February 26, 2007 (written by Jason)
So I know we don't normally post this often but I had the chance to come back into the city to send a letter to Peace Corps that will be going out to the new trainees. I am going to include it because it is kinda funny and you can see what kind of sense of humor we are developing here. All the best,
Jason
Dear New Trainees,
Greetings from the Mountain Kingdom! We would like to wish you the warmest of welcomes as you will soon be our new neighbors in the small country of Lesotho. Congratulations on getting through the arduous and sometimes monotonous application process. We know that you must be nervous now that things are finally starting to materialize into reality and you will begin selling or consolidating your possessions. Enjoy this time while you are at home. It may be for most of you the only time that you will see your favorite restaurants, television shows and most importantly friends and family for quite some time.
But that is not the purpose of why we are writing. We don’t want you to have any apprehension of coming to this lovely country. Lesotho as I am sure that you have read by now is one of the highest countries in the world. This gives us the distinct advantage over other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa of having seasonal weather. That means you will get 4 distinct and very different seasons.
As we write this letter, we are on the tale end of a very hot summer. Not to worry for those people who sweat buckets because it is a very dry heat and the summer is typically the rainy season though this one has been rather dry. The season that you will probably need to worry about most is the winter. We have heard that it can get down to below zero (in centigrade) and is commonly this way in the mountains. So pack warm clothes if you were not planning on it. However be warned because we have heard that it heats up during the day, sometimes even up to 60º so be sure to pack clothes that layer.
Other than the weather, things here are as normal as can be expected. Some volunteers have access to modern conveniences like running water, electricity and even modern super markets. This is not always the case though so it still might be a good idea to pack that solar powered i-pod charger just in case. Also if you are thinking of bringing a computer, you can, it just might only get charged every once in a while or you might have to by a solar charger and car battery (what can we say, Peace Corps Volunteers are rather industrious and we steal a lot of ideas from the Basotho).
Other “luxury” items that we would say are a must pack item:
Solar Shower (such a nice break from bucket baths), I-pod or other mp3 musiDear New Trainees,
Greetings from the Mountain Kingdom! We would like to wish you the warmest of welcomes as you will soon be our new neighbors in the small country of Lesotho. Congratulations on getting through the arduous and sometimes monotonous application process. We know that you must be nervous now that things are finally starting to materialize into reality and you will begin selling or consolidating your possessions. Enjoy this time while you are at home. It may be for most of you the only time that you will see your favorite restaurants, television shows and most importantly friends and family for quite some time.
But that is not the purpose of why we are writing. We don’t want you to have any apprehension of coming to this lovely country. Lesotho as I am sure that you have read by now is one of the highest countries in the world. This gives us the distinct advantage over other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa of having seasonal weather. That means you will get 4 distinct and very different seasons.
As we write this letter, we are on the tale end of a very hot summer. Not to worry for those people who sweat buckets because it is a very dry heat and the summer is typically the rainy season though this one has been rather dry. The season that you will probably need to worry about most is the winter. We have heard that it can get down to below zero (in centigrade) and is commonly this way in the mountains. So pack warm clothes if you were not planning on it. However be warned because we have heard that it heats up during the day, sometimes even up to 60º so be sure to pack clothes that layer.
Other than the weather, things here are as normal as can be expected. Some volunteers have access to modern conveniences like running water, electricity and even modern super markets. This is not always the case though so it still might be a good idea to pack that solar powered i-pod charger just in case. Also if you are thinking of bringing a computer, you can, it just might only get charged every once in a while or you might have to by a solar charger and car battery (what can we say, Peace Corps Volunteers are rather industrious and we steal a lot of ideas from the Basotho).
Other “luxury” items that we would say are a must pack item:
Solar Shower (such a nice break from bucket baths), I-pod or other mp3 c device (however many of the taxis down here do have CD players and yes, even tape decks so if you want to have American music in the taxi, bring those if you want), cards, gold-bond or baby powder (if you are a moist character) ear plugs (you’ll see!), those favorite pair of jeans or t-shirt that makes you feel good just wearing it, patience (make sure you pack lots of this as many times you will want to pull your hair out because the pace of life moves much different here), some kind of sport sandal ( I recommend Chaco’s and I heard that they even give a Peace Corps discount), pictures of family (you will want them and your Basotho family and counterparts love seeing pictures of your life back home), a pack-able sleeping bag (we bought synthetic and it was good as I got rained on, on a hike, and my bag stayed warm even wet. However down is lighter and can be just as good!), coffee and a non-breakable French press (for you caffeine addicts), a sense of humor (sometimes you just gotta laugh), a small backpack or day bag for traveling, a sleeping pad (I once again recommend Therm-a-rest), perhaps a few DVD’s (the Transit House for Volunteers does have a DVD player!), maybe and this is a big maybe a GSM SIM Card ready cell phone (we do have cell phone service here and the phones are pretty cheap, in fact most volunteers have purchased a cell phone… it’s a good way to keep in touch with fellow volunteers as well as your family), anything that makes you feel good after a long day, a journal or some way to record what you are going through, lots of energy and ideas and an authentic desire to meet some of the best people you will ever meet!
Things that you should leave at home:
Bowling Ball (not really needed here, though it could be an income generating project), bad attitude or inflexibility (go with the flow man!), pets (I know we had to leave our little girl Bella at home too), too many clothes (girls and guys can buy clothes here if you really need them), too many books (there are all kinds of books here but a few more paperbacks to keep the flow going would probably be enough) and any doubt that you aren’t ready! You will be great!!
