As part of the Help Lesotho’s 2nd GBV Blitz campaign in 2021, youth in Lesotho were encouraged to submit poems using the theme: What does it mean to ‘Do the Right Thing’ to stop gender-based violence in Lesotho? Read the two winning poems below! Each winner received a smart phone and will have their poems published in the national newspaper.
Nthabiseng Litha
Afrika u hloretseng?
Ke hlorisitso ke hona ho hloka phomolo
Bosiu le motseare tsebe li tletsee molumo
Molumo o otlang pelo
Seboko sa phohomela
Poboli ea mehla
Sello sa basali ba Afrika
Ba Ila basali ba Afrika
‘Mele e tletse metopahali le mabali
Metoahali le mali
Ekaba ba sentse kae basali?
Afrika theola moea mofumahali
Ke o theola joang ho qhalahang mali?
Serata ngoana ke seota ‘m’ae
U le rate joang lesea u khakhatho ‘m’a lona?
Lea etsa’ng masea lea amoha bophelo?
Lea etsa’ng masea lea qhaqha lippeloana?
Kana sello se ha le se utloe na?
Ruri sa tsuonyana ha se hlomole phakoe.
Ho senyehile kae maapara-kobo?
Ho senyehile kae majara-furu-ka-mahetla?
Tsohang banna ba Afrika
Robelana tlhokou le fate litsebe
Le tle le utloe le se utloelle
Thehang ke hona e be lethoethoe
Nkang malebela ke le loma tsebe
Hlobolang bohlorisi le apare bohlokomeli
Nkang lihlomo tsa lona le eme moleng oa ntoa
Le loanele mafumqhali le lese ho a loantsa
Sireletsang masea le nene ho a siteloa
Tsohang banna ba mobu oa selokoe
Haba se bolokoe
Haba se bolokoa ke hona ho sireletsa
mafumahali
Tooana tse mesana, matsoara-thipa-ka-bohaleng
Ha o baballow mobu peo e tle e behe ha lehholo
Baballang basali le bana
Ho tloha molokong ona ho isa ho ee lekholo
Nka be ke re ‘ea khaola ea ea’
Empa ha e khaole Kajeno
E Kobile Hlooho, e laba-labela khotso
Khotso Khaitse ea Moshoashoaila.
A war that can be won
Brutality has won the war against
our women and children
Violence runs its course in the
ruins of our homes
When will it end?
Men, when will we stop?
Have we not shed enough blood?
Have we not caused enough death?
Moshoeshoe tsoha fatshe lea timela
Moshoeshoe tsoha barali ba Basotho baa fela
Demoralised by the very warriors of our land
Lord lord?
Carest thou not that we perish?
What has this world come to?
For the men who are to protect us
Are the very first to abuse us
Who can we turn to?
Who can hear our pleads?
Our mountains are filled with the cries
of our mothers, sisters and daughters
And if you say “but it’s not me”
then you are part of the problem
You see it, you call it out,
Not saying it is as bad as advocating for it
I am tired
I am tired of being part of a virus
that decimates the very species that
gives life to the world we live in
All they want to do is grab, hit, and smash
I am tired
This has to stop
We need to stand tall
We are the voice of the voiceless
Let us come together as one
to fight against the abuse of our women and children
One heart
One voice
One goal
We can win this war.