by vinita | Apr 2, 2015 | Letters From Lesotho 2015 |
Lumelang,
This is my last letter home after two months in Lesotho. It has been an intense and extraordinary time.
The feedback from our first donor trip was more than enthusiastic. Their assurance that they would not change a thing has encouraged me to do this again. Without exception, they were thoughtful, culturally sensitive, interested and engaged. It was so much fun! We laughed a lot.
The depth to which they were moved by their time with our staff and beneficiaries was touching. It was very exciting for me to have this chance to show these committed donors my world in Lesotho, the people I love and the staff who work so hard to make this extraordinary impact possible.
Our Anniversary Celebrations were wonderful (see my last letter) and we got quite a bit of local press. The event was televised in full several times and also played on radio and we got three national newspaper articles:
http://sundayexpress.co.ls/king-letsie-lauds-help-lesotho/
As an aside, I had so hoped that the cosmos flowers would be out – they are fall wild flowers in Lesotho – bursting into pinks and purples all over the alpine fields. They were just coming into their own as I left.
I just missed the installation of the new playground equipment at the Pitseng Centre that Simon Melanson worked so hard to fundraise for.
Two swings and climbing ladders were installed last week and the remaining equipment will be fully in place next week. Other than our Hlotse Centre, I have never seen any playground equipment like it in northern or central Lesotho. I am imagining the little ones – and even the big kids – laughing with abandon and having so much fun at our playground. Those kids deserve some fun! Thank you to all who contributed. We will post photos on our Facebook page as soon as they are available.
As I leave Lesotho, I am so conscious that our programs are unique and incredibly valuable. My mind is preoccupied with ways to address the second part of our anniversary slogan – Ensure the Future.
This is my task over the next few years.
Help Lesotho has surprisingly few large donors. We need to increase the number of large donors, the length of time they commit and the number of people who will consider including Help Lesotho in their will. I know that people want to support organizations that are totally accountable and having a high impact locally. We just need to get the message out.
A few weeks ago a British gentleman came to see to me. He had been visiting a number of charities in both Lesotho and South Africa to understand their approaches to dealing with the high rates of HIV/AIDS. He was so interested in our reiterative, holistic, comprehensive approach and the fact that we keep the same beneficiaries for long times and across multiple programs rather than the usual one-off interventions. I was touched by his interest and his commitment to become involved in and support our work.
One of the last things he said to me was –
“Well, I am going to put Help Lesotho in my will!”
Now that is one step forward in ensuring our future!
I left Lesotho with a happy and proud heart. It was important to have these celebrations, to stop for a minute and reflect on all that has happened. I left moved to tears by the appreciation of our staff and beneficiaries. I left excited about the future – with so many ideas running through my mind.
We have a great story to tell – let’s do it!
Happy Easter to you all.
Peg
PS For those following the eye surgery project, we now have enough funds to ensure 50 surgeries!
PPS Also, the ophthalmologist tells us that sunglasses for the grannies would be a good idea so if you want to save your old ones and give them to us, we will get them to the grannies.
Read Peg’s other 2015 Letters from Lesotho
by vinita | Mar 16, 2015 | Letters From Lesotho 2015 |
Friday was our long awaited 10th Anniversary Celebration in Lesotho.
It was exactly as we imagined – with 700 guests, a wonderful speech from His Majesty, King Letsie III, singing and dancing, poems and cheers. Staff and volunteers came from all over the mountains and worked tirelessly to prepare. One school sent a sheep – which our staff slaughtered on the lawn and cooked.
Above is John Graham, our board chair, myself, the Queen and the King.
The night before we had torrential rains, lightening and high winds. We slept lightly wondering if the tents would fall down during the storm. Despite the weather, youth arrived late into the night to be sure they were present for the morning celebration. All night long ladies were chopping cabbage, peeling carrots and potatoes, slicing pumpkin and beets, and cooking mountains of rice. Everyone else was up by 4am to cook and clean.
The dawn brought a glorious sunrise and an army of youth, staff and volunteers scurrying about in silent, focused activity.
The program included speeches:
- from a herd boy advocating to end violence against women publically with great aplomb;
- a young mother who has overcome her shame to stand up and advocate for community support for young mothers;
- a granny who admitted to all assembled that she used to drink to hide from her depression thinking all her children had died of witchcraft rather than AIDS and now she is managing well with her grandchildren;
- a girl who has learned to believe in herself and the power of women to make outstanding decisions in all aspects of life.