We have separate jobs here in Lesotho. Janeen is teaching English at a high school where we also live and Jason is working at 2 elementary schools as a Primary Resource Teacher. Our jobs are distinctly different primarily in the amount of structure that they have. Janeen’s job is very organized and structured as to when she will have classes and how long they are. Jason has a little bit looser makeup of how his job works. He is currently observing his schools to assess for needs and in the future will hold workshops, coaching sessions, and model teaching lessons in hopes that it will improve the overall achievement of the school. Topics that we will work on will range from classroom management to how to teach conceptualized math. This and everything in between will be the topics that he will hopefully address over the next two years.
As secondary projects (which almost everyone here does) we are planning to do many things. Youth groups that hold discussions on life skills, being responsible in an HIV/AIDS environment, and about life in general have been very popular with PCVs here. Others have done fund raising and building projects in the community as well as many more exciting things that are too numerous to mention here. Though remember, one of the best resources for projects or help in any area (travel advice, information on writing grants, etc.) are your fellow volunteers.
To summarize, we are here to help the Basotho people, who are very welcoming and friendly. You will be in good hands when you enter this community! The biggest part of your service is just by being here and having and open perspective. So come, bring that big, friendly smile and that attitude that you can change the world (a positive attitude here will take you long way), and we will see you on the ground.
All the Best,
Jason and Janeen Samuelian (2007-2009 ED PCV’s)
P.S. You can check out our website and blog if you want to find out a little bit more of the inside scoop on us and Lesotho @ www.jasonandjaneensam.com
Peace Corps OUT!!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
POSTED FEBRUARY 24, 2007
February 16, 2007 (written by Janeen)
For the past two to three weeks, we have been typing some blogs and saving them to our flash drive. Unfortunately, the computer at school that we were working on had some viruses and when I put my flash drive into another computer to post the blogs, the files were deleted by the virus software on that computer. I was so bummed!
To summarize my five typed pages will not be the same, but here is what I wrote about:
I wrote about my feelings on corporal punishment. Two weeks ago I was one of the teachers on duty, which meant that I had to be on campus at 7:00 am to be sure students arrived on time and we wearing the proper uniform. That was the third week of school, and up until that point I had not seen much beating. That week I saw A LOT! Now it may not hurt too badly, as it does not leave any lasting marks (no bruises, just redness for a short time), but it makes me sick to my stomach when I see it happening. Part of the problem here is that I may not necessarily agree with WHY the student is being punished. For example, they are beaten for speaking Sesotho (in fact I had 3 of my Form A students suspended for a month merely for speaking Sesotho), not wearing the proper uniform, misbehaving in class and others. I have been coming up with alternative forms of punishment like pulling weeds after school, jumping jacks for falling asleep in class, etc. If you have any other ideas, let me know. I have also been discussing the matter with a few of my fellow teachers. I think I have convinced one teacher that beating is not necessarily effective and he is going to try another punishment, such as taking away part of their break (Which is a BIG deal because students are at school from 7-4:30 and again from 7-9 at night. They only have a 20 min. break from 10:40-11 and an hour for lunch). Technically beating students is against the law here in Lesotho, but because it has been a common practice for so long and the law is not enforced, it still occurs. I also spoke with my principal about the punishments because I wanted him to know that I would not beat the students. I asked his permission to use other forms of punishment, and he even said that he encourages his teachers to use other forms of punishment first, but he leaves the decisions up to them.
I also wrote about elections. Elections are tomorrow and we are a little nervous about the outcome of the elections. There is a lot of tension. Many people are not happy with the ruling party, but others still support them. There are about 20 political parties here, but it seems that there are 2 that it is mainly between right now. We are a bit worried because Lesotho has a history of rioting after elections. The fear is that 1) the new party will win and the governing party will not relinquish power, or 2) the new party will lose and they will riot. Like I said the tension is high and both parties have already made claims that the elections may not be fair. Here elections are not completed by the government. A third party was created to ensure fairness, but some people still do not think that they will run fairly. Peace Corps has an emergency action plan to keep us informed and safe. If there are riots we will probably evacuate to South Africa. Though it would be nice to take a trip to South Africa, I still pray for peace for Lesotho. Jason and I normally go into town on Saturdays or Sundays, but this week we are heading in on Friday and coming back to Tsa Kholo. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be safe. We have begun to build relationships here and our community will keep us informed and help take care of us! Also, when there were riots after previous elections, our town only heard of them. It was only the main cities that were affected by the riots.
I also wrote about our packages! We were visited by our supervisor from the Peace Corps and he brought packages! The day we got them felt like Christmas!!! J So that the senders can have peace of mind that the packages arrived, here is who we received packages from: Mom & Dad L-2 packages, Mom & Dad Sam- 2 packages, the Valvos and our life group, the Allens, Bari- 2 packages, Dan, Fiona, and Tracee. Yep, that’s right 11 packages! We were so excited! Thank you all, a thousand times! We appreciate all of you so much and we definitely feel loved. I finally got to remove the stickers on our pots and pans with the goo-gone. We were so thankful and so excited about these gifts! We send our hugs and kisses as thanks. I know that there are a couple packages still on their way (we hope that they will arrive safely). Jason talked to another volunteer whose longest package took 6 months. So we may be waiting a while for the others. We appreciate you too! We got so much stuff that we will have to update our wish list. I’m pretty sure we have at least a 2 year supply of deodorant. Jason has 7 and I have 9! I know we asked for it, but do we smell that bad??? We have updated the wish list of items that can be sent. We removed some items that we no longer need and added a few other items. We got a lot of jerky and gum, but those things can keep coming! I didn’t add this to the wish list, but if you feel like sending candy here are some that we miss: Red vines, Milk Duds (must be wrapped separately in case of melting), Junior Mints (same as Milk Duds), and Reeses Pieces. I didn’t add them to the wish list because we really don’t need that much candy! We have both lost a few pounds (we are still healthy) and both feel good about that. On another note, we appreciate receiving packages, but please don’t feel like you must send one. We know they are expensive to send. Correspondence through letters will keep us happy because we miss you all so much and want to hear about you!
