Lesotho: The Kingdom in the Sky

Flood Damage in Lesotho

2011-01-28T00:11:00.011-06:00

Recent heavy and consistent rainfall and have wreaked havoc across most of Lesotho. Flash floods have caused drownings and farmers have grown weary regarding the success of their crops this year due to the excess water. Most of the top soil has washed away, down the mountains and off to South Africa somewhere, where they too are experiencing the devastating effects of mother nature. Perhaps the most traumatic effects are being felt in Leribe, where the drastic rainfall has washed away entire cemetaries, leaving members of the deceased family member scrambling to gather the remains of their loved ones to rebury them elsewhere.

Articles from the Lesotho Times:

Dead Bodies Washed Up in Leribe

Floods Wreak Havok in Leribe

Back to School at PC-Lesotho Office

2011-01-27T06:50:00.005-06:00

Much like Baylor did last year, the Peace Corps-Lesotho office kicked off the new school year in style, donning uniforms from their old school days. The first day of class involved morning prayer, several assemblies, periodic announcements, and fictitious classes. Those in official attire were "students" for the day while others served as "school administration." I was mysteriously voted as the Economics teacher. Lunch was provided for faculty and pupils alike and included such delicacies as makoenya (fat cakes) and chicken feet.

Positive Peace Corps Press

2011-01-19T00:01:00.007-06:00

PC-Lesotho World AIDS Day Photo Contest Winners

2010-12-01T02:33:00.007-06:00

Raising Awareness: Matt Deakin (CHED '10)

Caring for Those Infected: Aaron Laufman-Walker (CHED '09)

Positive Living: Violeta Jimenez (ED '08)

Honorable Mentions: Nathan Birhanu (ED '10) & Elissa Kaufman (CHED '09)

Lesotho Times

2010-11-21T07:46:00.004-06:00

Click here to read our local newspaper.

Brilliant!

2010-11-19T09:05:00.004-06:00

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Awareness Campaign

2010-11-14T12:59:00.016-06:00

Baylor was recently funded to implement an awareness campaign with the aim of breaking the silence regarding sexual and gender-based violence in Lesotho. The event, which targeted HIV-positive male and female youth ages 14-18 and their caregivers, was held this past Saturday and was met with great success. The first half of the day, a host of guest speakers discussed laws relating to violence, rights of children, and police and medical procedures should someone opt to report physical or sexual abuse.

During lunch, a Sesotho Media documentary was screened which depicted a variety of abuses experienced by a young girl from Lusaka, Zambia. The second half of the day, participants engaged in stimulating and educational intergenerational dialogs, participated in theater acts relating to the topic, and made a pledge to Stop the Violence by signing a cloth with their hand print- a theme to match our shirts.

Megan's T-Shirt Design (notice the Africa?):

"Report Violence!"

Lebohang (Psychologist) & Dr. Smita (Pediatrician)

Baylor and Sentebale Staff Make Preparations for the Event

Sesotho Media Film Screening

Gender-Based Violence Discussion Among Peers

NGOC Drama Group Member Involves Teen in Act

Make the Pledge: Break the Silence

October in Review

2010-11-01T05:28:00.000-05:00

('M'e Masechaba, Peace Corps Training Director on her wedding day)

(Basotho kids at play)

(Caregiver Day at Baylor)

(Peace Corps Staff Retreat + Megan as PCVL)

(Night of Indian Dancing in Maseru)

2010-10-22T09:17:00.004-05:00

Peace Corps Youth and Community Development Volunteer Brice Foster, 25, from Sugar Land, Texas.

He is currently serving in Lesotho, Africa.

The Singing Nerd: PCV in West Africa

Lyrics:

Why'd I come here? I could be eating Ice cream sundaes
Where are my friends? Over oceans, I left them so far away
When I shower with a bucket or I'm pooping in a hole
That's when I've got to remember our three goals.
1. Help out the country that I am in
2. Share US Culture with my new friends
3. I'm doing the third goal as I sing and I share
All of the new things that I have seen here

That's why I joined the Peace Corps
That's why I'm in the Peace Corps

Secondary Project for World AIDS Day 2010

2010-10-18T09:50:00.009-05:00

World AIDS Day 2010 Theme: Universal Access & Human Rights

Global leaders have pledged to work towards universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care, recognizing these as fundamental human rights. Valuable progress has been made in increasing access to HIV and AIDS services, yet greater commitment is needed around the world if the goal of universal access is to be achieved. World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for all of us – individuals, communities and political leaders – to take action and ensure that human rights are protected and global targets for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care are met.

Photo Contest Entry Requirements and Restrictions

In support of World AIDS Day 2010, Peace Corps/Lesotho is sponsoring a photo contest for Volunteers and staff.

Photos must relate to one of three categories: “Raising Awareness,” “Positive Living” or “Caring for Those Infected.” (Judges reserve the right to determine if a photograph is appropriately categorized and change a photograph’s category accordingly.)
Contestants must submit their photographs digitally by e-mail or on a CD (no prints please) to PCVL Megan Kelly.
Each entrant may submit one photo per category for a total of 3 entries per entrant.
Each photo should include a short caption and a 50-word maximum description of what the picture represents.
Completed and signed Contest Entry and Model Release (when the subject is recognizable in the photo) forms must be submitted with photos.
Photographs must be taken within Lesotho and may be either in vertical or horizontal format.
Minor digital enhancement for cropping, red-eye removal, filters, and corrective functions are permitted, but images that have been judged to be altered in any significant manner will be disqualified. Contestants are not permitted to place borders, frames or backgrounds around their images or to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images on photos.
Entries that fail to comply with the contest rules will be disqualified.

Judging

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of Volunteers, PC staff, and Embassy officials. Photos will be critiqued on impact, creativity, originality, artistic quality and relevance to the category.
One winner from each category will be announced on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2010.
Prizes will be awarded.

Photo Rights of Ownership

All photos submitted will become property of Peace Corps/Lesotho and may be used in departmental publications promoting Peace Corps. Whenever possible, the photographer will receive credit. Peace Corps reserves the right to crop photographs for display purposes. Winning photos will be published in the Khotso and submitted to PC/Wash.

Entries must be received by November 1, 2010.

(Questions about the contest should be directed to Megan Kelly)

Western Cape, South Africa: Round 3!

2010-10-10T11:12:00.020-05:00

We recently traveled to the Cape Town region of South Africa, where Aaron and I met up with his parents visiting from the US. Enjoy a few of the highlights:

(Camps Bay)

(Whale Watching: Mama and baby Southern Right Whales off the coast of Hermanes)

(Table Mountain)

(Vineyard in Stellenbosch)

(Orchid House at Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens)

(Bo-Kaap Area of Cape Town)

(Cindy and Larry at Kirstenbosch Gardens, Just Singing in the Rain)

(A Lone Jackass Penguin)

(Coca-Cola Crate Art at the Waterfront)

(Dumpster-Diving Baboon and Baby)

(The Kids)

Chris Matthews (Hardball) on the Peace Corps

2010-10-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

Lesotho's Independence Day

2010-10-01T09:19:00.005-05:00

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 30, 2010

"On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Lesotho on your 44th independence day this October 4.

The strong partnership between our nations is based on our shared commitment to peace and regional security, and our common efforts to create a brighter future for all our people. One of our greatest assets to achieve these goals has been the strong bonds of cooperation and friendship fostered by Lesotho’s hospitality to American Peace Corps volunteers. Together, we are strengthening health and educational institutions for the Basotho people, fighting HIV/AIDS, and collaborating to protect Lesotho’s natural resources and the environment. We look forward to continuing our work together and further deepening our partnership in the coming years.

I wish all the people of Lesotho a joyful independence celebration, and a peaceful and prosperous year ahead."

A Big Sigh Before Moving Forward

2010-09-18T01:12:00.015-05:00

My service as a Peace Corps Volunteer has several distinct chapters and it appears as though I have begun a new one without having realized it ever started. Safety and security in Lesotho is not what it once was and because of the increasingly disturbing events of the past 6 months, volunteers, ex-pats, and even the Basotho are progressively more vigilant. Because of the lack of documentation, uncertainty looms as to whether the crime rate is increasing or we are just more aware of the events that are unfolding. In any case, please try not to worry- I am more alert than ever and take the necessary precautions when traveling and working across Lesotho in effort to minimize the risks to my safety. Much has changed within our Peace Corps family since the night of September 3^rdand our grief continues; however we press onward, honoring Tom’s memory and the mission of Peace Corps, toward the new normal we’ve been forced to create.

Luckily, I've been working on a project with my counterpart (Lebo) at Baylor that brings us all back to our happy youths and assists us in forgetting, at least temporarily, the troubles of the world. As part of our Strengthening Clinical Services program, we've created a play therapy room for children at Baylor's Center of Excellence in Maseru. We hired a painter, purchased dozens of toys, and will soon implement a play therapy program for the children who are in need of psychological services. Play therapy is a new form of care and counseling in Lesotho and thus education for staff and patients will be required. After the initial set-up is complete within the next couple of weeks, Lebohang and I plan to commence sessions with the children with the hopes of encouraging exploration and expressing their experiences through a natural, self-guided process. (Play therapy room below- a work in progress)

I've also been fortunate enough to work on a project with Baylor staff at the national government hospital in Maseru, Queen Elizabeth II. Generally, the toughest cases are sent to this facility and only when no other options remain at the district or village clinic level. Queen II, as it's called, sees an unfortunate amount of malnourished cases among children under 2 years of age. To combat this issue, a team of specialists from a variety of health fields have devised a lecture series to be conducted routinely for the nutrition assistants at Queen II. The group consists of physicians, visiting scholars, nutritionists, and psychologists, and each have agreed to present research and applications for decreasing malnutrition. After reviewing current research and compiling data, I presented the positive effects of psychosocial stimulation, play therapy, and the infant-caregiver bond on decreasing the ever-present malnutrition amongst youngsters in this country. I shared creative ideas for increasing emotional and physical stimulation, which included a short demonstration on how to make stimulating toys for children with locally available products. I plan to continue with the topic in the upcoming months and build upon the foundation with each new lecture. Although not quite psychology related, there has been a surprising interest in learning the technique of baby massaging with regards to increasing infant feeding. While this is not at all within my realm of training, I am lucky enough to have a friend in the new CHED group who is a trained massage therapist who has agreed to assist with the session during October. (Queen II nutrition assistant team and training below)

Thanks to a kind donation from the states, 300 children in and around the capital have received brand new toothbrushes, attended a course to teach them the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene, and developed skills to encourage others to do the same. Have you ever seen an American child so happy to receive a toothbrush??