Below is a photo of our two Ambassador Girls – Felleng (on the left) who represented Basotho girls for the Canadian celebrations and Lijeng who wonderfully represented girls in Lesotho at our event yesterday. We were being filmed throughout by the Lesotho television network and it appeared immediately afterward.
The country director for one of our partners said after the event: girls can change this country – at least Help Lesotho girls will!
The Ambassadors from Canada are having a wonderful time – despite the challenges of going without internet the whole time, losing electricity for several days and managing without water for a while, everyone is wonderful.
They built key hole gardens with grannies, hiked, rode and walked through villages and caves, met with young mothers and youth and helped to prepare for the event with the staff. We could not have asked for a kinder, more enthusiastic or positive group of people. They have loved every minute of it. Tomorrow we leave for Thaba Tseka – deep in the mountains to explore and meet more of our beneficiaries.
As we close this anniversary year, with our theme ‘CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS AND ENSURE THE FUTURE’ and our focus on gender equity – our first and last priority – one cannot help but reflect on the changes in individuals and villages over these years.
His Majesty commented several times on the effect Help Lesotho is having on his country.
Greeting our former sponsored children and youth makes one proud.
Throughout this anniversary year, all programs here have been doing gender advocacy. It was hysterical and wonderful to see boys doing the traditional women’s dance at the event, and girls participating in the all-male gum boot dance – for the first time ever. Two firsts – initiated by two of our partner schools. The King commented on this as well as examples of changes that are afoot in the land – a turning point.
It takes time to do good development; to change attitudes and behaviours. There was much to celebrate.
In 2004 we had 16 girls in a special hostel, about 75 sponsored children and 30 youth in training. In 2014 we had hundreds of youth in training and 10,000 beneficiaries every year. My mother was our first child sponsor! Her Basotho daughter, Lerato, is 25, HIV negative, unmarried and determined.
Another of our leadership girls is 25 as well, a graduate pharmacist and has a job! Like any proud mother, I could go on and on – each one to be celebrated and supported.
It was a very special day – so many sponsors and partners, chiefs and government officials, country directors and beneficiaries came from afar to be with us and to celebrate the thousands of people who have gained hope, purpose and focus to move forward with their lives.
Truly remarkable!
Peg
PS The eye testing for the grannies in Thaba Tseka went well. Of the 88 tested, 62 require surgery. The doctors say the incidence of cataracts are much higher in the remote mountains due to the lack of sunglasses in an unshaded existence and the toxic fuels used to cook in unventilated, smoke filled huts (cow dung, paraffin, etc.)
Read Peg’s other 2015 Letters from Lesotho
by vinita | Mar 5, 2015 | Letters From Lesotho 2015 |
Despite the beauty, the past couple of weeks have been challenging. We have had no water for a good portion of it, no internet and often no power. As of yesterday, we have water and power.
Last Saturday, Feb 28, was the national election here in Lesotho.
The country has over 20 parties vying for power with three in the mainstream:
- the Democratic Congress led by former Prime Minister, Mosissili;
- the Lesotho congress for Democracy, led by former Deputy Prime Minister, Metsing;
- and the All Basotho Congress (ABC) Party, led by the incumbent Prime Minister, Thabane.
The results are so close that another coalition government is the only way forward. We await the distribution of the 40 proportional representation seats to know who will form the government. The last six months have been unkind to Lesotho’s reputation as a stable and moderate country with good governance. All hope that the resolution of these issues will be peaceful and democratic.
The Facet Foundation, a generous donor since 2009, sent a professional photographer from South Africa to capture our work over three days. Anna Lusty, a fabulous photographer who specializes in NGOs, was just lovely – so interested and captivated by our programs and beneficiaries. You will be seeing some of her photos soon but I am including two in this letter (of the granny and the deaf boy) to give you a notion of the insight and quality she brings to her photos.
As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Help Lesotho on March 13 here, we also mark the 5th Anniversary of the opening of our Seotlong Centre in Hlotse with the Support Centre and the Graff Leadership Centre.
The opening back in 2010 was quite a day. The site was still rather like a construction site that we tried – by all means – to hide with decorations and distractions. We fed 800 people with no running water or kitchen.
The event was hosted by His Majesty, King Letsie III with wonderful traditional dancing, speeches and singing. I remember thinking to myself that it would be five years before I knew if it was all worth it. There were so many struggles and frustrations, so much perseverance and hard work, tears and exhaustion.