So I have been keeping busy with school. I have about 200 students and I have to learn their names, teach them, and grade their papers. Today all students wrote an English exam, so I will be busy grading those now (they call it marking here). I have also been designated the school librarian. The library was a mess when I got here, so I’ve been cleaning and organizing with the help of some students and of course Jason. He has helped me set up some procedures to keep the library books in the library (apparently some students like to steal books) and keep the library neat. Unfortunately it has taken me 4 weeks to complete this project, but I am happy to say that the library will be open for student use next week (provided that elections go well and I am not in South Africa)
Please lift Lesotho up in prayer tomorrow and the following days. I think the results can be announced as early as Monday, but it could be later.
We hope everyone had a happy Valentine’s Day! We miss you and love you AND can’t say it enough!
OK so elections will be over by the time this actually posts because we are staying away from town until the results are announced, but I guess its still important to let you know about what’s been going on! –Feb. 17, 2006
February 17, 2006 (by Janeen)
Today is Election Day in Lesotho! So far everything is running smoothly. I am told we could start getting partial results as early as tonight. We had about 5 guests sleep over last night. Some were trying to avoid being in town for elections and some were just visiting. We had a great time. I think about 3 people are planning to stay tonight & tomorrow as well. We are not anticipating anything to happen, but we’ll see! So I did not save my portion of the blog correctly so here is what I wrote (some is now outdated… the joys of inconsistent computers and a mistake by the operator).
February 19, 2007 (by Janeen)
So far we have heard no news of any violence. As of now, the current ruling party (LCD) is in the lead, though ABC, the new party has won some constituencies, which is a new thing for Lesotho. Even if ABC does not win the power, they will still be able to affect change in Lesotho. We’ll keep you update.
February 22, 2007 (by Jason)
Well things here have been pretty quiet. Falling into a routine is sometimes the easiest thing to do around here. An average day for us begins around 5:30 a.m. with the alarm clock going off. That’s right no more roosters or donkeys to wake us up in the morning now that we are on a school compound. It is at this time that one of us, usually Janeen (not that I don’t offer) gets up and begins boiling water for our shower. We brought a solar shower (think we mentioned this) and we have a tub in the house. Man is it nice compared to bucket bathing.
After our showers, we prepare a breakfast of 1 of 3 things. Cereal with milk or yogurt, Eggs in multiple forms or Oatmeal. Lack of variety is something that we are definitely feeling here so if you have any ideas for quick and easy breakfast foods (sorry no pop-tarts here) let us know.
Then Janeen heads to class and I head to one of my 2 schools. Still biking as that is the most reliable (although both wheels on my bike right now are busted) form of transport other than walking that takes 2 to 3 times as long. Then at around noon to 2 o clock, depending on whether or not the school is doing something or there is a meeting, I will head home. This is the hottest part of the day mind you and not usually much fun but I have been seeing my endurance steadily increase so that is kind of cool.
Upon returning home, we usually make a quick lunch consisting of a sandwich or tuna and crackers and then a myriad of activities can take place. Some days I just veg-out playing Gameboy or reading. Other days I go to the library and type blogs or do work for school. Most days that is what happens. There is the occasional day where I have to head to town after work for something or another and this usually kills the rest of my day.
In the evening, usually around 5:30 or 6:00 we begin preparing dinner. After dinner we wash the dishes that we have used the whole day and then just chill out. The days have been so hot, the nights have been some reprieve. Last week we actually watched a movie (once again, think I told you that already)! That was a nice change of pace. We still have no way to watch our DVD’s being that the DVD player our friend has is Region 2 and all our disks are Region 1 (what is the deal with that anyway??). That is fine though as I just finished my 29th book since being in country and am already half way through number 30. I will probably at this rate have read between 100 and 150 by the end of the year but who knows.
We still miss all of you and thanks again to all those who so graciously sent in ideas for grants. Also be thinking about doing small community things like a book-drive or bake sale. Maybe you will only raise a few hundred bucks but here that is a whole bunch of money! Love you all
Jason
February 23, 2007 (by Janeen)
Yippee! Office Live (the server that our website is posted on) has changed the format for editing our website. So, it seems that the process will be easier and there are not as many pages to load before we can post what we need! Hopefully everything will still go smoothly when we try to post tomorrow. Though, please don’t worry about us if we miss a week of posting. The internet is really expensive for us. We are going to try a new place tomorrow that is about ½ the price. Hopefully it will work just as well. Well, it is Friday and normally I am thankful that the weekend has come. I am only half excited today because I still have about 150 compositions to mark. And, Oh! how I love to grade essays! (Can you sense the sarcasm???) I procrastinated last weekend because we had visitors, but just didn’t get them done throughout the week. : ( We also have a busy weekend ahead of us. A Peace Corps volunteer is having a BBQ Saturday afternoon and one of Jason’s schools is having a mokete (Sesotho word for party) on Sunday because the Bishop of the neighboring district is coming to visit.
