Meet Reitumetse: “Now I Can Stand on My Feet”
When we arrived at the small home where 13-year-old Reitumetse Leleka lives with his aunt, uncle, and young cousin, he greeted us with a shy smile—one that quickly grew wider as he realized we had come to hear his story.
Three years ago, Reitumetse moved from the remote highlands to live with his aunt Bohlokoa, an unemployed teacher who rents a tiny shack to tutor local children. His uncle works as a self-employed mechanic, and Reitumetse proudly helps by handing him tools. The move meant leaving his younger brother behind with their grandmother so that he could attend school—a sacrifice he carries with quiet determination.
When he first heard about Help Lesotho’s Guys4Good program, he didn’t know what it was, only that it was a chance to learn. He signed up immediately.
What happened next changed everything.
“It brought a very big change. My confidence has increased. I used to be quiet when people did me wrong. Now I have confidence. I can stand up on my feet.”
His aunt sees it too.
“You can see the change,” she told us. “He shows leadership now. He’s responsible at home. He listens. He engages with other kids in a new way.”
Our Guys4Good program enrolls grade 7 students in monthly workshops over the course of a year to empower them to build confidence in preparation for starting high school (which begins at grade 8) with strong self-esteem and commitment to working hard.
At the time our team interviewed Reitumetse, the grade 7 exam results were not yet published. Reitumetse assured us that he knew he performed well. Fast forward to last week when the exam results were released – Reitumetse placed in the top ten in the entire country!!
Reitumetse lights up when he talks about the friends he’s made—especially his best friend, Mohati. The two of them, he says, spend their time “talking talking talking!”—doing homework, discussing ideas, and dreaming big.
He loves soccer (Real Madrid is his favourite team), jokes easily, and proudly describes himself as not shy, ridiculous, and a hard worker. For his birthday in late November, he said he planned to “take a holiday and play all day.”
His dreams for the future are as bold as his new confidence—either to become a doctor or even a horror movie actor. He laughed as he noted, “I’m not afraid of blood!”
Most importantly, he knows he belongs at Help Lesotho.
“At Help Lesotho we are free to express how we feel.”
He plans to use the library throughout high school, and he speaks with the quiet certainty of a boy who knows he is becoming a leader.
“I have no doubt that I am a role model. I use a lot of my time for doing work. I don’t always play.”
For boys like Reitumetse, Help Lesotho is a place to discover their voice, their friendships, their confidence, and their potential.
His story is proof of what your support makes possible.