Later this week, the US Embassy will host a Town-Hall style meeting regarding security and security issues, particularly here in the capital of Maseru. Unfortunately I won’t be in attendance because vacation awaits with great company, change of scenery, fresh perspectives, and of course delectable foods!

News Release: Peace Corps Mourns the Loss of Volunteer Thomas Maresco

2010-09-06T13:12:00.003-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 4, 2010 – Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams is saddened to announce the death of Peace Corps volunteer Thomas “Tom” Maresco in Lesotho. Tom, 24, died as a result of a gunshot wound on Sept. 3 in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, but at this time it appears it may have been an attempted robbery.

"Tom was an exceptional volunteer, leader, teacher and coach – he was an integral part of his host community where he shared his passion for teaching, music and sports,” said Director Williams. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and I ask that you keep Tom's family and our volunteers and staff in Lesotho in your thoughts and prayers.”

Tom, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., was a secondary education teacher in the village of Katse in the highlands district of Thaba-Tseka. He arrived in Lesotho for Peace Corps service in November 2009. A graduate of the University of Florida, Tom served as a science teacher in Lesotho. He was an active member of his local community in Katse and coached youth in a number of sports including basketball and swimming. Tom became his district's representative on the Peace Corps Lesotho HIV/AIDS committee and was committed to developing innovative ways to address HIV awareness and prevention among young people. He was scheduled to complete his Peace Corps service in January 2012.

The Peace Corps is providing grief counseling and support to volunteers and staff.

The Peace Corps works closely with the Department of State's Diplomatic Security operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal agencies to support, as appropriate, the investigations conducted by host country law enforcement. Crimes committed against Peace Corps volunteers overseas generally fall under the legal jurisdiction of the government of the country in which the crime was committed. In this case, the government of Lesotho will conduct the investigation into this crime.

There are currently 91 volunteers serving in Lesotho. Over 2,100 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in Lesotho since 1967. Volunteers in this Sub-Saharan African nation work in the fields of education and community health and economic development. Geographically, volunteers are distributed throughout all 10 districts of the country.

Thank You Pearson (UK)!!

2010-08-31T08:51:00.000-05:00

THE PLEA TO PEARSON:

My name is Megan Kelly and I am currently a third year Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, a small mountain Kingdom in sub-Saharan Africa. I work at Baylor Centre of Excellence, which is a clinic for children, adolescents, and their parents who are infected with HIV/AIDS. Peace Corps is a United States volunteer program that aims to build capacity at the grassroots level. As a volunteer, I work with Lebohang Bereng who is my local counterpart. I have my masters degree in Clinical Psychology and she has hers in Counseling Psychology.

Currently in Lesotho there are only 5 psychologists for the entire country and all have a masters degree as their highest attained qualification. Most of them work in the main government hospital and the psychiatric hospital. In general, the mental health effort in Lesotho has been directed towards those with serious psychosis, however Baylor is looking to provide psychological support in other realms as well. Lesotho has the 3rd highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world and a large portion of those infected/affected are children and adolescents. Because of this, Baylor has developed a new program to strengthen clinical services across the entire country. In order to better serve patients, both children and some of the parents, we are hoping to obtain a set of basic psychometric assessment kits to aid in the assessment, diagnosing, and treating of our patients. I did my graduate school practicum with Pearson in San Antonio and also have training through my clinical psychology program. Lebohang Bereng also studied, administered, and interpreted a host of psychometric tests so she is familiar with the more common tests.

Because we are a small clinic and our program is quite new, we have very limited funds. I contacted old colleagues in San Antonio to see what help they may be able to offer us, and then we were referred to you. Please let me know what of assistance is available, if anything. We greatly appreciate your time and your help.

Please feel free to read my blog, as it outlines and discusses the sort of population we work with. Keep in mind it is a personal blog, and therefore refers to a host of other issues non-work related.

I look forward to hearing from you!

-Megan Kelly

THE RESPONSE FROM PEARSON IN SHORT:

I have spoken to everyone in our management team and they all agree that we should support you by providing all of the assessments you have listed. Please can you send me the full address details?

Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Pre-schoolers, Children, and Adults
Beck Youth Inventories- Second Edition for Children and Adolescents (BYI-II)
Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS)
Draw a Person (DAP)
Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ)
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory- Adolescent (MMPI-A)
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (Vineland-II)
Social Skills Improvement System (SSiS)

HIV Testing Event Results

2010-08-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

AGE GROUP	POSITIVE	NEGATIVE	RESULTS NOT DOCUMENTED
Children	3	75	8
Adults	2	10	2
TOTALS	5	85	10

AGE GROUP	MALES			FEMALES			TOTALS
	Negative	positive	Results not documented	Negative	Positive	Results not documented
Children	34	1	1	41	2	7	86
Adults	2	0	2	8	2	0	14
TOTALS	36	1	3	49	4	7	100

Diseased Pariah News

2010-08-22T13:05:00.009-05:00

Click here for Old 90s Humor Magazine By and For People With HIV

August in Brief

2010-08-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Aaron's birthday with guacamole burgers and ice cream at SPUR, a new "native american" restaurant. There may have been birthday songs in Sesotho, lots of stares, and a firecracker on top of the ice cream!

My PCVL job has begun and I'm thoroughly enjoying working at the Peace Corps office. We recently swore in 27 new CHED Volunteers and will soon make preparations for the new Education group that arrives November 3. My first desk on the first day of the job was covered in flowers, pictures, and sweet notes by a special someone.

The CHED '10 group has very diverse site placements and this year 3 are based in the capital. Jesse and Zach are based with Millennium Challenge Compact and Lee is with Baylor. Because her original site fell through, Lee was picked up by Baylor, will serve as Teen Club Coordinator at the clinic, and is now my roommate. Christina, Baylor's new Princeton in Africa fellow, will arrive September 2 and will be the third and final roommate in our house.

A portion of my work as PCVL is to go on outreach to conduct site assessments for volunteers currently serving in the field. Issues regarding security, health, and work are discussed with the Volunteer and host organization to ensure optimal effectiveness. I opted to visit Ketane to celebrate Aaron's birthday while simultaneously conducting two site visits. The 2 photos above were taken at a week-long CRS workshop for youth in remote areas. The target audience was particularly fascinating as it combined in-school and out-of-school youth. The latter, who are generally local herd-boys or kids working to basically survive, have very minimal education so reaching out to that population is important.

Over the past several months, Baylor has been collaborating with Lesotho's Ministry of Education to plan the-first-of its-kind HIV testing event at a primary school in Qacha's Nek. To my surprise, the MoE selected Most Holy Redeemer as the pilot primary school. Because I taught Life Skills and Health to these kiddos during my days in Qacha's Nek, I wanted to be a part of the event, to put the kids at ease with a familiar face, and encourage them to test along with their caregivers. We drove down Thursday, prayed away the snow, and awoke to a gorgeous sunny day with snow-capped mountains. While waiting to test, the children enjoyed games provided by Sentabale and Kick-For-Life counselors and local Baylor staff proudly wore their t-shirts delivered last minute by the MAF plane. I can't be sure of the results just yet but over a third of the school pupils tested alongside teachers, ministry officials, and local chiefs- a great turnout! My favorite students took part in the event, and while I am curious as to their HIV status, I know that it really does not matter. They now know how to care for themselves if positive, and how to remain healthy if negative.

World Development Indicators

2010-08-20T07:21:00.000-05:00

A Doctor's Perspective

2010-08-08T13:05:00.003-05:00

Each of our experiences as volunteers, development workers, and healthcare providers are incredibly unique and come with their own set of challenges. The following is an excerpt from the blog of one of the most compassionate doctors at the Baylor clinic. Her story is all too common and serves to remind us of the devastating toll HIV/AIDS has taken on the youth of Lesotho.

"5 deaths in 24 hours. It's astounding. You sit there watching the tidal wave flow over the hospital as if someone poisoned the formula. And the problem starts when you begin to hope for a miracle. I have really invested my heart and soul to children that come knocking on death's door and wonder why they don't survive. I already know that parents bring in children too late using hospitals, often times, as a place for their child to die. But when I look at a child, and their eyes still open, and they are even able to produce a tiny smile, I start to hope and wonder if they have enough left to fight.

Skin and bones. Sometimes that is all they are left with. When I can visualize the skeleton that makes us human, I know we are nearing the end. So I started slow. I talked with mom. I looked at the child who sat up and I thought...maybe we have a chance. Mother so desperately wanted to feed her child, but the crazy twist is that now "food" may be her enemy. Her system is so sensitive that even the slightest off balance can kill her. So. We started slow. We tried hydration. We even started with slow feeds. I saw her start to perk up. My heart even started to have faith. She stood up with her legs made of bone trying to hold herself. I told the mother to continue this regimen all night and not to change. These children can fool you. And she did. The next day she was dead. Just like that. I knew from the start that the chances were slim, but the hope still comes seeping out from some unknown place.