One of the things that I thoroughly enjoy is morning assembly. Because the school I teach at was begun by a Catholic church, we meet every morning to recite the Lord’s prayer (which I now know by heart… never did before), sing a few songs, and hear a bible verse. Most of the time I cannot hear what verse is being read because the students do not speak loudly enough, but I still enjoy it. I already have some favorite songs though I do not know any of them because they sing in Sesotho. My favorite is about the story of Jesus and Zachias. I only figured that out because I knew the Sesotho word for tree- sefate! Singing in the morning lifts my spirit, especially when it is a fun song. The teachers are in the back dancing while the students sing and sometimes dance themselves. By the way, they can SING here! On Thursday and Friday mornings we are blessed with selections from the school choir, and they are amazing. I wish you all could hear them!
Boy this is getting long, but I have to share one final story (or two). The topic of HIV and AIDs has come up a lot this week. We think we have just about convinced a fellow teacher to go and get tested for HIV. We had a long discussion about why he should know his status. He kept saying, “But what if I’m positive?” They are really afraid here. I know that it is a terrible disease, but we told him that if he does not get tested, he could spread the disease. AND, if he is positive than he needs to get on ARVS (which by the way are provided by the government here) so that he can live a longer, healthier life.
The sad thing is that most people don’t go to get tested until it is too late and ARVs are not an option for them. Also, today I began the discussion with one of my classes about HIV and AIDS. We mostly just discussed because I wanted to see what they knew about the disease. I asked students, “What should you do if you find out that you are HIV positive?” The response I got was outrageous. A student stands up and says that he would kill himself and other students supported his response! I could not believe it. They said that they would rather die than go through the pain. I also got a student who said he would go to the bar and drink so that he would not have to think about being positive. So then we had to discuss healthy choices verses irresponsible choices! Well, it’s a start and this beginning conversation has only convinced me that we need to continue discussing the issue. I know that my specific job title is “English Teacher” but Peace Corps has also made it apparent that we need to also deal with the crisis that is hitting this nation.
Two more things (I promise!): 1)I have a student who is struggling with his eyes. Today he went home early because he could not see out of one of his eyes. He has also been having headaches. I do not know what the doctors have said, or even if he has been to see a doctor, but if you could pray for him I’m sure he could use it! 2)There is another volunteer in our district whose friends and family pay for several students’ school fees. If that is something you are interested in, let us know. So far, I do not know of any students who have dropped out of this school because they could not pay their school fees, but I am told that it is common for students to leave in the middle of the year for that reason. Just so you know: for the entire year, the fees for my school are about 1800 Rand (divide that by 7 and you get US dollars—somewhere between $200-300).
Today it is raining! YEAH! The temperature will cool down for a day or so!
Khotso! Pula! Nala! (That is Sesotho for Peace, Rain, and Prosperity… most speeches end with these words, and it is a part of the national anthem. It is the country’s motto)
Love you all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!
February 23, 2007 (written by Jason)
So let me tell you how nice little luxuries are again! We have a friend here at school, Lebaka, already mentioned him in a prior blog, has so graciously given us space in his refrigerator which we quickly filled with water bottles. These water bottles will then freeze and we will have a few hours of cool refreshment before we have to start all over again and have luke-warm to warm water! Blech!!
Also I am reading “Reaching for the Invisible God” by Phillip Yancey. If you want to see almost to the “t”, where I am at spiritually, read this book. I am being humbled again, by how someone I don’t know can look directly into my soul and yank out huge chunks to be examined like that. It is such a good feeling. Well I promised to keep this short (per Janeen’s Orders). Love again
Jason
February 16, 2007 (written by Janeen)
For the past two to three weeks, we have been typing some blogs and saving them to our flash drive. Unfortunately, the computer at school that we were working on had some viruses and when I put my flash drive into another computer to post the blogs, the files were deleted by the virus software on that computer. I was so bummed!
To summarize my five typed pages will not be the same, but here is what I wrote about:
I wrote about my feelings on corporal punishment. Two weeks ago I was one of the teachers on duty, which meant that I had to be on campus at 7:00 am to be sure students arrived on time and we wearing the proper uniform. That was the third week of school, and up until that point I had not seen much beating. That week I saw A LOT! Now it may not hurt too badly, as it does not leave any lasting marks (no bruises, just redness for a short time), but it makes me sick to my stomach when I see it happening. Part of the problem here is that I may not necessarily agree with WHY the student is being punished. For example, they are beaten for speaking Sesotho (in fact I had 3 of my Form A students suspended for a month merely for speaking Sesotho), not wearing the proper uniform, misbehaving in class and others. I have been coming up with alternative forms of punishment like pulling weeds after school, jumping jacks for falling asleep in class, etc. If you have any other ideas, let me know. I have also been discussing the matter with a few of my fellow teachers. I think I have convinced one teacher that beating is not necessarily effective and he is going to try another punishment, such as taking away part of their break (Which is a BIG deal because students are at school from 7-4:30 and again from 7-9 at night. They only have a 20 min. break from 10:40-11 and an hour for lunch). Technically beating students is against the law here in Lesotho, but because it has been a common practice for so long and the law is not enforced, it still occurs. I also spoke with my principal about the punishments because I wanted him to know that I would not beat the students. I asked his permission to use other forms of punishment, and he even said that he encourages his teachers to use other forms of punishment first, but he leaves the decisions up to them.