Now, after five years, I see that the Centre is in great shape and truly manifesting the original dream of being a place of sanctuary and learning, healing and laughter.Thousands of people stream in here every year to have their lives transformed and hopes renewed.
I can now say that it was worth it – totally!
This is a place where all are welcomed with kindness – those with AIDS, victims of abuse, the depressed and discouraged, the elderly and feeble. This is a place where their suffering is honoured and their future taken seriously. It is the centre of all we do here.
I was thinking this as I watched a group of young boys from the nearby school for the deaf flooding in the other day. When we originally invited them, these boys (there are very few girls) were ill-behaved, stigmatized, frightened and cloaked with the ‘tough’ guy attitude of wounded souls. It took time for them to really believe they were welcome.
With time, our staff learned sign language, we started special literacy classes, and we organized community engagement events to highlight the prejudice against and rights of the disabled. When I see these boys now, I find well mannered, quiet and happy children enjoying the play structures and interacting happily with the staff.
We are fervently preparing for our Ambassador guests, Canadians who are joining us to celebrate our 10th. They begin arriving today with the full complement here by Saturday, hosted by Mary Ann and Chris Turnbull.
- Mary Ann has been a board member for close to nine years and her school, Turnbull School, is twinned with a primary school here.
- John Graham, our board chair, comes with his wife Lynn;
- Jennifer Parr, on the board for nine years and chair for eight, arrives with guests Nancy and Brian Enns from Toronto.
- New board member Margie Hooper and her husband Jeff, owners of Keller Williams Realty Ottawa who provide our donated office space in Ottawa will be the last to arrive
It will be such an exciting time having them all here!
Although this is our first donor trip, it has been in our thoughts for years – waiting for the right time when this would not put too much of a burden on the local staff and when we could show our guests the natural countryside and the impact of our programs on our beneficiaries in a respectful manner.
I am convinced that it is impossible for someone to come and spend time with our staff and beneficiaries and not want to help – just impossible.
It was fun today showing a cleaning ‘M’e what a vacuum was; quite a startling contraption to her! Our staff have been working diligently getting everything organized and ship shape. It is no mean feat to put all these massive events on, but they do it with pleasure and pride.
I sometimes wonder if we mention HIV/AIDS enough in our communications. Lesotho has the world’s second highest rate of AIDS, inseparable from gender issues.
Our journalist intern this year, Stephanie Vizi, is doing a great job of chronicling both in her blog and GIRLS GLOBE articles. Click here to read her latest blog post on living with HIV in Lesotho, and click here to read more about the eye care program for grannies.
I wish you all could be here – that you could know how much your support is appreciated. Each one of you play an important role and it is only together that so many thousands of people can regain a chance for their future,
Stay tuned for the news of the celebrations ….
Khotsong (Peace to you)
Peg
Read Peg’s other 2015 Letters from Lesotho
by vinita | Feb 26, 2015 | Letters From Lesotho 2015 |
Greetings,
As many of you know, I wrote a children’s book last fall in honour of the gender equity theme of our 10th Anniversary. My objectives were to:
- Show Basotho children that their everyday life was meaningful and worthy of seeing in a book as we promote literacy to children who have never owned a book or seen themselves in one;
- Begin gentle conversations between children and guardians or grandparents about gender issues; and
- Show Canadian children what life is like for A GIRL IN LESOTHO, thus the name of the book.
In Thaba Tseka last week, I had the long anticipated chance to show the heroine of the story, young Nthati, this book about her life.
When she saw the cover – her face lit up! I sat quietly while she read every page. I needed assurance from her that she was happy with what I had said about her life and her family. I needed her to know that this would make her famous and assurance that she was OK with it.
I watched her carefully pour over every page with full concentration. I was spell bound watching her. I had another copy in my hand and turned the pages at her pace so that I might infer her reaction to each photo and page text. She was – as they say here – over the moon! I will never forget it.
As Hilary and I went from school to school, we saw Help Lesotho’s hand washing posters in classrooms, offices and pit latrines.
Our school project this year has been water and sanitation hygiene educational program in 20 schools. Each participating school has built a simple hand washing station that has a bucket of water with soap and a bit of chlorine, and a tiny cup with a perforated bottom outside the latrines. Our Canadian partner schools paid for their Basotho schools to have this opportunity, and a local partner, USAID, paid for the other schools.
