Service Work and Visiting the 'OTHER' Orphanage

Saturday was a thrill for me as I had the joy of taking eleven students from the school I work at to a local orphanage where they will be doing some volunteer service hours. They're IB students and are motivated to do service work by the fact that they have to accumulate fifty hours of service work before they graduate. As I anticipated (but was not sure, since all but one student is Basotho) they were pretty wide-eyed and appalled by the conditions, initially. Yes, there are LOTS of things about THIS orphanage that are quite shocking in terms of health and safety! It is NOT Beautiful Gate, by any means! Walking past the ablution block provided the most poignant few moments with the nauseating smell of open sewer wafting up as it flowed along a shallow trench. Then there was the smell in the girls' dorm and the even worse smell in the baby room. The students were pretty shocked.

After they saw some of the 'improved' areas, however they began to loosen up. The boy's dorm has received a very recent mural job, thanks to some wonderful volunteers from Australia (the ones I went pony trekking with), then the kids' activity rooms are pretty great. In true African style, when the students were shown these rooms, they just walked right in and got down and relational with the kids who were there. It helps to speak the language! Soon they were fully engaged with the orphanage kids playing pool, table tennis, cards or just chatting.

Soon my curiosity was captivated as I saw our tour guide give the "okay" to three young boys, then a brief few moments later I saw these same lads splashing about a short distance away. "Let's go check this out," I suggested to a couple of the gals who were standing by me, and we headed over to the nearby (dangerously close, some would say!) swimming hole (hmm...mega mud puddle) to watch the three kiddos who were just having a great time cooling down and splashing about, spewing mouthfuls of this...water, with big grins on their faces. Soon there were about fifteen kids from about 3-10 chasing around, splashing or then waiting for the pools to settle so they could catch tadpoles. Biology 101!

The boys, picking up pieces of sheet metal from under the water's surface...leaving the glass bottle close by, though, evoked comments from my students--social comments; you know the type. From first-world standards, it was absolutely all a big "no-no" but, you know, there was something so very refreshing, natural and non-institutional just watching children explore their world and be totally entertained without the constraints.

Just so I am not misunderstood, I WAS an observer of WHAT IS, not what I think SHOULD BE. Any intervention on my part, in this context would have been totally arrogant and inappropriate unless I planned to move in and devote my life to these kids, LONG term. I HOPE you can understand that. Unfortunately not all people do. Not even people here who come as volunteers, with their own pre-conceived ideas and Western standards, trying to implement the world as they are conditioned to believe it should be, well-intentioned as they are, only to disappear and leave their big cultural ideas to vanish with them. Whoosh! Where did THAT emotional Tsunami come from? ;-) Yes, indeed, as is typical for me, I was reflecting very philosophically on the whole experience as it unfolded, along with one of my wonderful students whom I really think should become a politician here. He is surely developing a social consciousness. He was full of questions about this orphanage since he lives close by and knows all about the negative reputation it has gained over some past practices...

Shortly we headed back towards the girls' 6-12 dorm where we will be painting murals over the next few weeks. This was yet another blessed experience for me as I watched the wonderful young people from my school walk in and take over so naturally. One girl is quite a natural leader and she had all the girls sitting on their respective bunks, then had them introduce themselves, then had my students introduce themselves. They then went on to discuss ideas about the mural and how the girls wanted their dorm decorated. The occasional "grrrreeen" or "pinkie, pinkie" was about all I could understand, but is was a lovely thing just listening to this collaborative chatter. Language: Sesotho, of course. THIS is how development projects should be done, hey, consulting with the stakeholders! Compromises were made and the final result has yet to be seen, but I'm sure excited about seeing that red and pink wall! Have faith! It will be wonderful with some lovely multicolored flowers to separate the two non-so-complementary hues! It will work, I KNOW if will!

After the consultation process, the gals all began to sing and dance. What fun to clap along, watch and listen to the wonderful LOUD sound in the small space.

What was BEST about the whole process? The way what can be intimidating and appalling normalizes when we CONNECT with the people, is what I found most moving. Sociology 101. That was the thing I watched happen, so that by the time we left my students were quite comfortable and looking forward to returning to do the painting.


Step by step? Oh, yes! I am so thankful to be on this journey.