I also wrote about elections. Elections are tomorrow and we are a little nervous about the outcome of the elections. There is a lot of tension. Many people are not happy with the ruling party, but others still support them. There are about 20 political parties here, but it seems that there are 2 that it is mainly between right now. We are a bit worried because Lesotho has a history of rioting after elections. The fear is that 1) the new party will win and the governing party will not relinquish power, or 2) the new party will lose and they will riot. Like I said the tension is high and both parties have already made claims that the elections may not be fair. Here elections are not completed by the government. A third party was created to ensure fairness, but some people still do not think that they will run fairly. Peace Corps has an emergency action plan to keep us informed and safe. If there are riots we will probably evacuate to South Africa. Though it would be nice to take a trip to South Africa, I still pray for peace for Lesotho. Jason and I normally go into town on Saturdays or Sundays, but this week we are heading in on Friday and coming back to Tsa Kholo. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be safe. We have begun to build relationships here and our community will keep us informed and help take care of us! Also, when there were riots after previous elections, our town only heard of them. It was only the main cities that were affected by the riots.
I also wrote about our packages! We were visited by our supervisor from the Peace Corps and he brought packages! The day we got them felt like Christmas!!! J So that the senders can have peace of mind that the packages arrived, here is who we received packages from: Mom & Dad L-2 packages, Mom & Dad Sam- 2 packages, the Valvos and our life group, the Allens, Bari- 2 packages, Dan, Fiona, and Tracee. Yep, that’s right 11 packages! We were so excited! Thank you all, a thousand times! We appreciate all of you so much and we definitely feel loved. I finally got to remove the stickers on our pots and pans with the goo-gone. We were so thankful and so excited about these gifts! We send our hugs and kisses as thanks. I know that there are a couple packages still on their way (we hope that they will arrive safely). Jason talked to another volunteer whose longest package took 6 months. So we may be waiting a while for the others. We appreciate you too! We got so much stuff that we will have to update our wish list. I’m pretty sure we have at least a 2 year supply of deodorant. Jason has 7 and I have 9! I know we asked for it, but do we smell that bad??? We have updated the wish list of items that can be sent. We removed some items that we no longer need and added a few other items. We got a lot of jerky and gum, but those things can keep coming! I didn’t add this to the wish list, but if you feel like sending candy here are some that we miss: Red vines, Milk Duds (must be wrapped separately in case of melting), Junior Mints (same as Milk Duds), and Reeses Pieces. I didn’t add them to the wish list because we really don’t need that much candy! We have both lost a few pounds (we are still healthy) and both feel good about that. On another note, we appreciate receiving packages, but please don’t feel like you must send one. We know they are expensive to send. Correspondence through letters will keep us happy because we miss you all so much and want to hear about you!
So I have been keeping busy with school. I have about 200 students and I have to learn their names, teach them, and grade their papers. Today all students wrote an English exam, so I will be busy grading those now (they call it marking here). I have also been designated the school librarian. The library was a mess when I got here, so I’ve been cleaning and organizing with the help of some students and of course Jason. He has helped me set up some procedures to keep the library books in the library (apparently some students like to steal books) and keep the library neat. Unfortunately it has taken me 4 weeks to complete this project, but I am happy to say that the library will be open for student use next week (provided that elections go well and I am not in South Africa)
Please lift Lesotho up in prayer tomorrow and the following days. I think the results can be announced as early as Monday, but it could be later.
We hope everyone had a happy Valentine’s Day! We miss you and love you AND can’t say it enough!
OK so elections will be over by the time this actually posts because we are staying away from town until the results are announced, but I guess its still important to let you know about what’s been going on! –Feb. 17, 2006
February 17, 2006 (by Janeen)
Today is Election Day in Lesotho! So far everything is running smoothly. I am told we could start getting partial results as early as tonight. We had about 5 guests sleep over last night. Some were trying to avoid being in town for elections and some were just visiting. We had a great time. I think about 3 people are planning to stay tonight & tomorrow as well. We are not anticipating anything to happen, but we’ll see! So I did not save my portion of the blog correctly so here is what I wrote (some is now outdated… the joys of inconsistent computers and a mistake by the operator).
February 19, 2007 (by Janeen)
So far we have heard no news of any violence. As of now, the current ruling party (LCD) is in the lead, though ABC, the new party has won some constituencies, which is a new thing for Lesotho. Even if ABC does not win the power, they will still be able to affect change in Lesotho. We’ll keep you update.
February 22, 2007 (by Jason)
Well things here have been pretty quiet. Falling into a routine is sometimes the easiest thing to do around here. An average day for us begins around 5:30 a.m. with the alarm clock going off. That’s right no more roosters or donkeys to wake us up in the morning now that we are on a school compound. It is at this time that one of us, usually Janeen (not that I don’t offer) gets up and begins boiling water for our shower. We brought a solar shower (think we mentioned this) and we have a tub in the house. Man is it nice compared to bucket bathing.
After our showers, we prepare a breakfast of 1 of 3 things. Cereal with milk or yogurt, Eggs in multiple forms or Oatmeal. Lack of variety is something that we are definitely feeling here so if you have any ideas for quick and easy breakfast foods (sorry no pop-tarts here) let us know.
Then Janeen heads to class and I head to one of my 2 schools. Still biking as that is the most reliable (although both wheels on my bike right now are busted) form of transport other than walking that takes 2 to 3 times as long. Then at around noon to 2 o clock, depending on whether or not the school is doing something or there is a meeting, I will head home. This is the hottest part of the day mind you and not usually much fun but I have been seeing my endurance steadily increase so that is kind of cool.