Friday was the graduation ceremony from our computer classes. We make a huge deal out of the graduations from our programs as some participants may never have graduated from anything – ever. This was a combination of three classes in this session – the largest ever, made possible because of some computers and chairs donated by UNFPA.
The 50 graduates ranged from 32 youth, to 13 pre-school teachers (who often have only a grade seven education), to a gentleman who looked to be in his sixties. Good for him for trying something new. They came early, very dressed up and looking so smart.
For the first time we have broken the tech gender barrier with more women than men in the class – a full 70% female.
There were also five police officers – which is exciting to know that these men received our vital training on gender equity and conflict resolution. Ironically, I was stopped last week in a routine road check. When the police officers saw the Help Lesotho logo on the truck, they asked me about how they could be enrolled in the computer classes! The police department is so supportive of this training that it gives the officers time off to attend.
The computer classes are more than just learning to type or use various programs; the classes also include life skills training to help participants learn how to communicate, how to make healthy decisions, and how to set goals and move forward with their lives. Most of the participants have no means of employment, and no funds to attend training courses to enhance their skills. Now, because of Help Lesotho and the Facet Foundation – program like this are free and open to everyone. As you would expect, we have a long waiting list for these courses.
Several brave participants gave heartfelt speeches about the skills they learned in the computer training and the life-changing impact the life skills component has made on their lives. One group did a skit on gender-based violence and how to respond to it. They were so proud.
One woman, perhaps in her mid- thirties, a mother of three children, the eldest of whom was about 17, told the whole group that she had been raped and never told a soul.
She felt she had no right to speak of it and she had to endure. She shared that she had been married to a brutally abusive man who went off and left her with three children to raise. She picked herself up, saved and built herself a little house for the family. Her husband came back recently to claim the house as his.
She literally beamed as she shared that the life skills component of the program had taught her that she had rights, that she was a valuable person and could take a stand against abuse and injustice. We were breathless at her bravery to stand up and speak out about her pain and her goals;
“Now I know that I did not cause these bad things and I do not have to take this treatment. I now know how to stand up for myself – and my children – and I will! Because of what I learned in this course, I went to legal aid, got a lawyer and am going to fight this evil man. I will do it!”
Another young looking woman told me that she completed our young mother’s program and had learned how to take care of her baby and not pass her AIDS to the little one. She also completed our Women’s Arts and Crafts program and was selling the things she learned to make. She said that now, because of the computer training, she was going to start a very small business (gesturing with her fingers about 2 mm apart!) to make business cards and nice things for people because she knew the software.
Several men told me they were no longer afraid to test for AIDS or get treatment and that this had changed everything in their lives. They would now tell their wives they were HIV positive and be more compassionate to others who had the virus. Truly it was a good day. As they danced and posed for group photos, their pride in themselves brought tears to my eyes. …as it does now as I write about it.
I am excited to tell you what happened after my appeal for support eye surgery mentioned in my last letter.
You will be amazed to know that one wonderful women on Vancouver Island wrote to commit to the first 20 surgeries, others came to add one after another so that as of this writing there are for 31 grannies who will have their sight restored!
Thank you so much – only $5,000 more to do the rest. We were all overwhelmed at this generosity – this is what gives us energy and keep us all going.
My very best wishes to you all,
Salang hantle – stay well.
Peg
Read Peg’s other 2015 Letters from Lesotho
by vinita | Feb 18, 2015 | Letters From Lesotho 2015 |
Greetings,
As I write, Hilary and I are in Thaba Tseka. The morning light is creeping over the mountains outside my window. I hear a rooster and people chatting as they walk about their business. Someone is whistling. In the distance a young girl carries a huge container of water on her head. I can almost feel the morning dew on her bare feet. Another day dawns.
I visited the palace last week to see the King and Queen. Her Majesty came in first so that we could have a few moments alone. It was fun to greet each other and reminisce about her recent trip to Canada. I was delighted to hear that the Princess had a marvelous time. When His Majesty joined us, they both perused the photo books I brought for the Queen and Princess as mementos of their time with us. As always, they were lovely and interested.
Their support has meant a great deal to me, to our beneficiaries and to our donors. I am delighted to confirm that they both will be attending our 10th Anniversary Celebration on March 13 in Hlotse. It is very unusual that they both attend an event and we are honoured.
For years we have struggled to help the grannies with their various eye problems.
So many have glaucoma, cataracts and serious eye infections. Many need glasses and surgery. It has been a real challenge but our Country Director, Shadrack, has finally found a way to help them with the support of some medical missionaries. These ophthalmologists are holding clinics in three locations to examine our grannies and their husbands. Several grannies came a week early – dear souls!