Gasping. Walking by an unknown bed I see this child. His eyes are opened wide trying to get in any air that he can. I stop to ask what his story is realizing the seriousness of his state. Looking through the notes, I realize that he has received the bare minimum to survive. Luckily there was oxygen. I immediately got an xray and a tested him...both positive for TB and HIV. The poor child had been suffering for weeks...and nothing. I gave him the thumbs up sign and he smiled through his gasps. We started treatment immediately. The next day he sat up in bed trying to breath through all the fluid that was filling his lungs. He looked at me and told me he was tired. I talked to him. An hour later I gave him chest compressions only to pronounce him dead. We were too late. It is so difficult to watch a child drown and have nothing to give them. Nothing.

Fever. Such a common complaint. But a fever to a cancer patient always raises my eyebrow. Laying on the bench, I knew this child was sick. We rushed him to the treatment room and started an IV line. He was so thirsty. We kept giving him water. He was breathing fast and so hot that we gave him antibiotics and sent him for a chest xray. I called his oncologist in South Africa who advised me on the limited drugs we had and to call him if he got worse. My next call was to tell him that he was gone. I had heard the mother wailing and rushed to the bedside. His heart had already let go. I held his hand and tears rolled down. I could not hold it in any longer. He was not supposed to go. He was only 6 years old. I held the mother crying with her. It is not ok.

And this is only one day. 24 hours. I sat just lost. Brain on protective numb mode. I hugged my counselor who has stood by my side through all of this. She has been my back bone. Doing work that others are supposed to do but not willing. Hugging me when she saw the tears drop. Crying with me when we could not seem to understand the day any longer.

As I was walking out a baby caught my eye. She cooed with her eyes fixated on my face. I walked over and picked her up. She fell comfortably in my arms. A smile melted onto her face and she slowly closed her eyes. I stood rocking her for a bit smiling at mother. My backbone side kick still with me at 6:30pm after everyone has left talking to the mother in Sesotho about how well her child was doing. The next day I sent her home from the hospital, with her child in hand.

Maybe there is a reason for all of this. Maybe we do save one out of the many that make it here. But my heart does not seem to fixate on the one I save. It only charges at those that I cannot. Death is inevitable. I know. But when you are 6 months, 6 years, 12 years, I can't seem to think it is right. Not for them. They all have a chance. They all need a fighting chance. And they need someone that will fight for them. Until the end.

I am here. But when I face a day like today...it really strikes my core. What am I doing? Am I even doing it right? Do I have a fighting chance? I am not ready to give up the battle, but I can't seem to do this fight on my own. I need change. A new hospital. A government that cares to supply adequate medicine. A community that understands that hospitals can be ok if we have the two former in place. A staff that cares to work. Enough doctors to care for the children. No. I can't do this fight on my own with all of those stacked behind me.

Today was a hard day...."

Visit to Ketane & Outreach to Qacha's Nek

2010-07-29T16:39:00.001-05:00

Ketane

The cliff hugging, unpaved, never-ending road to Ketane wasn’t nearly as bad as its reputation. I may be biased, however, considering the 12 hour trek led me to my favorite person. The journey to Aaron’s site was long overdue and unfortunately too short because of a work-related outreach planned in Qacha’s Nek immediately after. Having been engulfed in work in the capital for the past several months, it was quite nostalgic being back among bustling village life- the simplicity of daily living, the snow-capped mountains, the smells of food cooking and trash burning in the distance, hiking barely visible trails and the fear of getting lost, cooking in the dark, and of course the renowned pee bucket experience. Above all, it was heartening to watch Aaron in his comfort zone, among his Basotho friends and family, and succeeding in his role as a PCV in one of the most challenging posts in the country.

(The women insisted I wear a traditional blanket because of the weather)

(Catholic Relief Service rural outreach site)

(Mosotho woman awaits commencement of CRS community gathering)

(Aaron enjoys the view)

Qacha's Nek (QN)

My arrival in Qacha’s Nek was met with a mix of emotions. Because the outreach was with Baylor, I was afforded private transport, my own hotel room, and per diem that amounts to much more than what a PCV is accustomed to having. It isn’t a stretch to say that I felt guilty using those funds, considering I used to live in a poor village 3 kilometers down the road, traveled on public transportation, and ate for a fraction of the cost. Lebo and I suggested that we instead find cheaper, alternative options and use the money for our psychology projects, but we were denied. Evidently UNICEF provides resources strictly for these occasions and we either spend it or we lose it.

Throughout the week, Lebo and I met with the majority of the HIV/AIDS stakeholders across the district- governmental officials, ministry representatives, heads of NGOs, community based organizations, faith based organizations, remote clinics and the district hospital- no one was exempt. We explained our Strengthening Clinical Services program and assessed the needs of each group accordingly. Our outreaches are becoming increasingly overwhelming as we’re discovering the need for psychological services is so great. It’s becoming an hourly reminder, that we are only two people in this country where over a quarter of the Basotho are infected with HIV and many more need psychological intervention. But we press on where we can, with what little we have. We’ve got to start somewhere!

I went back to Ha Mamosa to visit my old host mom and said hello to nearly all of my old friends. I was welcomed with 2 jars of home-canned peaches, yum! I was happy to see my African Library Project running smoothly at the district library. A visit to the Snake Park was of course in order, but unfortunately the owner was away. Walking down the main strip in town was surreal, quite the twilight zone experience. Most people in town thought I’d left to return to America so they were thrilled to hear I’d be staying another year, albeit in Maseru. Qacha’s Nek will always be my “home” in Lesotho and I felt completely at ease while there, but I no longer sensed as though that was where I was meant to be. Ultimately, I am pleased with my decision I made to the move to the capital 8 months ago. I do, however, miss having a family and a strong Basotho community but my work is more meaningful, related to my area of expertise, and productive. A tradeoff, one of many I’ve made these past two years.

Next week I officially start my new role as Peace Corps Volunteer- Leader. I’m interested to see just how busy I become as I try to juggle two jobs. After several months off at the gym because of my partner’s foot injury, I’ll be back at it at 5:15 every morning. Groan! Daydreams of September’s Cape Town vacation are increasingly making their way to the forefront of my thoughts.

(QN Snake Park is open for business!)

('M'e Malebohang, my QN host mother, in her traditional Seshoeshoe attire)

(My 2 best buds in QN: Standard 2 student Liteboho & neighbor Tumelo)

(QN gully)

(QN Prison)

(QN Baylor Satellite Clinic triage/treatment room)

(QN Machabeng Hospital Public Service Announcement)

Help Violeta's School in Mokhotlong, Lesotho

2010-07-23T04:13:00.010-05:00

(Click Here to Donate)

A message from Violeta:

Imagine a school in America without a gym, a cafeteria, or an auditorium, in a community without any place the local youth can go for recreation. Imagine that a school meeting or concert must be cut short because it starts to rain, and there's no place to go inside. After years of enduring these problems, this High School wants to build a multi-purpose hall which will serve all these purposes, where its students and teachers can come together as a community. They will be able to study together, eat together, put on concerts, plays, and debates, have club meetings and workshops, watch movies, play indoor games, and more. By literally being closer as a community, the students will be able to motivate and help each other, and take pride in each others’ accomplishments. Also important is that the hall will ensure that activities no longer need to end when it rains or snows. Students can assemble inside and carry out group activities all year-round, weather notwithstanding. Moreover, the hall will act as a youth or rec center, a place where students can relax and have fun after school hours in a supervised environment. This hall will positively affect the health, academic performance, and happiness of the students for years to come. As the teachers and students say, the construction of this hall will be a milestone in the history of the school.

Aid for Africa? Some Onion Humor to Brighten Your Day...

2010-07-13T14:59:00.003-05:00

Nation Of Andorra Not In Africa, Shocked U.S. State Dept. Reports

Whistle While You Work

2010-07-13T04:30:00.004-05:00

Working hard or hardly working? Definitely the former, but inevitably I still have those weekends where I lounge around my house watching Lost, Fringe, or Veronica Mars reruns and eat only cereal. Much has happened since I made the decision to extend my service for a third year, thus warranting a blog update regarding my new work-related endeavors.

Peace Corps

For the first time in Peace Corps-Lesotho’s history, a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader (PCVL) position was made available for qualifying third year volunteers. After putting the applicants’ names to PCVs, staff, and headquarters in Washington, I am delighted to report that I have been selected and ‘promoted’ to PCVL. The competition was stiff and so I am very humbled and appreciative to be given the opportunity to act as a liaison between my fellow PCVs and staff in Lesotho. With this new role come additional responsibilities including site development, trainings for new and existing volunteers, outreach for site visits, reviewing/amending the health program’s project plan, and serving on Peace Corps committees in a unique capacity. I have decided to step down from the HIV/AIDS committee, as both the co-chair and district representative to allow others the opportunity to learn and grow as I did. When available, I will sit in on committee meetings (Volunteer Advisory Committee, HIV/AIDS Committee, Peer Support Network, etc) and offer guidance and assistance where need be. Because the PCVL position is novel in Lesotho, we will be able to mold the position based on the needs of our 2 program sectors in country. I will maintain my duties at Baylor but will divide my time between the two organizations, both of which are based in Maseru. The first few months may involve trial and error to determine how best to split my time, but I am confident we’ll figure out a groove sooner rather than later. Flexibility has been key to my survival these previous two years and I’m sure it will remain so for my third. Did I mention a few perks to the gig include my own PC office, computer, and phone? If it were not for my bank statements and the “volunteer” in my job description, you’d think I had a REAL job! ;-)

Baylor

About 6 months ago, Baylor was sub-granted a hefty chunk of change from Elizabeth Glasier Pediatric AIDS Foundation for a program called Strengthening Clinical Services in Lesotho. The program and funds aim to upgrade and expand psychological and social services in each of Lesotho’s 10 districts, including the most remote of areas. I nearly applied for one of the Clinical Psychologist positions but ultimately decided against it for a multitude of reasons. The decision to stay with Peace Corps as a Baylor volunteer has paid off immensely because for the first time ever, I finally have a Mosotho counterpart! Counterparts are typically a host country national with whom volunteers directly work with and transfers knowledge. ‘M’e Lebo recently completed her masters-level training in South Africa and has recently assumed the role of Baylor’s first ever psychologist.