While I'm thinking of it, if you can journey our way, we'd love to help facilitate that and to show you around. You'd be welcomed!

Wendy

Mostly Weather

No, I am not getting so bored that I am resorting to writing about the weather, but …

November is nigh upon us, and my brain is having problems. The calendar says late October, but it is not like any late October thus far in my experience. First, there is nothing to remotely remind me of Halloween, though a few Christmas things have gone up in some stores. And, then there is the weather. It is nearly November and there is nothing to suggest that winter and freezing temperatures are just around the corner, nor that frost or snow and imminent.

Rather, Sunday was as beautiful a day as I could imagine. A bright, but cool, morning with dew on the ground to start the day. A gentle breeze, warm temperatures but not too hot, and lots of sunshine during the afternoon. Then a pleasantly warm evening with the crickets and frogs chirping in the background to end the day. The garden is coming up, the grass needs cuttings, the roses are still blooming, and the pull to putter about the yard for most of Sunday afternoon was irresistible. Snow? Frost? Cold? It is almost November and such things are not even on the radar. I find it easier on my brain if I try not to think about what month it is. Rather, I am just enjoying each day as it comes.

Apparently October has been somewhat cooler and wetter than normal, which translates to high teens to mid twenties as highs, and that fits just perfectly for me. I am relishing each day, as the doomsayers are warning that the hot, hot days are just around the corner.

(Since I wrote that above few notes, the great weather just rolls on. There is no day light savings time here and I am a morning person. What that means is that at 5:30 the last few mornings I have been out wandering about the yard, just to take in the wonderful start to each day.)

Oh, and by the way. Did I mention that after being here for over three months, and despite the water lying about the last five weeks, I have yet to see a Lesotho mosquito. One more thing to relish while it lasts.

The next few days I am looking forward to. Tomorrow, November 01, I will be spending another day on the mountain. I am looking forward to it. I am covering a lead role at Beautiful Gate for the next four weeks and will be wanting God’s wisdom and strength so I don’t want to miss the day of solitude with God on the mountain.

Also, on Saturday I hope to head deeper into the mountains. I had mentioned my small time financier escapades in a recent entry. One of the perks of being a big (er, small) time financier is to invite myself to see first hand what my ‘clients’ are involved in. This weekend I will provide transportation to the fellow looking to fence in his pigs. We will be heading out with the fencing materials and seeing if we can complete the fencing job over the weekend. It will be an opportunity to experience rural Lesotho up close, spending a couple of days and a night in a small rural village. I plan to take pictures and intend to provide you with a blog update next week. I am most looking forward to the experience.

Until then,

~ Benno ~

Mountain Majesty!

October 14-17 I was on school holidays, and what a fabulous time I had off pony trekking for four days. From beginning to end it was an experience of a lifetime. An Aussie friend, Nicole, who teaches at Machabeng’s sister school, Maseru Prep, along with three of her visitors from Australia, headed out…

Sunday: Pack up—bare essentials only, since we had a weight limit and that would include the food we were packing in. I did bring rain gear which happily was NOT needed.

The first night was spent at the Lodge—very civilized—with a great dinner and fun pre-dinner entertainment from a local choir and a “home-made instrument” jug band.

Monday: Loaded up the ponies and headed out for six hours of riding to Ha Ribeang village and my immersion into the rural life of Lesotho. Along the journey I soaked in vistas of undulating green crops, red earth, rock outcroppings and mountain peaks all juxtaposed against the bluest sky.

All along the way small villages were sprinkled across the landscape. As we passed through these, the small children would run out to greet us with, “Dummella Ma” or “Sweet? Bonbon?” This country is VERY inhabited! There are villages or single huts all along the way; and just when you think there is no one around, the figure of a solitary shepherd comes into view, with his herd of goats, sheep, or cattle. Spring is teeming with life in the ‘rurals’.

THE RIDE! This was my initiation to pony trekking, and I figured I was “just going to DO IT” and not let any nagging fears (like Benno getting bucked off and spending four months in a torso brace, or my lack of experience with horses, or the stories about the steepness of the terrain) scare me off. Sure glad I did NOT let any of those things stop me! Equally glad I did not really know just what that terrain would be like, or I’d possibly have chickened out!