However, last week on the appointed day, of the 62 people (50 grannies; 12 husbands) who patiently waited in the Centre to be examined:
- 30 needed glasses
- 9 required mediation for infections
- 20 will require surgery, some urgently.
For the latter, time can be of the essence or they will go blind. We do not have the funds to help them. On average, the surgery is $165 per person. Rounding it up to include their transportation, we need CAD$3,500 or $175 per granny. Again, this is one of three groups of grandmothers who will have this precious chance to regain or retain their sight. If this is an average, the total cost will be $10,500. We will prioritize the urgent ones first as funds allow. If this is something you can help with for one granny or more, or if you know a service club, book club or association who could, please let us know. One imagines how much harder life will be for them and their orphans if they lose the rest of their sight.
Many of you know that my dear friend, Sr. Alice, was in a truly horrible car accident 14 months ago in which one nun died and Sr. Alice was badly injured. Suffice it to say that she now has a reconstructed cheek and jaw, new teeth, and pins in her head, arm and hand.
It was pure joy to see her this time doing well – back at her job as Principal of Pitseng High School and having gained a bit of weight. She is looking forward to our Anniversary and to greeting our Canadian guests. Sr. Alice remains a leader on our local Advisory Council here and is a huge Help Lesotho advocate.
Our trip to Thaba Tseka has been excellent. It is fun to show Hilary my world up here and introduce her to many principals, children and partners – many of whom have been good friends over the past years. As she finally sees for herself the incredible impact of our programs, I can see the tears in her eyes.
For example, we were at the mission hospital yesterday and a young woman came up to the truck. She introduced herself and told us that she was one of the youth trained in leadership up here and now she is in her second year of nursing at the wonderful little nursing school beside the hospital. She just wanted to say that Help Lesotho had made such a difference in her life.
As we visited schools – on the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Flag – you would have been proud of these flags flying faithfully in appreciation at three of our partner primary schools.
We traveled to a little school high in the mountains on the worst road I have ever been on – and that is really saying something! We traveled for a long time, mostly going straight up on rough tracks, dodging boulders and deep ruts, and navigating narrow passages and intense inclines. Our staff here have been working with the families in this isolated community for months to build keyhole gardens, grow potatoes and learn about AIDS and health related issues.
We have been holding life skills training for the children – so many children. Many of the children had never seen a white person. The principal walks an hour from the road each way – every day for 15 years. There are 156 children in this little primary school from grade 1-5. There are three classrooms in all with two sharing grades. One class has 56 children. Many of the children walk two hours to school over this impossible terrain – just to learn a little while sitting in a dirt classrooms with little light and no resources.
I gave them a copy of my children’s book and they could not believe that there was a beautiful book featuring THEIR lives! It truly was a humbling day.
Words pale in telling you how much all these beneficiaries appreciate the work we are doing – because of your support. Thank you so much – again and again!
Best wishes,
Peg
Read Peg’s other 2015 Letters from Lesotho
by vinita | Feb 10, 2015 | Letters From Lesotho 2015 |
Greetings!
Hilary Evans, our Deputy Director, and I have been in hot, sunny Lesotho for over a week now. It is very exciting to have Hilary here – her first time in Africa. The busy days allow little time to put thoughts to a letter.
We left on the wings of our December Anniversary Celebrations in Canada. We were thrilled with the results of the many events and gatherings in Ottawa, Toronto and Kingston. It was a joy to thank so many individuals who have supported us over these past 10 years and to share the impact of our work with many new people. Our CHANGE HER LIFE campaign is making a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of girls and women already.
Each one has a new chance at a future – because of those donors.
Because we have such a small staff, it took an army of volunteers to pull it all off. Each one did a great job – rallying to the cause and time pressures.
- Behind the scenes board members
- Christine Matheson
- Joan Gregorich
- Kristie Kennedy
- Anne Richards
- Linda Champagne
- Sheryl Selwyn
- Marilyn Rennick
- Joanne Beveridge played key roles.
- Jennifer Parr hosted our granny, ‘M’e Makatleho, and Girl4ce Leader, Felleng in Ottawa.
- The Hellyer’s hosted me, ‘M’e Makatleho and Felleng in Toronto.
- Merdon Hosking helped our staff in so many ways.
- The Pearls4Girls volunteers were amazing as always!