For the next several months, Lebo and I will be traveling across the country to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in psychological care. Primary emphasis will be placed on youth who are HIV positive. Because this field is relatively new in Lesotho and there are only 5 psychologists in country, we foresee the need to be great and are schedules to be full. A few weeks ago, we spent time in Leribe and found the greatest need to be caring for caregivers (including health-care providers). It’s easy to overlook those providing care in this immense HIV/AIDS epidemic but these individuals are the backbone for support and their mental health need not be ignored. Next week we’ll be heading to Qacha’s Nek to assess the situation there. I’m very excited to get back to my roots, back to my old stomping ground. [As a side note, I called my old host mom to inform her of my visit. The tears of excitement and anticipation were tangible through the phone. I miss that woman!]

The latest addition to my tasks at Baylor includes consulting on HIV-positive patient psychological cases. As a PCV, we are forbidden to provide direct clinical services since sustainability and capacity building are the crux of our program. I therefore assist ‘M’e Lebo by proposing ideas for particular therapy sessions, act as her support, and provide recent literature in the field. We’ve also been trained in different psychometric tests (IQ, Achievement, Memory, Personality, Depression/Anxiety Scales), so we have plans to instruct each other in that realm. We also intend to convert a small examination room into a Play Therapy room, though funds are very limited for this venture. Time to put the creative hats on! As a side project, we hope to start a Journal Club specifically for the few psychologists in country. If it isn’t obvious, we have our work cut out for us!

Before concluding, I’d like to send out a special thank you to Aaron’s family (Cindy and Uncle B). They graciously purchased and shipped over 300 youth-sized toothbrushes for the kiddos in Teen Club. Because of their kind contribution, we will devote August’s Teen Club to “The Importance of Oral Hygeine”.

(Over 300 youth toothbrushes donated to Teen Club from Aaron's family)

('M'e Lebo, Baylor's new clinical psychologist and my counterpart, stands next to a makeshift wheelchair while on outreach at Leribe's District Hospital)

(Baylor/Sentebale/Hole in the Wall Camp Mamohato Grounds)

From Sea to Shining Sea

2010-07-12T04:13:00.000-05:00

Every year, winter in Lesotho passes entirely too quickly. The Basotho and PCVs alike would deem me crazy for enjoying the harsh weather conditions and short days, but I’m in love with this time of year. The snow, the blankets, the scarves, the portable heaters, the hot chocolate- I fancy all of it!

It has been a strange few months, however, with a host of people living in my house temporarily- high school students, undergraduates, medical students, fellows, and of course the occasional Peace Corps Volunteer. All are here for very noble reasons and their research at the Baylor Clinic is greatly needed and much appreciated. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the new Princeton in Africa fellow’s arrival in late August, as her coming denotes some sort of stability in the house.

Maseru has also seen a swarm of visitors over the past several months due to the World Cup in South Africa. I imagined there’d be plenty of tourism but unfortunately Lesotho hasn’t been given the recognition it deserves as a jewel in Africa. Perhaps some day! I did, however, have the opportunity to meet with 2 wonderful families exploring Maseru proper and a few remote sites across the country. I met the first family through Dr. Woodruff, a most exceptional graduate professor. His American friends take part in an economics exchange program between Mississippi State University and University of the Free State in South Africa. It was rather shocking to discover the similarities between their experiences teaching students in SA and mine here in Lesotho, particularly in regards to teacher-student relationships among host country nationals. We as Americans should all be grateful for the manner in which are educated- in a system that promotes fairness, critical thinking, and the ability to question. I met the second family, a pair of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and 2 boys, through my blog. The five of us dined with my PC Country Director and her husband at a local Indian hotspot. We shared multi-generational stories and compared notes of Peace Corps experiences across the world. Again, I realized just how much I have to be thankful for in this generation of volunteerism. To both families- thank you for your visit and your kind words of motivation.

World Cup fever is over and I am curious to discover what the new hot topic will be in the forthcoming months. For the past two years, it has been nothing but soccer and vuvuzelas so it goes without saying that I am relived this era is over. What are the odds that the Basotho will now refocus all of that World Cup enthusiasm and obsession towards something like fighting HIV/AIDS, TB, poverty, etc? Only in a perfect world? Regarding the World Cup, I’m quite disheartened by the trio of bombings in Uganda that took places during the final match between Spain and the Netherlands. While the PCV and Country Director that I know are safe, it doesn’t minimize the unease I feel when looking at pictures of what unfolded that night in Kampala. The photos of innocent Africans and foreigners uniting in celebration are hardly dissimilar from the ones I snapped at World Cup viewings here in Maseru. I have a few choice words for terrorists but I’ll refrain on public domain.

On a cheerful note: Happy Fourth of July! One of my colleagues at Baylor, Dr. Amy, had relatives in town so we celebrated by hosting a party at my house. The afternoon boasted Johnny Cash and other American classics, hot dogs and sausages galore, couches on the lawn, and thoughts of home. It’s always the irreplaceable moment when we’re able to share one of uniquely American holidays with people from a variety of other nations- especially England!

(A Multicultural 4th of July Celebration at my House)

(World Cup 2010 Fever at Maseru Sun Cabanas)

(Housewife Pack, hah!)

(Recreational Sign Climbing)

(Whitney's Going Away Party.

Attire: Wear anything made from items found at grocery stores Pick-n-Pay or Shoprite)

Read This. "DEAD AID" by Dambisa Moyo

2010-07-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

When In Rome (and other parts of Italy)....

2010-07-07T08:53:00.024-05:00

After two long years in the making, a mother/daughter duo finally accomplish their quest to tour across Italy. The following pictures are a few highlights from our grand adventure!

(Isle of Capri)

(Rome)

(Venice)

(Pisa)

(Juliet's Balcony in Verona)

(Daunting Mount Vesuvius Behind Ancient City of Pompeii)

(Pompeii)

(Waterfront, Sorrento)

(Farmer's Market, Sorrento)

(The Secret Garden)

(Making Wishes at the Trevi Fountain)

(Ultimate Tartufo at Piazza Navona)

(St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City)

(Inside St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City)

(Gondolla "Taxi Rank" in Venice)

(Leaning Tower of Pisa)

(Trafalgar Family at the Coliseum in Rome)

Caregiver Day at Baylor Clinic (Neglect & Abuse)

2010-05-18T05:22:00.019-05:00

Twice monthly, dozens of eager children from across the district arrive at Baylor Pediatric HIV/AIDS Clinic to take part in Teen Club, a psychosocial support program for adolescents who are HIV positive. The kids, who are patients at the clinic, are grouped with peers of the same age level and are provided a safe place to play, learn, and be free from the stigma and discrimination that is ever-present across the Lesotho. Baylor and Sentabale staffs collaborate to create and deliver age and gender appropriate lesson on issues related to HIV/AIDS, general health, communication, decision-making, relationships, etc. Sessions, which are facilitated by highly motivated and well-trained host country nationals, are usually accompanied by a variety of games that foster an open dialogue concerning the topic at hand. Because of the economic depravity experienced by most of the children’s families, Baylor and Sentabale also provide transportation costs and a hot, hearty meal.

Once a year, Baylor reserves two Saturdays to devote to Caregiver Day, a time in which children in Teen Club can invite their parents and/or caregivers to the Clinic to participate in a day-long workshop pertaining to a pre-determined topic. My roommate Whitney, who will be completing her Princeton in Africa Fellowship within the next week, took charge of this year’s Caregiver Day. Because of her keen interest in gender issues, women’s right, and abuse she decided implement the topic at the event.

Whitney and the Sentabale counselors created scenarios and key messages for the children, while I assumed a different role with the social workers. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, an enormous aspect of my job involves capacity building at the local level. With this in mind, I created reading materials, lectured to the social workers, and administered a quiz on neglect and emotional, physical, and sexual abuses. By the end of our “mini-course”, the social workers learned definitions, recited relevant laws, recognized physical, behavioral, and psychological signs of abused/neglected children and abusive/neglectful caretakers, identified local resources for dealing with such issues, and performed marvelously on a challenging test. From my crafted materials and the trainings, the social workers in turn developed a 2 hour interactive PowerPoint session to present to the Caregivers at the event. They included explicit pictures and were thoroughly prepared to discuss even the most sensitive of topics.

Not surprisingly, the most rewarding aspect for all involved was the willingness of Basotho staff and attendees to push through issues that are generally considered taboo and talk about them openly and honestly. Children shared their personal stories, adults reflected and assessed their own behavior, and in time intergenerational discussions arose that attested to the success of Caregiver Day. While the event by no means solves the issues faced here and across the world, we did plant a seed of change. One step at a time.

(Awesome kiddo, all bundled up Basotho-Style)

(Who Doesn't Love a Visitor? PC Medical Officer, Megan, Ntoli from Sentabale, and PC-Lesotho Country Director Kathy)

(Our Fearless Teen Club and CAMP Leaders- Ntoli, roommate Whitney, Pista)

(Aaron: Professional Toilet Paper Roller)

(Caregivers at Neglect and Abuse Lecture)

(Stretch, Jump, Dance, & Mingle- Morning Exercises with Teen Club Kids and their Caregivers)

(Did Someone Say 'World Cup 2010?')