Upon returning home, we usually make a quick lunch consisting of a sandwich or tuna and crackers and then a myriad of activities can take place. Some days I just veg-out playing Gameboy or reading. Other days I go to the library and type blogs or do work for school. Most days that is what happens. There is the occasional day where I have to head to town after work for something or another and this usually kills the rest of my day.
In the evening, usually around 5:30 or 6:00 we begin preparing dinner. After dinner we wash the dishes that we have used the whole day and then just chill out. The days have been so hot, the nights have been some reprieve. Last week we actually watched a movie (once again, think I told you that already)! That was a nice change of pace. We still have no way to watch our DVD’s being that the DVD player our friend has is Region 2 and all our disks are Region 1 (what is the deal with that anyway??). That is fine though as I just finished my 29th book since being in country and am already half way through number 30. I will probably at this rate have read between 100 and 150 by the end of the year but who knows.
We still miss all of you and thanks again to all those who so graciously sent in ideas for grants. Also be thinking about doing small community things like a book-drive or bake sale. Maybe you will only raise a few hundred bucks but here that is a whole bunch of money! Love you all
Jason
February 23, 2007 (by Janeen)
Yippee! Office Live (the server that our website is posted on) has changed the format for editing our website. So, it seems that the process will be easier and there are not as many pages to load before we can post what we need! Hopefully everything will still go smoothly when we try to post tomorrow. Though, please don’t worry about us if we miss a week of posting. The internet is really expensive for us. We are going to try a new place tomorrow that is about ½ the price. Hopefully it will work just as well. Well, it is Friday and normally I am thankful that the weekend has come. I am only half excited today because I still have about 150 compositions to mark. And, Oh! how I love to grade essays! (Can you sense the sarcasm???) I procrastinated last weekend because we had visitors, but just didn’t get them done throughout the week. : ( We also have a busy weekend ahead of us. A Peace Corps volunteer is having a BBQ Saturday afternoon and one of Jason’s schools is having a mokete (Sesotho word for party) on Sunday because the Bishop of the neighboring district is coming to visit.
One of the things that I thoroughly enjoy is morning assembly. Because the school I teach at was begun by a Catholic church, we meet every morning to recite the Lord’s prayer (which I now know by heart… never did before), sing a few songs, and hear a bible verse. Most of the time I cannot hear what verse is being read because the students do not speak loudly enough, but I still enjoy it. I already have some favorite songs though I do not know any of them because they sing in Sesotho. My favorite is about the story of Jesus and Zachias. I only figured that out because I knew the Sesotho word for tree- sefate! Singing in the morning lifts my spirit, especially when it is a fun song. The teachers are in the back dancing while the students sing and sometimes dance themselves. By the way, they can SING here! On Thursday and Friday mornings we are blessed with selections from the school choir, and they are amazing. I wish you all could hear them!
Boy this is getting long, but I have to share one final story (or two). The topic of HIV and AIDs has come up a lot this week. We think we have just about convinced a fellow teacher to go and get tested for HIV. We had a long discussion about why he should know his status. He kept saying, “But what if I’m positive?” They are really afraid here. I know that it is a terrible disease, but we told him that if he does not get tested, he could spread the disease. AND, if he is positive than he needs to get on ARVS (which by the way are provided by the government here) so that he can live a longer, healthier life.
The sad thing is that most people don’t go to get tested until it is too late and ARVs are not an option for them. Also, today I began the discussion with one of my classes about HIV and AIDS. We mostly just discussed because I wanted to see what they knew about the disease. I asked students, “What should you do if you find out that you are HIV positive?” The response I got was outrageous. A student stands up and says that he would kill himself and other students supported his response! I could not believe it. They said that they would rather die than go through the pain. I also got a student who said he would go to the bar and drink so that he would not have to think about being positive. So then we had to discuss healthy choices verses irresponsible choices! Well, it’s a start and this beginning conversation has only convinced me that we need to continue discussing the issue. I know that my specific job title is “English Teacher” but Peace Corps has also made it apparent that we need to also deal with the crisis that is hitting this nation.
Two more things (I promise!): 1)I have a student who is struggling with his eyes. Today he went home early because he could not see out of one of his eyes. He has also been having headaches. I do not know what the doctors have said, or even if he has been to see a doctor, but if you could pray for him I’m sure he could use it! 2)There is another volunteer in our district whose friends and family pay for several students’ school fees. If that is something you are interested in, let us know. So far, I do not know of any students who have dropped out of this school because they could not pay their school fees, but I am told that it is common for students to leave in the middle of the year for that reason. Just so you know: for the entire year, the fees for my school are about 1800 Rand (divide that by 7 and you get US dollars—somewhere between $200-300).
Today it is raining! YEAH! The temperature will cool down for a day or so!
Khotso! Pula! Nala! (That is Sesotho for Peace, Rain, and Prosperity… most speeches end with these words, and it is a part of the national anthem. It is the country’s motto)
Love you all sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!
February 23, 2007 (written by Jason)
So let me tell you how nice little luxuries are again! We have a friend here at school, Lebaka, already mentioned him in a prior blog, has so graciously given us space in his refrigerator which we quickly filled with water bottles. These water bottles will then freeze and we will have a few hours of cool refreshment before we have to start all over again and have luke-warm to warm water! Blech!!