Not too long into the journey we hit the first steep downhill section and my horse balked, absolutely refusing to go so I got off and led her down, which was the start of a great relationship. After this act of consideration on my part I think she figured I was reasonably intelligent, although inexperienced,and FURTHERMORE evidentially kind, so after that she was very good to me.

In the process of the trek I gained an HUGE, HUGE respect for these small but very rugged animals. Wow! The vertical slopes these horses navigate! The elevation gain. Stairmaster indeed! The rocky terrain they pick their way through! The sheer rock faces they can climb or descend! (One sheer face I would not have done on foot, but my pony handled it with huge stamina and skill. Fortunately this was near the end of the trip and I had great confidence in my pony by then, so I just held on and thought, “Oh well, you only live once!”)

VILLAGE LIFE!
The villagers are most kind and hospitable and the children were happy for a rousing 'Round and Round the Garden...' or 'Ring around the Rosie'.






















Going to the village, I regretted our ignorance of some protocal. Apparently it IS most appropriate to bring a hospitality gift, and this lovely Ma
(Basotho Madonna and child, I'd say) requested clothing. As you can see, clothing or shoes would be appreciated. (Although lack of clothing on this small lad is typical--saves diaper use) Next time I will go prepared with some gifts for these folks who so kindly hosted us.

Arriving back at Malealea we had time to stop in at a local 'watering hole' to sample some home brew. Scarey tasting stuff! The hospitality, however, made it worthwhile. Upon arrival, the folks in this dark hut were a solemn and dignified crew; however, once Nicole started dancing Basotho-style, they got the message and were soon a gyrating, ululating, vibration of life!

The last and final stage, a ride home in a local taxi, was 'the icing'! The locals were quite impressed that we white people were on a taxi. In fact, through translation we learned that Agnes was absolutely thrilled. She'd had two taxis pass by without having room for her and when she got into ours, it just made her day--like the Fates had conspired on her behalf! Wow, I never expected to be a 'locals attraction'. The boom, boom, boom House music in the taxi; the friendly smiles; the very, very frequent 'ins-and-outs' of passengers; the stop to let the overflow of passengers sneak out before the police stop that had been signalled ahead; the crazy, crazy, chaotic ending at 'taxi central' in Maseru, weaving through the mass of taxis and crowds of people at the markets; and convincing our driver...well he'd exited so the assistant found us ANOTHER driver to deliver us and our luggage ALL the way home, all just polished off an FANTABULOUS trek.

Lovin' Lesotho!

~ Wendy ~

Back on Line

It has been a frustrating week and a half trying to get the phone and Internet lines back up, but today it happened. There was a lesson in patience some where in the experience. It turned out to be a cascade of events that led to the line being down, and the phone company had to work through a list of most likely events to finally pinpoint the cause of the ongoing disconnection. Today, a crew came and worked on the outside line. That was the final piece and we are back up and on line.

Below are two other entries I had worked on over the past 10 days. But for this entry, I will offer a few vignettes from the week or so. The last while has been alive with experiences, and I cannot begin to capture the events and full range of emotions I have encountered. I will offer the few vignettes.

Moklatsi: Usually it is little babies who arrive at Beautiful Gate. Moklatsi is an exception. He is just about two years old. He has lost both his parents to HIV/AIDS and is positive himself. A fourteen year old relative was not able to provide the care he needed as an HIV positive child. Agencies working with the extended family identified Beautiful Gate as a place his needs could be met, and the Department of Social Welfare has asked us to care for him for the next year. His arrival last week brought back my years of child welfare work.

Separation and loss have marked this little boy’s life. And now concern for his health has led to yet another loss and he doesn’t understand why. He is such a sad little boy. I think the number of other children and the parade of caregivers at Beautiful Gate is overwhelming for him. So while his health is improving, he just sits, with big sad eyes. I so feel for what he must be going though.

Neo: Neo is the four month old who came to us weighing less than 3 kilos. She was a little one who stole my heart, she was so tiny and unresponsive. However, under the care of our wonderful Bo’m’e she is progressing very, very well. As I see her doing so well, my heart is letting go, but she is one that I still want to check in on each day.

Sesotho: I have been so enjoying my language lessons. There is so much to learn, and I am finding the structure of the language most intriguing. The Bo’m’e at Beautiful Gate continue to be such great supporters. They have much fun pushing me and challenging we with new words and phrases.