(Social Worker Discussing Sexual Abuse with the Caregivers)

(Free Time with the Fellas!)

Help Kristan Fund her Greenhouse in Lesotho

2010-05-11T10:04:00.005-05:00

Peace Corps Partnership: Donate Here!

A Message from Kristan (CHED '08-'10):

Khotso (Peace) to all the good people out there that I've met along my journey so far!

I'm working with a group of farmers here in Lesotho to build a greenhouse so they can grow vegetables in the winter. Its a great project and the greenhouse has a really cool design thanks to my brilliant architecture family and friends. The hold up as always is the money so I am fundraising through peace corps which is actually the only way that 100% of the money you donate goes directly to the people on the ground, no overhead or advertising costs to cover!

To donate, go to the Peace Corps website (www.peacecorps.gov) and click DONATE NOW in the left collumn. Then search by my project number which is 632-065. The name of the project is Community Greenhouse.

My time is short and I only have about a month to raise about $5000 so please please, if you can give anything, 5 bucks, anything the people in the village of Menkhoaneng and I will greatly appreciate it. Lets help the people of Lesotho grow their own, local, organic foods!

With Peace and Love!

Kristan

P.S. More information about the project:

The farmers I'm working with are some of the most forward-thinking farmers I've met in Lesotho and are already growing a wider variety of vegetables than most Basotho. The idea for the greenhouse design was a collaboration between one of the farmers, an lecturer at the Agriculture college in Lesotho, my sister, her boyfriend, and another volunteer (architects). The structure is going to be an arc of fiberglass extending from a stone wall. The fiberglass will increase the lifespan of the initial greenhouse giving them a longer time before they need to invest in repairs. The stone wall will be painted black to absorb heat during winter days and release it at night so summer vegetables like tomatoes can last thoughout the cold Lesotho winters (yes it does get cold in Africa!). The farmers are currently meeting with the community's support groups to agree on the best way that the greenhouse seedlings and produces can benefit the communitys many (200+ out of about 600 children) single and double orphans. In addition to directly assisting the orphans and vulnerable children, the greenhouse produce will be sold at a discount to community members and act as a valuable agriculture resource to encourage diversification of home gardens.

Being a community in the country with the 3rd highest HIV prevalence, people living in Menkhoaneng face the impacts of the HIV/AIDS pandemic daily. Having a more affordable, more nutritious, local source of food will improve the nutrition everyone but especially people living with HIV and AIDS to help their bodies fight of the virus and other diseases.

"At Front Lines, AIDS War Is Falling Apart"

2010-05-11T02:32:00.004-05:00

The New York Times Article

Peace Corps Close of Service (CHED '08-'10)

2010-04-24T12:10:00.006-05:00

Two years ago our group of Community Health and Economic Development trainees arrived in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. We were clean, eager, and ready to do our part to help the Basotho nation through building capacity at the grassroots level. We trained together, worked in various fields including small business development, agriculture, youth, and HIV/AIDS, learned the language and culture, and eventually became functioning members of our respective villages. We've been met with blood, sweat, tears, and even babies but through it all we've persevered with unrelenting enthusiasm. This week CHED '08-'10 had our Close of Service Conference at Malealea Lodge and it was met with bittersweet emotions for all. The retreat offered us a chance to reflect upon our accomplishments, our failures, and the impacts we may or may not be able to recognize at present. Although we joined Peace Corps with the hope of bettering our host country, I think it is Lesotho that has done that favor for us. Each of us has changed in very unique ways and the friends I have made along the journey will always be with me. I wish the best of luck to every member of the group- those who departed Lesotho before us, those heading back to America, and those transferring to Vanuatu. As for me, I have decided to extend my contract with Peace Corps-Lesotho for a third year. There is still a lot of exciting work to be a part of at Baylor Pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic and I look forward to strengthening my relationships both outside and inside the Peace Corps circle. A big thank you to everyone back home and to those special people here in Lesotho for all the support and love. You have and will continue to be my rock.

With Love,

-Megan

New Campaign to Help Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Lesotho

2010-04-15T03:39:00.005-05:00

(from UNICEF)

(Malekena George heads home from the Pilot Health Clinic in Lesotho's Berea district after her first antenatal check-up)

(Malekena George is given her new 'Mother to Baby Pack' at the Pilot Health Clinic in Lesotho's Berea district. The pack includes ARV drugs and antibiotics.)

BEREA DISTRICT, Lesotho, 16 March 2010 –

Malekena George is eight months pregnant, living with HIV, and exhausted from the five-hour trek she endured to get here, to the Pilot Health Clinic, for her first antenatal check-up. But because her journey to the clinic was so difficult, this visit may also be her last.

Ms. George's first child died at 13 months, likely due to HIV infection, and the Lesotho Ministry of Health is working to ensure that her second baby is not born with HIV as well.

In 2007, the Government, with help from UNICEF and other partners, initiated a massive effort to improve the country's Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services. To succeed, they needed to ensure that every clinic in the country could provide HIV testing and treatment.

Lesotho Leads the Way

Lesotho became one of the first countries in the region to allow nurses to administer anti-retroviral (ARV) treatments, which greatly expanded access to these critical interventions in the remote areas of the country where fewer doctors are available.

But despite such efforts, major challenges remain, including the fact that many women, like Ms. George, are likely to make only one clinic visit.

This is a typical problem for many health systems in Africa. Though ARV drugs can increase the chances that a baby is born free of the virus, providing HIV-positive mothers with the treatment is not easy, especially in remote areas. The combination of distance, lack of transport and poverty prevents many women from making regular antenatal care visits. Such factors also lead many women to drop out of the PMTCT programmes, and to deliver their babies at home without the presence of trained medical professionals.

In a country such as Lesotho, where one in four people is living with HIV, that one antenatal visit has become all the more critical.

Keeping Mother and Child Healthy

Innovative prevention methods are also making a huge difference. The Lesotho Government has designed a minimum package for expectant mothers like Ms. George that includes the most effective ARV drugs and antibiotics needed to keep them, and their children, healthy. When they leave the clinic, these women are also provided with clear instructions on what medicines they need to take – and when – and what medicines they need to give to their babies after their birth.

In an effort to expand this public health innovation ever further, UNICEF and WHO have created a colour-coded take-home box that will be rolled out to five countries in eastern and southern Africa, Lesotho included, by July. Instead of the nurses having to pack the medicines all in small pill bags, this new 'Mother to Baby Pack' clearly separates the ARV drugs and the antibiotics according to when they need to be taken.

"We had to take advantage of the first antenatal visit," said UNICEF HIV and Maternal Health Expert Blandinah Motaung. "In case a woman delivers at home, she will have that package with her."

A Dramatic Drop in Infections

With the new regimen of ARV treatments, and the efforts to facilitate women in taking these medicines at home, health experts expect the number of babies born with HIV in Lesotho to drop dramatically.

"The expectation is that with better adherence to the treatment and more focus on helping mothers to exclusively breastfeed for six months, we can further reduce the transmission rate to less than five per cent," said Ms. Motaung.

Take Home Medicine

After her check-up, Ms. George listened carefully to Marethabile Lelia, the clinic nurse, give instructions on the medicines that she would be carrying home, and a mother-to-mother counsellor reiterated the importance of sticking to her treatment.

Although Ms. George has another appointment scheduled at the clinic, Ms. Lelia doesn't expect to see her until she returns with a six-week-old for the baby's first round of immunizations and first HIV test - children are again tested at 12, and then 18 months.

As she prepared for her five-hour walk home, Ms. George clung to her medicines, understanding clearly they represented her best hope of ensuring that her baby would escape infection and grow up healthy.

UNICEF Executive Director launches 'Facts for Life' in Lesotho

2010-04-15T03:07:00.006-05:00

(from UNICEF)

(Ann M. Veneman visits clients at a children's clinical centre built by Baylor College of Medicine and Bristol-Myers Squibb in Maseru, Lesotho, where paediatric and family HIV care and treatment services are provided to young children and their caregivers.)

MASERU, Lesotho, 9 April 2010 –

During a visit to Lesotho, a country entirely landlocked by South Africa, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman this week launched ‘Facts for Life’, a publication that delivers life-saving information to families and communities on how to prevent child and maternal deaths, diseases, injuries and violence.

“Education is key,” said Veneman. “Through simple messages, ‘Facts for Life’ aims to bring vital knowledge to parents and caregivers, who are the first line of defense in protecting children from illness and harm.”

Circulated Worldwide

Now in its fourth edition, Facts for Life’ has benefitted millions of individuals and communities since its first publication in 1989. Some 15 million copies of previous editions have been circulated worldwide in 215 languages.

It is a co-publication by UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNAIDS and the World Bank, and provides practical advice on pregnancy, childbirth, major childhood illnesses, child development, early learning, parenting, protection, care and support for children.

New Chapter on Child Protection

“Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles and AIDS, together account for half of all deaths of children under age five,” said Veneman. “These diseases are largely preventable, and sometimes it is a simple lack of knowledge that causes these deaths. ‘Facts for Life’ helps bridge that information gap.”

‘Facts for Life’ is available electronically in English, French and Spanish. The updated version contains a new chapter on child protection, which provides information on keeping children safe from violent and harmful behaviours and practices.

“Girls and boys must be protected from violence and abuse,” said Veneman. “Protecting children so that they can grow up in safe environments and reach their full potential can help break the cycle of poverty.”

March/April in Pictures

2010-04-15T01:54:00.015-05:00

Thanks to the PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission) program, my adorable little friend here is HIV negative.

Teaching a a Lifeskills class at Melissa H.'s primary school. Sexual and Reproductive Health sessions are always complete with both male and female condom demonstrations.