Also I am reading “Reaching for the Invisible God” by Phillip Yancey. If you want to see almost to the “t”, where I am at spiritually, read this book. I am being humbled again, by how someone I don’t know can look directly into my soul and yank out huge chunks to be examined like that. It is such a good feeling. Well I promised to keep this short (per Janeen’s Orders). Love again
Jason
Friday, February 16, 2007
February 16, 2007(written by Jason)
Well what a week, what a week! As many of you probably read, we had previously typed long blogs that were in depth about what is going on with us and how we are coping with everything. But I think the computer gods did not want us to send that one out because; the files got the flu (virus) and had to go bye-bye. But such is life here in Lesotho. We are just very grateful to have a computer on which we can type frequently and use to play free cell and solitaire (we get very bored sometimes.).
The week it self went really well. I returned home after a weekend in the mountains hiking and camping. It really is so gorgeous here. The beauty just continues to take my breath away every time I see one of the gargantuan mountains. I also saw the most wildlife, I have seen since I have been here. It was not a lot but I saw 3 bearded vultures, 3 spring bok (deer like creatures), 2 snakes, and numerous other wildlife in various shapes and sizes. The hike itself was tiring and just as we were about to end day 1, the skies decided to pour rain on us.
In case you have never slept in a thunder storm on the side of a mountain, I don’t really recommend it for a deep nights sleep as water will most likely come through your tent and drench you, your companions, and everything that you brought with you. The weather did clear up though for the rest of our journey and it was a real delight to see this beautiful country in more detail.
Work this week went rather well as well. I was able to coach a few teachers on some simple practices and although I know it will take time, we are going to move ahead. The funny part is, is that I am writing this the morning before I am going to go to school. My schools are very far apart from each other and I have been riding my bike back and forth from them 3-4 days a week. Needless to say I am getting in pretty good shape. By the end of the two years, many of you will probably not recognize me.
Otherwise, we also had a nice treat, watching a movie last night at a friend’s house here at school. Trying to explain certain euphemisms from “Sweet Home Alabama” was a fun cultural experience. It is also bonding us together with one of my closest friends at site. We talk about everything, including politics and religion and he is a really good guy! His name is Lebaka and I am thinking about giving him the nickname Chewbaca! We will have to wait and see though.
Thanks to all of those who have been sending ideas for foundation grants and the like. It really does mean a lot to me that you are being so active in trying to help this little country! Thanks again, but don’t stop. I still need fresh ideas from all of you. To date we have had something close to 3000 visits to our site but I have only had a few responses with ideas! Lets keep them rolling in! And pass this site along if you think someone would enjoy it or wants to know what Peace Corps life is kind of like! All the love in the World!
Jason
Well what a week, what a week! As many of you probably read, we had previously typed long blogs that were in depth about what is going on with us and how we are coping with everything. But I think the computer gods did not want us to send that one out because; the files got the flu (virus) and had to go bye-bye. But such is life here in Lesotho. We are just very grateful to have a computer on which we can type frequently and use to play free cell and solitaire (we get very bored sometimes.).
The week it self went really well. I returned home after a weekend in the mountains hiking and camping. It really is so gorgeous here. The beauty just continues to take my breath away every time I see one of the gargantuan mountains. I also saw the most wildlife, I have seen since I have been here. It was not a lot but I saw 3 bearded vultures, 3 spring bok (deer like creatures), 2 snakes, and numerous other wildlife in various shapes and sizes. The hike itself was tiring and just as we were about to end day 1, the skies decided to pour rain on us.
In case you have never slept in a thunder storm on the side of a mountain, I don’t really recommend it for a deep nights sleep as water will most likely come through your tent and drench you, your companions, and everything that you brought with you. The weather did clear up though for the rest of our journey and it was a real delight to see this beautiful country in more detail.
Work this week went rather well as well. I was able to coach a few teachers on some simple practices and although I know it will take time, we are going to move ahead. The funny part is, is that I am writing this the morning before I am going to go to school. My schools are very far apart from each other and I have been riding my bike back and forth from them 3-4 days a week. Needless to say I am getting in pretty good shape. By the end of the two years, many of you will probably not recognize me.
Otherwise, we also had a nice treat, watching a movie last night at a friend’s house here at school. Trying to explain certain euphemisms from “Sweet Home Alabama” was a fun cultural experience. It is also bonding us together with one of my closest friends at site. We talk about everything, including politics and religion and he is a really good guy! His name is Lebaka and I am thinking about giving him the nickname Chewbaca! We will have to wait and see though.
Thanks to all of those who have been sending ideas for foundation grants and the like. It really does mean a lot to me that you are being so active in trying to help this little country! Thanks again, but don’t stop. I still need fresh ideas from all of you. To date we have had something close to 3000 visits to our site but I have only had a few responses with ideas! Lets keep them rolling in! And pass this site along if you think someone would enjoy it or wants to know what Peace Corps life is kind of like! All the love in the World!
Jason
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
February 2, 2007
(Written by Jason)
Hello all once again! It has been a really long week here in Lesotho! We have had intermittent rainstorms all week but still not enough for the crops that are fed only by the rain. The people here are very scared to talk about it as you can probably imagine. It is a not a great situation as things here may get really bad if there is not enough food this next years harvest. However it is not that bleak as there is still 2 months left in the rainy season. Yet if you think about it throw a shout up to the big man and tell him to let it pour here in little ol’ Lesotho!