Economic Development: You know, I am getting a chance to do some of this on an informal basis. I wish I had learned more from the self-employment program that I had connection with in Red Deer. A couple of the guys working at Beautiful Gate want to get ahead, to take initiative is creating opportunities for themselves and others. What they need is just a bit of financing and some planning. So I am involving myself in some small time financing and business consulting. It is rather ironic - me, the guy who knows next to nothing about business plans or financial statements, involved in business planning.

But, I have taken a consultative approach and am actually excited about how things are unfolding. My job as the consultant is mainly to ask questions, offer observations, and capture their thoughts on paper. And the results have been so encouraging. The two guys both are so sharp. They make connections, ask great questions, and are actually enthusiastic about the concept of a five year “business plan” (outline really is all I am capable of creating). But that outline is something on paper and gives voice and reality to their hopes and dreams. It is very gratifying to walk alongside and with these men sharing and supporting their hopes and aspirations. But oh my, if things go well for them I will be wanting to stick around for five years to see where their dreams and plans take them.

Today: Today was a young boy, maybe fourteen, sent in error to Beautiful Gate with his little sister on his back (not something that boys do, care for babies). But the father is dead, mom is very sick, and some neighbor said Beautiful Gate takes care of babies so, he was sent our way. But we don’t take babies off the street, only those referred from the Department of Social Welfare.

Again, I was so impressed with the Basotho women who work at Beautiful Gate. Yes, there was the need to follow protocol but their hearts went out to this young boy. A boy charged with an adult’s responsibility, finding a place where his baby sister would be better cared for. Furthermore, it is the week of major school examinations, and his plan, once the baby was delivered was to hike back to his village some 8-10 kilometers away (there had been only enough money for bus fare to Beautiful Gate). Once back, it would be to school and try to focus on an exam. But now he still had the baby, it was raining, and he had no fare. That is where the Bo’m’e enlisted me. It was my privilege, along with one of the Bo’m’e, to drive the boy and the baby back home so that he could get to his exam.

And a privilege it was. I thought the roads, the homes, the opportunities around where I work and walk to work were tough. But at least folks here live close to services. Now, reduce the quality of the roads and the opportunities and magnify the distance to services and I was seeing a whole new level of need. I was again left so humbled by the toughness and resiliency of the people whose country I now share, and by a young boy and his service to his family.

Lesotho continues to grow on us. I am developing a love for the people and the country, such as it is. Lesotho is becoming our home.

Until next time,

~ Benno ~

October News Bites

It has been almost a week without Internet access. An interesting week. Internet makes the world so small. With Internet, I was able to keep abreast of Red Deer weather, check the CBC news (though the BBC offers better international coverage), keep up to date on the Eskimos (not pretty their season), send and receive e-mails and chat face to face with family via SKYPE. So a week without Internet has left me a bit out of routine. I am feeling just a bit lonely too, without the connections. What did folks do before the Internet? It gives me a whole new appreciation for those who left home with only snail mail to keep in touch with home.

Yes, the rainy season has arrived. The hot, hot temperatures and dry and dusty conditions of the third week of September are a distant memory. Since the rain began in late September he has been much cooler, lots of cloud, and lots of showers. The land is turning greener every day. I have read and heard about the dry and the rainy seasons in Africa, but still did not expect the change to be quite as dramatic as it has been. From two months with but a couple of showers to now, a shower or nice rain almost every other day.

Wendy attended a funeral today (Saturday, Oct. 13). One of her colleagues had a death in the family. The funeral service lasted four hours with many different speakers (mostly speaking Sesotho of course) a few hundred in attendance, and then the meal. The traditional funeral meal is akin to our western wedding feast. And it is expected that the family will provide enough food for all those who attend. A funeral is a huge expense. In this impoverished country with an HIV/AIDS incidence rate of nearly 30%, death is ever present. And death is not just the loss of a family member, it is also a huge financial burden often necessitating spending the family’s savings or even securing a loan.