Proudly showing off male and female condoms. These kiddos now know how to protect themselves and will encourage others to do so when the time is right.

Two primary schools in Maseru battling it out in the area's first ever Debate Competition.

The topic: The Influence of Alcohol and Drug Use on Youth in Lesotho.

Speech! Speech!

Baylor's Caring Father's Support Group on their first outreach to neighboring schools. Key messages for the day included HIV prevention, cultural barriers to combating HIV/AIDS, and the importance of playing an active role in care of children's health.

Happy Moshoeshoe Day!

2010-03-10T23:09:00.003-06:00

The Story of King Moshoeshoe I

(...as told by Wikipedia)

A Week in Photos

2010-02-12T01:00:00.004-06:00

Megan at the Office (with a new hair color)

Irish Ambassador & Baylor Director Handing Over Funds to "Caring Fathers" Support Group

"Caring Fathers"

Baylor Staff Dressing up for "School Days"

Baylor Staff Singing in the Clinic After Morning Prayer (also on "School Days")

The Plaque

Baylor Grounds

Security Alerts

2010-02-11T05:35:00.006-06:00

In the past, people have asked how well Peace Corps informs volunteers of security concerns in my area (Lower Thetsane, Maseru) and what sorts of issues arise. I've received several security alerts via text message from Peace Corps-Lesotho within the past two days and thought I'd pass them along to quench your curiosity.

Re: Suspicious Person Alert- Around the area of Lower Thetsane there is an unknown female person purporting to be an American citizen. The unknown individual is described as follows: Caucasian female approximately 5 feet, 8 inches in height, slender build, with short light brown colored hair, between the age of 40 and 50, wearing white capri-length pants, a pink t-shirt, and white cotton hat with flaps that can pull down over the ears and that covers the neck area. The unknown individual stated that she was an American missionary worker and she wants to get in touch with Americans in that area. If you notice a suspicious person approaching your residence, it is highly recommended that you use caution and ensure that you keep your doors locked. It is also recommended that you do not engage in conversations with the individual alone. Please report to SSC immediately if you have concerns.

Re: Planned demonstration at Lesotho Agricultural College and Manpower Development Secretariat tomorrow (02/11/2010). The demonstrations will commence at approximately 0900 hours and conclude around 1400 hours, starting at LAC and proceeding west until they (about 200-300 students) reach the gasoline station next to Lehakoe Club. From this point, students will send their delegation to NMDS to deliver their petition (student allowances and failure of timely payments). PCVs are to avoid this route during those hours.

Rso Alert: Semi Truck parked in the road at Lower Thetsane just past entrance to the Lower Thetsane subdivision. It is parked on the left-hand side going away from town, blocking the entire lane.

Monday's Madness.

2010-02-02T06:39:00.015-06:00

(View from my 'office' window on a rainy day)

With a new home and job here in the capital city of Maseru, it inevitably follows that a different routine will develop. This is no longer village life- for better or worse. Every day at 5:30 I awake to the beeping alarm on my cell phone, crawl out of bed, lazily dress, wash up, and head for the gym for an hour long workout. I’ve been blessed to have found a gym partner that unwaveringly honks her car’s horn precisely 10 minutes past my own alarm.

Yesterday commenced in the same manner as all the days before it- except that in my haste to halt the blaring honks I forgot my water bottle on the counter, killed another set of headphones on minute 25 of the elliptical, and found not a hint of water at my indoor faucets and outdoor spigots. Not to worry, I still remember my roots. In true Peace Corps style, I poured 2 liters of drinking water into the tub and opted for my first bucket bath since moving from Qacha’s Nek late last year (my gym partner showered at another ex-pat’s house). One point for the PCV!

At 7:20 my roommate (Whitney, a Princeton Fellow) and I made our way to the Baylor Clinic where business was opened with a hymn and prayer in Sesotho followed by morning announcements. Observing the clinic staff and Basotho families uniting in song and hope for a shared purpose is the most beautiful part of the day. I secretly wish for an extra ten minutes of it before retreating to the library, my temporary office space.

I passed the time it takes for my laptop to load by admiring the view of the rugged plateau outside a nearby window. Rocks lining a smooth edge of the precipice spell out “infantry school” which explains the daily distress signals that are a constant reminder of WWII imminent enemy attack warnings.

“Did you hear about the shooting? Well, did you hear?” Shaken out of my own thoughts, I turned to one of the drivers who appeared flushed with excitement. He repeated his question and began to recount the events that unfolded only 15 minutes prior to my arrival at the clinic. From what I gathered, somewhere between the Baylor Clinic and the National Health Training College (NHTC)- a road less than a quarter of a km long- a double homicide occurred. The shooter, who happened to be a Mosotho policemen, opened fire on a passing car at point-blank range. In the car were his wife and her 'lover' (actually the man was called "a concubine from elsewhere in Africa"). From what the construction workers nearby are saying, the shooter warned the pair that their illicit affair should come to end, but the events that unfolded yesterday morning apparently proved that the couple felt otherwise. The car and bodies were littered with bullets, a huge crowd gathered, and police arrived at the scene.

By the time I became aware of the incident, the situation was mitigated, perpetrator detained, onlookers dispersed. Peace Corps security was notified of the situation and I was sent to medical to assess the need for counseling. In all senses I am fine, it's just a bit shocking to have occurred within such close proximity. Kudos to Peace Corps for their thorough response and to the Basotho for clearing the disturbing scene promptly and allowing construction workers who witnessed the tragedy to take a mental health day!

White House Proposes 9% Increase in Global-Health Funding

2010-02-01T22:46:00.001-06:00

by Betsy McKay (The Wall Street Journal)

The Obama administration proposed a 9% increase in funding for global health needs in its fiscal 2011 budget, pledging to spend more to combat preventable diseases and reduce deaths among women and children at a time when it is tightening its belt elsewhere.

The proposal was accompanied by the release of a set of ambitious targets to be achieved by 2014, including getting 1.6 million more people into drug treatment for HIV/AIDS, cutting the prevalence of malaria by 50%, and reducing the number of deaths of mothers and children under 5 years old.

Some AIDS and other health advocacy groups said the amounts the administration was asking for weren't sufficient for it to achieve the goals it has laid out. Of particular concern was a small proposed increase in spending for HIV/AIDS programs for the second year in a row.

President Barack Obama's request totals $9.6 billion for funds for the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Defense Department, the White House said. That compares with $8.8 billion enacted for fiscal 2010.

The bulk of the requested funding, about $7 billion, is for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the massive program launched by President Bush in 2003. That includes $5.74 billion for bilateral HIV/AIDS programs, a $1 billion contribution to the Global Fund and $251 million for bilateral tuberculosis programs. That compares with $6.8 billion in fiscal 2010, including $5.54 billion for bilateral HIV/AIDS programs, $1.05 billion for the Global Fund, and $246 million for TB.

While the requested contribution to the Global Fund is less than the amount given last year, it is $100 million more than the amount requested last year, officials said.

The new global health initiative reiterated the administration's pledge to put more than four million people on HIV/AIDS drug therapy and prevent more than 12 million new HIV infections by 2014.

The plan also called over the same time period for reducing malaria by 50% for 450 million people in Africa, including expanding efforts into Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; reducing tuberculosis prevalence by 50%; saving approximately 360,000 women's lives by reducing maternal mortality by 30% in assisted countries; and saving approximately three million children's lives by reducing mortality rates of children under 5 years old by 35% in assisted countries.

It put timetables on the elimination or partially elimination of three neglected tropical diseases: leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocersiasis, also known as river blindness.

Under the proposed budget, the State Department and USAID would get $680 million for malaria programs, up from $585 million in 2010. Maternal and child health would get $700 million, up from $474 million, while $590 million would go to family planning, up from $525 million.

Officials said a key element of the new initiative was to integrate health efforts and strengthen health systems on the ground, to give government and private donors a bigger bang for their buck.

"We are trying to integrate programs," said a White House official. "There's a lot of stovepiping, as it's called. There's the PEPFAR program separate from malaria separate from maternal and child health separate from neglected tropical diseases separate from water. That is quite duplicative and inefficient in all sorts of ways – multiple offices, multiple clinics, facilities, different reports for different groups."

The hope is to yield "more effective use of the money so we can reach these pretty aggressive targets," the official said. Under the new plan, the government will also select up to 10 countries by April that will receive more funding and resources "to try to turbocharge this integration on the ground."

Health organizations were still crunching the budget numbers late Monday, but some said they were concerned the small increases in HIV/AIDS program funding threatens the momentum gained in a scale-up of HIV treatment in recent years.

"PEPFAR has been a forceful engine driving down AIDS mortality, heading off new infections, and extending life-saving drugs to millions of HIV patients," Kenneth Mayer, co-chair of the Center for Global Health Policy's Scientific Advisory Committee, said in a statement released Monday night by that organization. "Unfortunately, this budget proposal could imperil the fragile gains made over the last decade in treating HIV. It could also force a Sophie's Choice between prevention and treatment."

"This is a very big disappointment," Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, speaking from Ethiopia on a conference call arranged by the Global AIDS Alliance. "It's pretty much a standstill with maybe tiny changes here and there."

Of particular disappointment, Mr. Sachs said, was that the requested increase in spending to combat malaria wasn't more substantial. "The U.S. government is billions of dollars short of what it should have spent," he said. "Comprehensive control of malaria is now possible."

Princes Harry & Seeiso, Sentebale, and a Polo Match

2010-02-01T12:16:00.004-06:00

Bits and pieces from a random internet article:

This is the moment Prince Harry took a heart-stopping, head-first tumble from his polo pony during a charity match in the Caribbean yesterday.