We had a friend come stay with us the last few days. Nichol, who is from Colorado, came to hang out with us and bring us our mail that she got from a volunteer who went to Maseru (Yeah it is that confusing right now for us to get our mail. Sorry if you wrote a while ago and we haven’t responded. We really will write you!). That is not the only reason she came though. She is a Resource Teacher like me, but she is working with the ECCD (Early Childhood Care and Development) sector of education. This is a very new program here in Lesotho and needs constant care and support. The ECCD teachers are all volunteers that get paid like M 400 a month. That is less than 100 dollars (to be exact it is close to $50) a month! The pay is so low that these teachers really do it for the love of the students and to see them develop into good students. I will tell you too that in my observations, you can see the difference in those that have been to the schools and those who have not!
My job is going well if not very fast. I have so many ideas for improving the schools and the teaching practices but I know that patient diligence is the only way that I will be able to make a sustainable impact. I know that I have harped on the point that I need ideas from you all out there in cyberspace to look for ideas and possibilities for grants and cooperatives that I can apply for. I have yet to really receive any ideas. I know that you out there are busy, but you have easy access to the internet and that you could spend 10 to 15 minutes surfing for technology or education grants. Some of the places I was thinking that might have them are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Kellogg Foundation, The Ford Foundation, etc. IF you could do some small bits of research for technology or education grants and send me a link or info. to jason.samuelian@gmail.com that would help me out so much.
I want to leave you with one story on why this is so important for the country and its many students. This morning as I was walking home from taking Nichol to the taxi stand, a woman I have talked to before invited me to her house for peaches. On the way to her house, she told me about her husband who died in 2003 and how she now has no way to make an income or even to plow her plot of land and grow food for her self. She showed me the dry and grown over fields that at one time provided enough food for her, her husband and her 4 children.
She then took me to her house that was barren except for a small wood burning stove and a table. There were no chairs or visible food in the room. In the small bedroom off to the side, there were 2 bags of WFP (World Food Program) maize meal that had been given to her by the chief so that she would not starve. However in order to cook this she had to spend all day collecting enough fuel for her stove in order to boil water so that she can make Papa (corn maize mush). That is basically all she will eat other than the few peaches that she has on her trees.
Her story is all too common. She had no training on anything so that after the death of her husband she was left with no skills except those to get by with. She has no way of advancing her self or moving beyond her desolate situation. This is why I need your help out there. We must train the next generation with the tools and skills that will make them able to compete in the modern world.
So off my soap box again. I love and miss you all! I desperately wish I could see all of you and just hug you for a few minutes. With all my heart,
Jason
(Written by Jason)
Hello all once again! It has been a really long week here in Lesotho! We have had intermittent rainstorms all week but still not enough for the crops that are fed only by the rain. The people here are very scared to talk about it as you can probably imagine. It is a not a great situation as things here may get really bad if there is not enough food this next years harvest. However it is not that bleak as there is still 2 months left in the rainy season. Yet if you think about it throw a shout up to the big man and tell him to let it pour here in little ol’ Lesotho!
We had a friend come stay with us the last few days. Nichol, who is from Colorado, came to hang out with us and bring us our mail that she got from a volunteer who went to Maseru (Yeah it is that confusing right now for us to get our mail. Sorry if you wrote a while ago and we haven’t responded. We really will write you!). That is not the only reason she came though. She is a Resource Teacher like me, but she is working with the ECCD (Early Childhood Care and Development) sector of education. This is a very new program here in Lesotho and needs constant care and support. The ECCD teachers are all volunteers that get paid like M 400 a month. That is less than 100 dollars (to be exact it is close to $50) a month! The pay is so low that these teachers really do it for the love of the students and to see them develop into good students. I will tell you too that in my observations, you can see the difference in those that have been to the schools and those who have not!
My job is going well if not very fast. I have so many ideas for improving the schools and the teaching practices but I know that patient diligence is the only way that I will be able to make a sustainable impact. I know that I have harped on the point that I need ideas from you all out there in cyberspace to look for ideas and possibilities for grants and cooperatives that I can apply for. I have yet to really receive any ideas. I know that you out there are busy, but you have easy access to the internet and that you could spend 10 to 15 minutes surfing for technology or education grants. Some of the places I was thinking that might have them are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Kellogg Foundation, The Ford Foundation, etc. IF you could do some small bits of research for technology or education grants and send me a link or info. to jason.samuelian@gmail.com that would help me out so much.
I want to leave you with one story on why this is so important for the country and its many students. This morning as I was walking home from taking Nichol to the taxi stand, a woman I have talked to before invited me to her house for peaches. On the way to her house, she told me about her husband who died in 2003 and how she now has no way to make an income or even to plow her plot of land and grow food for her self. She showed me the dry and grown over fields that at one time provided enough food for her, her husband and her 4 children.
She then took me to her house that was barren except for a small wood burning stove and a table. There were no chairs or visible food in the room. In the small bedroom off to the side, there were 2 bags of WFP (World Food Program) maize meal that had been given to her by the chief so that she would not starve. However in order to cook this she had to spend all day collecting enough fuel for her stove in order to boil water so that she can make Papa (corn maize mush). That is basically all she will eat other than the few peaches that she has on her trees.
Her story is all too common. She had no training on anything so that after the death of her husband she was left with no skills except those to get by with. She has no way of advancing her self or moving beyond her desolate situation. This is why I need your help out there. We must train the next generation with the tools and skills that will make them able to compete in the modern world.
So off my soap box again. I love and miss you all! I desperately wish I could see all of you and just hug you for a few minutes. With all my heart,
Jason
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