But now on to something more cheery. I have started my Sesotho lessons. The first two lessons have been what I wanted them to be, an introduction to the structure of the language. Of course knowing the structure is not speaking it, but for the way my brain works, knowing the structure gives me a framework to learn from. Now I just have to get my tongue to make some adjustments. “Pula ea tla.” Looks easy enough but try as I might, I could not get the correct pronunciation of the ‘tla’. Two Bo’m’e at work who were trying to help me laughingly pointed out “Ke bua Xhosa, ha ke bue Sesotho” – that I was speaking Xhosa and not speaking Sesotho. With the clouds building this afternoon, I tried out the phrase with my neighbor, “Pula ea tla.” So depressing ..., she too noted I was sounding like a Xhosa. (Pula ea tla = rain is coming.)

Next week Wendy has off school. She is taking on the rain, if it persists, and with a group of women is heading off for three days. They are heading out to Malealea for some pony trekking. So she is packing her sleeping bag, warm clothes, and rain gear. She leaves tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon and will be back on Wednesday.

Hey, we purchased an anniversary present for ourselves. It was our thirtieth anniversary a few days back. It had been two months in single beds. We had decided we weren’t yet ready for separate beds so we ordered a double. Yes, it arrived a day late, but … But, enough said on that topic.

With the Internet connection down, I don’t know when you will be reading this. Writing it though, I am hoping it will be early next week I can post it, but will wait and see.

~ Benno ~

Thanksgiving Day

We have so much to be thankful for and on Thanksgiving Day Sunday we celebrated. Today, Thanksgiving Monday, is not a holiday, hence the Sunday celebration. We had invited the known Alberta contingent here in Lesotho over for dinner. (At this point it is also the known Canadian contingent. Canadians are not a well-represented group here; especially compared to the large Dutch, Australian, American, and Chinese expatriate communities.) In total we came to nine home grown Canadians, plus two Basotho children, one adopted and one being fostered.

Wendy did a great job, our guests contributed, and the result was a great meal. No turkey. They only appear on the grocery shelves in December, but two tender roasting chickens filled in admirably. No cranberries either, but Wendy modified a local beetroot dish. (What we call beets at home is beetroot here.) Yes it didn’t taste like cranberries but it was red and it had a tangy taste of its own. Then there were the more traditional dishes - mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, broccoli, corn, cooked pumpkin (not so traditional), and a lettuce salad. To top if off was an array of desserts including pumpkin pie with whipped cream (whipped from rich thick cream as I remember it from my childhood days on the farm). It was a Thanksgiving Day dinner to rival any at home and together we exulted and rejoiced in the good company, the good food, and the goodness of God in our lives. I am already looking forward to doing something similar again next year.

The Canadians includes a Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot, his wife and four children (including a boy adopted from Beautiful Gate four years ago), and the two young women from LaCrete and the little Basotho girl they are fostering. The pilot and his family are also from LaCrete. The young women have recruited another one or two LaCrete volunteers who will be arrivng in the new year, so the Canadian contingent, as we are aware of it, is primarily a La Crete contingent, plus Wendy and I.

It truly was a wonderful day, and we so rejoice in God’s goodness to us in bringing us here to experience what we are, and to provide us with so many new friends and acquaintances.

If it sounds like we are settling in, we are. I came across that Save-on-Foods bag again the other day. No second thoughts about keeping a plastic grocery bag this time. I looked for the first opportunity to use it and it is now history. Lesotho has become home, and that in itself is just one more thing for which we are thankful.

~ Benno ~

Challenges ...

Folks, my regrets that you have not heard from me for a few days. We have encountered a bit of a challenge with our phone and Internet service. What should have taken an hour to resolve is into it's fourth day, and the real encouraging folks at Beautiful Gate just happened to note that another person waited five weeks to get a problem resolved.

So this is just a quick update from an Internet Cafe to say we are well. In fact Wendy could probably be described as better than well. After the bit of a rocky start to her teaching role she has settled in and now describes work as something she looks forward to each day.

At Beautiful Gate we continue to be challenged without access to electricity. It is now nearly four weeks since the three month old generator failed, for the third time, this time a broken rocker arm (?) in the motor, and the company has not been concerned that we are caring for 30+ babies in terms of offering a replacement or getting the broken one repaired quickly. It has been frustrating and challenging for all.

I will provide more information once some of the current challenges are resolved. And, I am finding I miss the contact with home without internet access, even if it is just checking the blog to see how many more contacts there has been.

~ Benno ~