The third in line to the throne was thrown from his mount as he attempted a sharp turn close to the goal mouth, causing the animal to lose its footing and slide across the ground in a cloud of dust and grass.

Fortunately the 25-year-old prince managed to dive forwards and execute an athletic roll, breaking the impact of his fall on the rock-hard field in Barbados.

Seconds later he picked himself up unharmed but was clearly upset at the blunder as he threw his mallet to the ground in disgust, ripped off his helmet and punched it. The pony was unhurt.

Harry's team went on to win the inaugural Sentebale Polo Cup, with the prince scoring one of their six goals.

Speaking about the fall afterwards, Harry said: 'I'm a bit sore but it was all for a good cause so it was worthwhile in the end. Basically the horse slipped from underneath me, which does happen occasionally and is a but unfortunate.'

'It probably looks very dramatic because I was trying to throw myself clear of the horse. I'm a bit sore but the horse is ok though.'

The Prince explained that he hadn't thrown down his mallet in anger at getting thrown but was furious that he may have lost Sentebale a sizeable donation.

He explained: 'The reason why I was throwing my mallet down was because I met this nice businessman at dinner last night who offered me $50,000 for Sentebale if I fell off my horse today. His wife turned round and said 'that's a bit harsh, you should give him $100,000 if he stays on.' And he agreed to seal the deal on that. '

'So when I fell off, I threw down my mallet and shouted: "What a waste of $100,000!" I was furious with myself. Fortunately this extremely generous gentleman has already been in touch and told us that it was the clear that the horse fell over, rather than I fell off it, so he was happy to honour the $100,000. What a star!'

'It's been an exhausting trip - I feel like I have been here a month not two days - but absolutely rewarding.Everyone from our local supporters to the Barbados government have bent over backwards to make this work for Sentebale. People have dug so deep in their pockets.'

'It looks like we may have raised £500,000 for the vulnerable children of Lesotho, so I couldn't be more pleased. We are going to try to take the Sentebale Cup around the world but will definitely be coming back to Barbados as we have started it here and the island has such a special place in our hearts.'

Harry was playing at the exclusive Apes Hill Polo Club in Barbados to raise money for Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in memory of his late mother to help vulnerable Aids orphans in the African kingdom of Lesotho.

The 1,200 ticket match was a complete sell out and is expected to raise more than £100,000. Harry hopes to make the Sentebale Polo Cup an annual event.

Lesotho is one of the world's poorest nations and has been devastated by an HIV pandemic.

One third of its 1.8 million population is infected with HIV or Aids and 40 per cent of children are orphans as a result. Average life expectancy is just 40 years.

Harry visited the country during his gap year and was immensely moved by its plight.

In a speech to mark the occasion yesterday he told supporters: 'It seems to be one of life's cruellest ironies that when natural disaster strikes - whether it be earthquake in Haiti or years of drought and ravaging by HIV AIDS in Lesotho, it is always the most vulnerable, the most defenceless, the children, who are left exposed and needing the most help.

'We are making a real difference in Lesotho but it is not straight-forward. The problems are complex and our work, inevitably, is not without its issues. But we are there for the long term.'

a whole new world, a dazzling place i never knew.

2010-01-31T08:54:00.008-06:00

Snapshots of My New Home in Maseru

1. Constructing the new fence

2. Kitchen 1

3. Flowers from my favorite

4. Front yard

5. Living room & dining rom

6. Kitchen 2

7. Megan's room

8. Backyard

9. Front of house

Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI)

2010-01-22T03:05:00.007-06:00

Baylor Clinic (Maseru, Lesotho)

As Peace Corps Volunteers, our 2 years of service are charted out for us in a booklet that we are given upon arrival into country. The X-axis illustrates the number of months we’ve been living/working in our host country, while the Y-axis depicts our emotional state. Inevitably, there are a series of plunges and elevations that are said to occur around similar times in each volunteer’s service. Surprisingly, my first year flew by with very few dips or hurdles. Despite having no direction or support from my host organization, I filled my time with various independent projects by eliciting the help from a diverse group of community members in Qacha’s Nek. Around the same period, the latest group of health volunteers arrived in country and I spent copious amounts of time in the capital city of Maseru facilitating sessions and networking with various NGOs in the area. After their 3 months of training were complete, I permanently returned to site only to find myself in a severe slump. No local support for projects, few if any goal-oriented individuals, apathy among many host country nationals, isolation, broken promises from host organization to pay rent, a supervisor who demeaned women, and no foreseeable future undertakings were just a few of the issues that were encountered throughout but only became increasingly apparent after my stint in Maseru.

Not one to take a backseat, I called a doctor friend from Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative to inquire about the likelihood of the organization wanting a Peace Corps Volunteer. Simply put, I was drained, needed a change, and was looking for something more appropriate involving my educational background. Long story short, Baylor asked for my resume, sent it to their headquarters in Houston, I received word of their interest in “hiring” me, and the process of a Peace Corps site change began.

After months of back and forth delays, I have finally moved to Maseru and begun some of the most remarkable and fulfilling work since my arrival in Lesotho a year and half ago. The following may provide some clarification in regards to my role at my new job.

Brief Description of the Organization

Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Lesotho has been in operation since 2005. Like that of its parent organization, Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, the Foundation's mission is to conduct a program of high quality, high impact, highly ethical paediatric and family HIV/AIDS care and treatment, health professional training, and clinical research. The Foundation runs the largest programme for HIV exposed and infected children and their families in Lesotho, including the Baylor College of Medicine / Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence (COE) in Maseru, and outreach sites and Satellite Centres of Excellence throughout the country.

Brief Description of Short and Long Term Plans

Currently, the Foundation operates several psychosocial support programs for Adolescents at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Maseru. These include a weekly Adolescent Clinic, monthly support groups for 10-13 year old and 14-17 year old young people (Teen Club), and an annual week-long camp (Camp ‘Mamohato) for adolescents in collaboration with other clinics and with funding and programming support from Sentebale (Prince Harry’s Organization). Social Workers at the COE also provide ongoing counselling services and comprehensive psychosocial support for children, adolescents, and families on issues related to the impact of HIV/AIDS within families and communities.

Short-term plans for the upgrade of these programmes include the expansion of Teen Club activities through development of a curriculum incorporating life skills, HIV education, positive living skills and educational games for our 10-13 and 14-17 year old groups; expansion of activities and education sessions for caregivers of adolescent patients (through bi-annual Caregiver Days); and the establishment of Teen Clubs to Satellite Centres of Excellence which are currently under construction in all 10 districts of Lesotho (the first, in Qacha’s Nek, is already in operation; the second, in Leribe, is scheduled for opening in January 2010). In addition, Camp ‘Mamohato activities will be expanded by increasing from once to twice per year, and by the implementation of a monitoring and evaluation plan to document the benefits of camp participation amongst adolescent patients.

Long-term plans for the upgrade of BCMCF-Lesotho’s psychosocial support activities include the ongoing training and mentorship of counsellors, social workers, and nurses to provide comprehensive counselling and support services for HIV infected and affected children and adolescents at the COE and Satellite Centres of Excellence. Ongoing comprehensive support must be provided for children and families on issues such as disclosure of HIV status to children and young adults, dealing with sexual assault and domestic violence, the importance of adherence to medications and clinic visits, grief and bereavement, mental health issues, etc. Training and mentorship of counsellors, social workers, and nurses will build capacity throughout the Districts of Lesotho in order to improve the provision of comprehensive and family-focused support services for those affected. In addition, inclusion of providers at health centres throughout these districts in these capacity-building activities will ensure that comprehensive services are more readily available and accessible for all families at sites close to their homes.

A Few of My Specific Roles at Baylor

Curriculum development for Teen Club programming for 10-13 and 14-17 year olds (in collaboration with BCMCF-L physicians)
Coordination and support for the establishment of Teen Clubs at Satellite Centres of Excellence in Qacha’s Nek, Leribe, and other sites as established (in collaboration with BCMCF-L personnel)
Assistance with planning of Camp ‘Mamohato programming and a monitoring and evaluation framework, along with personnel from BCMCF-L, Sentebale, and Hole in the Wall Camps
Assessment of the baseline knowledge and training needs of COE and Satellite COE personnel on the provision of comprehensive psychosocial support and counselling services for enrolled patients
Capacity building for the provision of comprehensive psychosocial support services among providers and the COE and Satellite COEs through didactic training, workshops, and ongoing mentorship as needed

HIV in Haiti

2010-01-21T04:52:00.006-06:00

Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I've felt increasing concern for those individuals who are infected with HIV/AIDS in that part of the world. The Caribbean has HIV rates second only to those of Sub-Saharan Africa and of those, Haiti has the highest in the Caribbean. Antiretrovirals, the medications that suppresses the HI-virus in infected individuals, are meant to be taken twice daily. With limited access to drugs because of the chaotic situation, many people are not able to adhere to their proper treatment regimen. As such, there is a real fear that their bodies are building resistance to the medication, rendering later treatment ineffective.

Having said that, there are several organizations across the globe who are building their forces in effort to combat this very issue. While most aid donations come in the form of money or voluntary services, there has been an ongoing effort by the NGO Aid for AIDS International (AFA) that involves HIV medication recycling via drop-off points across the US. The process involves "gathering, sorting, and storing unused medicines before their expiration date, discarding what is no longer viable and redistributing these medicines to non-US territories as humanitarian aid." For more information, check out the their website.

World Health Organization (2009 Stats)

2010-01-13T13:25:00.003-06:00

The past several days have been rather hectic with the start of my new job and the preparations for the upcoming Health Volunteers training. As part of their training, they have requested the latest information regarding all-things-health. At the end of last year, the World Health Organization released their latest statistics and I have compiled a document for training summarizing the most relevant findings for PCVs here in Lesotho. I have offered a comparison of our host country to both South Africa and the USA. Check 'em out!

