesotho and the highest mountain in all of southern Africa below Kilimanjaro.
9. Ts’ehlanyane National Park: Ts’ehlanyane National Park is Lesotho’s largest National Park and is located in the Maloti Mountains in Butha-Buthe District, Lesotho, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area.
10.Dinosaur Footprints: Dinosaur footprints are scattered all over Lesotho and there are a few near the village of Roma. They are located at the top of the mountain and are difficult to find by yourself, but local children are happy to act as guides for a few maloti/rand. The footprints lie in an unprotected slab of rock and are eroded by weather and daily wear and tear from the locals and animals. The local community also runs a tiny dinosaur footprint museum.
There you have it! The Mountain Kingdom is full of wonders, majestic scenery and places to explore!
The origin of the Basotho blanket goes back over a century. In 1860, King Moshoeshoe I, the founder of of Lesotho, was given a wool blanket as a gift. The King loved the blanket so much, he abandoned his traditional leopard-skin kaross in favour of the blanket.
The Basotho people soon followed suit and to this day the blanket is an inherent part of their lives and culture. You will see blankets of varying colours and patterns at all important life events, from marriage to childbirth to the coronation of kings.
Versions of the Basotho tribal blanket, or ‘Seanamarena’ in Sesotho, are also worn in every day life by herd boys, grannies and even children to keep warm. Lesotho is the only nation south of the Sahara that identifies the culture of an entire country through a nationalistic article of clothing like the Basotho blanket.
Many people in Lesotho live in farming and animal husbandry based communities and therefore wear clothing that is suitable for this lifestyle. For example, herd boys wear large rain boots, referred to as gum boots, to wade through the muddy mountain terrain with their animals.
Most herd boys also wear woolen caps or balaclavas year-round to protect their faces from cold temperatures and dust blown around by the strong mountain winds.
Women usually wear long dresses and skirts in vibrant colors and patterns with blankets around their waists, and for special occasions (like church or weddings) they wear a traditional Basotho dress called the seshoeshoe. Seshoeshoe are worn in endless varieties of designs, patterns and colours. Wearers purchase seshoeshoe fabric and then work with a seamstress to create their preferred design.
Young men and women usually wear more casual clothes like jeans and t-shirts.
Basotho Hat (or Mokorotlo)
The Basotho hat is another traditional item of clothing worn to this day. The conical woven hat with a top knot is made of local mosa grass and can be seen and purchased all across the nation. The mokorotlo is also the national symbol and can be found on the Mountain Kingdom’s flag.
Mount Qiloane (below) is said to be the inspiration for the mokorotlo.
School Uniforms
In Lesotho, school uniforms are mandatory. You’ll see school-age children running around in uniforms (colours and styles vary by school), until they change into their street clothes after school.
Have you ever had grits? Lesotho’s staple food, papa, is like a thicker version of the southern delicacy. The stiff, porridge-like dish is eaten all across the Mountain Kingdom at most meal-times, and is often the only food Basotho will eat all day.
Papa is made from corn or maize. It looks soft and mushy, but in fact, papa is rather solid once cooled.
In Lesotho, corn is harvested each March. It is picked while the stalks are still green and the kernels are fat, yellow and sweet.
The stalks are then dried and cut by hand. The stalks are used for animal feed and the hardened maize kernels are separated from the cobs by hand-grinding.The kernels are then bagged up or loaded into buckets and taken to a local mill for grinding into a meal, called maize meal or mealie meal and stored in 50kg grain sacks ready for Basotho to purchase at their local shop and store in their homes for the winter.
When the maize meal is cooked with water in a pot, most often over a wood fire, is becomes papa.
Papa has almost zero nutritional value and fills you with empty carbohydrates. When money and seasonal availability allows, it is often served with moroho (greens, like cooked spinach or collard greens) and with a bit of water and salt. Occasionally a family will serve papa with beans for protein or on very special occasions, papa with greens and meat.
Even though they eat it every day, many Basotho say they love papa and consider it their favourite food.
Basotho primary schools provide a free meal to students and often include papa with milk, beans or eggs in order to provide a serving of protein.
How to Make Papa
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mealie-meal
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups water
salt
Method:
Bring salted water to boil in a castiron pot over a wood fire (or stove). Pour in the maize, while stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Portion onto plates and let cool for a moment. The papa will thicken to almost a solid and then can be eaten with the fingers.
There you have it! Papa, the vegetable turned grain that feeds the entire Mountain Kingdom.