It was a real privilege to host Her Majesty, Queen Masenate and Her Royal Highness, Princess Senate for ten days.
They were a delight to have – accommodating, engaging and just lovely. I will meet with Their Majesties tomorrow at the palace and am bringing photo books to the Queen and Princess commemorating their visit. We are so appreciative of their support.
Here in Lesotho, our staff come in from various locations across the mountains to share and to learn together for two days each quarter. At such a meeting last week, we showed the videoed speeches from Rogers TV from the anniversary. The staff were so proud and delighted by the Queen’s message of support for Help Lesotho. When I told the girls in our leadership program about the events they too were ‘over the moon’ as they say here.
Felleng told them she was moved by how humble we are in Canada, contrary to her expectations. She whispered:
“Tell them about the fun part – the tobogganing”!
She told the group about the time she and the Princess went together; they loved throwing snow balls and making snow angels! The other girls were incredulous! They went into gales of laughter when I told them that our Board Chair, John Graham, shoveled the walk after a dinner so that Her Majesty would not get her shoes covered in snow! Walter Raleigh look out!
I love to see our staff and the Centres busting with children, youth and grandmothers. I was keen to see our intern, Stephanie Vizi, a budding journalist and photographer. Her blog is excellent and being well read. Steph is half way through her year here and doing a great job. Pat Foreman, a retired school principal, is here for the third time. By next month, she will have spent 15 months here supporting our staff, building capacity and helping in her kind, insightful and gentle ways.
I knew I was really back in Lesotho when my first day brought a visitor: I knew and loved that beautiful smile.
Mats’iba was a shy young girl in grade seven when she was chosen ten years ago as one of the 16 girls sponsored by St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Ottawa, for their entire high school education.
Dubbed the St. Mary’s Project after the hostel in they lived in, it was our first project and therefore our first attempt to help vulnerable girls in Lesotho. I am so eager to know what has happened to our girls as time goes on and am delighted when they find me. Mats’iba, now 25, had been waiting for me to arrive.
Mats’iba wanted to volunteer at Help Lesotho. She said Help Lesotho was her mother while she grew up and she needs to give back. Mats’iba is head of her household of a younger brother and sister and takes her responsibilities very seriously. Neither sibling had the chance to go to high school and therefore have no prospects for employment. All her life, her mother has worked as a domestic in South Africa and occasionally sends some small amounts of money home. Mats’iba wants to be a social worker and has the marks to get into a local tertiary school when she can save enough money. Life is still not easy at all but she is managing and still has dreams of furthering her education and making a contribution.
Because Mats’iba was a sponsored child, she was able to graduate from high school in 2011 – the first in her family to do so. Because she had her certificate, she was able to get a job as a cashier at a local clothing store.
She was eager to tell me how she was doing and to thank Help Lesotho and her sponsors for all they have done for her:
She said that because of the sponsorship, leadership camps and the gender conferences, she was HIV negative, unmarried and healthy.
She has had a steady job for three years which she would never have had otherwise. She knows how to work hard, to communicate and knows how to stay safe. She ardently confessed,
“I can stand for myself. I am strong. I know about AIDS and that girls matter. I can make my own decisions and will not get into trouble. I can look after myself and solve my problems. Even in my family I make a difference. You can see that I know not to marry until things are better. I will not have children until I can afford them and send them to school.”
Three days later, at our staff meeting, Makhabo, another youth I have known since she was a little girl was there. She too was in the Child Sponsorship Program. She too finished high school and is saving to further her education. She will wait to have children until she finishes her education. Makhabo lives near our Pitseng Centre and has gone there daily since grade eight.
It is no exaggeration that the programs there, the leadership camps and youth training have kept this bright, determined young girl on the path to a solid future.
She is now 24, happily married, and working as a Youth Volunteer at the Pitseng Centre – a coveted position with a stipend. She is healthy and happy –beaming with gratitude that life has not abandoned her. She has purpose and love in her life for the first time, and she feels blessed. Her goal is now to give back to the children in her village.
You see, Child Sponsorship really does make a long term difference. Each life matters and no effort is wasted. This month we are selecting children for the sponsorship program for the new school year. If you can support a child, I urge you to consider it. Just ask Mats’iba and Makhabo.
I will be in Lesotho for two months as we prepare for our 10th Anniversary Celebration here and welcome some Canadian special guests. ….. stay tuned!
Best wishes – Khotsong
Peg
Read Peg’s other 2015 Letters from Lesotho