Children Less than 5 Years Underweight for Age (%)

Lesotho = 16.6%
South Africa= No Data
USA= 1.3%

Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births)

Lesotho= 84
South Africa= 59
USA= 8

Measles Immunization Coverage Among 1-Year Olds (%)

Lesotho= 85%
South Africa= 83%
USA= 93%

Maternal Mortality Ratio (per 100,000 Live Births)

Lesotho= 960
South Africa= 400
USA= 11

Births Attended by Skilled Health Personnel (%)

Lesotho= 55%
South Africa= 91%
USA= 99%

Contraceptive Prevalence (%)

Lesotho=37.3%
South Africa= 60.3%
USA= 72.8%

Adolescent Fertility Rate (per 1000 Girls Aged 15-19 Years)

Lesotho= 98
South Africa= 54
USA= 41

Antenatal Care Coverage (%): at Least 1 Visit

Lesotho= 90%
South Africa= 92%
USA= No Data

Unmet Need for Family Planning

Lesotho= 30.9%
South Africa= No Data
USA= No Data

Prevalence of HIV Among Adults Aged 15 or Greater per 100,000 Population

Lesotho= 21,548
South Africa= 16,293
USA= 452

Proportion of Males Aged 15-24 Yrs with Comprehensive Correct Knowledge of HIV/AIDS (%)

Lesotho= 19%
South Africa= No Data
USA= No Data

Proportion of Females Aged 15-24 Yrs with Comprehensive Correct Knowledge of HIV/AIDS (%)

Lesotho= 27%
South Africa= No Data
USA= No Data

Antiretroviral Therapy Coverage Among People with Advanced HIV Infection (%)

Lesotho= 26%
South Africa= 28%
USA= No Data

Malaria Mortality Rate per 100,000 Population

Lesotho= No Data
South Africa= <1
USA= No Data

Children Aged Less than 5 Sleeping Under Insecticide Treated-Bednets (%)

Lesotho= Not Applicable
South Africa= No Data
USA= Not Applicable

Children Aged Less than 5 Years who Received any Antimalarial Treatment for Fever (%)

Lesotho= Not Applicable
South Africa= No Data
USA= Not Applicable

Tuberculosis Treatment Success Under DOTS (%)

Lesotho= 66%
South Africa= 74%
USA= 64%

Access to Improved Drinking Water Sources (%)

Lesotho= 78%
South Africa= 93%
USA= 99%

Access to Improved Sanitation (%)

Lesotho= 36%
South Africa= 59%
USA= 100%

Mortality and Burden of Disease

Lesotho

Male Life Expectancy at Birth (1990/2000/2007)= 59/46/43 years
Female Life Expectancy at Birth (1990/2000/2007)= 63/54/47 years
Male Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth (2007)= 38 years
Female Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth (2007)= 41 years
Neonatal Mortality Rate (Per 1000 Live Births) (2004)= 52
Male Infant Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying Between Birth and Age 1 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 86/89/72
Female Infant Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying Between Birth and Age 1 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 76/79/64
Male Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 109/113/89
Female Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 96/100/78
Male Adult Mortality Rate(Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60 Years per 1000 Population (1990/2000/2007)= 287/629/795
Female Adult Mortality Rate(Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60 Years per 1000 Population (1990/2000/2007)= 214/432/670

South Africa

Male Life Expectancy at Birth (1990/2000/2007)= 59/55/52 years
Female Life Expectancy at Birth (1990/2000/2007)= 67/61/55 years
Male Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth (2007)= 47 years
Female Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth (2007)= 48 years
Neonatal Mortality Rate (Per 1000 Live Births) (2004)= 17
Male Infant Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying Between Birth and Age 1 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 51/58/48
Female Infant Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying Between Birth and Age 1 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 47/53/44
Male Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 66/77/61
Female Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 61/71/57
Male Adult Mortality Rate(Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60 Years per 1000 Population (1990/2000/2007)= 345/446/557
Female Adult Mortality Rate(Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60 Years per 1000 Population (1990/2000/2007)= 190/324/484

Male Life Expectancy at Birth (1990/2000/2007)= 72/74/76 years
Female Life Expectancy at Birth (1990/2000/2007)= 79/80/81 years
Male Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth (2007)= 68 years
Female Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth (2007)= 72 years
Neonatal Mortality Rate (Per 1000 Live Births) (2004)= 4
Male Infant Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying Between Birth and Age 1 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 11/8/7
Female Infant Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying Between Birth and Age 1 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 8/7/6
Male Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 13/9/8
Female Under 5 Mortality Rate (Probability of Dying by Age 5 per 1000 Live Births (1990/2000/2007)= 10/8/7
Male Adult Mortality Rate(Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60 Years per 1000 Population (1990/2000/2007)= 171/144/135
Female Adult Mortality Rate(Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60 Years per 1000 Population (1990/2000/2007)= 91/83/80

HIV/AIDS Mortality Rate (per 100,000 Population)

Lesotho= 896
South Africa= 721
USA= 7

# of Reported Tuberculosis Cases (in 2008)

Lesotho=788
South Africa= 135,604
USA= 4,864

Physicians (Density: Per 10,000 Population) 200-2007

Lesotho= 1
South Africa= 8
USA= 26

President Obama on National HIV Testing Day

2010-01-11T04:56:00.001-06:00

UNAIDS Calls for Global Freedom of Movement for People Living with HIV in 2010

2010-01-10T08:31:00.005-06:00

UNAIDS strongly welcomes the elimination of travel restrictions based on HIV status by the Republic of Korea, effective 1 January 2010. It also commends the United States for full implementation of the final rule that removes entry restrictions which means that travellers living with HIV can freely enter the United States of America as of today.
-
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated President Lee Myung-bak on the Republic of Korea’s decision. “I applaud President Lee for his country’s leadership in ending restrictions towards people living with HIV that have no public health benefit,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“I repeat my call to all other countries with such discriminatory restrictions to take steps to remove them at the earliest.”
-
The Secretary-General also congratulated President Barack Obama when the US policy change was announced in October 2009. Today's removal of HIV-related entry, stay and residence restrictions, or "travel ban" as it was known, in the United States overturns a policy that had been in place since 1987.
-
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé also hailed the United States and the Republic of Korea for ending entry restrictions towards people living with HIV, calling the policy changes "a victory for human rights on two sides of the globe."

"I call for global freedom of movement for people living with HIV in 2010, the year when countries have committed to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.
-
"Let no country obstruct someone because of their HIV status. Such discrimination has no place in today's highly mobile world," Mr Sidibé continued.

Some 57 countries, territories and areas have some form of HIV-specific restriction on entry, stay and residence that is based on HIV status. These include those that completely ban entry of HIV positive people for any reason or length of stay; and/or are applied to visa applications for very short stays (e.g. tourist visas); and/or are applied to visa applications for longer stays (visas for residency, immigration, asylum or resettlement, study, international employment, and consular service). Such restrictions, strongly opposed by UNAIDS, are discriminatory and do not protect public health.

Christmas in Cape Town

2010-01-05T05:45:00.013-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy 2010!

Last week Aaron and I returned from spending the holidays in Cape Town, South Africa. Talk about feeling far away from Lesotho! We began our adventures in the beautiful wine country of Stellenbosch, drove to coastal Simonstown, twisted through the mountainous coast, and eventually ended in Cape Town.

Highlights of Holidays 2009 (Stellenbosch, Simonstown, Cape Town)

* Immigration issues on day 1. No worries, we’re back in country safe and sound!

* Driving again, on the left side of the road.

* Hummus, hummus, pita, and more hummus.

* Rustenburg and Morgenhof Vineyards.

* Foods: Cuban, Indian, Mexican, Ethiopian, American, Italian, Seafood, Subway, wraps.

* Gelato & Fire and Ice milkshakes.

* Room service!

* Black versus white South African craft markets. Huge difference!

* Jackass penguins on the beach.

* Sleeping in a convent.

* Facial paralysis.

* The secret garden.

* 6 movies at a theater, walking out on one. Don’t waste your money on Paranormal Activity.

* Bad Astronomy at the Planetarium.

* Cape Town Science Museum.

* Running in the rain.

* National Art Gallery and learning about Dada.

* Hike up to lighthouse at Cape of Good Hope.

* Playing with curious monkeys at World of Birds.

* Observing mating turtles for longer than was necessary.

* Near-death experience from large falling tree branches.

* District 6 museum and other apartheid history lessons.

* CATS the musical- genius!

* Bookstores galore.

* No public transport! Four stars for airplanes and rental cars.

* Cable car and Table Mountain. Unfortunately with no view due to weather.

* Robben Island, meeting a political prisoner, and Nelson Mandela’s cell.

* Jolly Roger pirate boat ride and skit. Ahoy!

* Long Street and shopping at every corner.

* Cupcakes.

* Air-conditioning.

* Playful seals on the docks.

* The “Labia” movie theater. (Why?)

* Cape Town Aquarium.

* Fire and Ice Hotel, not all dissimilar from the Starship Enterprise.

* Christmas dinner and rose petals. Oops!

* 8 inch fake gold Christmas tree with red bow and Christmas crackers.

* Amazing views with wonderful company.

* Unlimited showers with hot water.

* Crystal clear Atlantic Ocean waters.

* And forgetting about Peace Corps for a couple of weeks- Priceless!

Pictures are now on Picasa. Enjoy!

Zambia and Turkey Day

2009-12-09T01:42:00.007-06:00

ZAMBIA.
I feel like a bit of a phony by saying that I’ve been to Zambia because I had little opportunity to experience much of anything outside the lodge where our workshop was held. The heart of visiting any country, for me, is getting to know the people, the culture, and the way of life. Unfortunately I did not encounter any of that except for food- game animals galore at every meal! Granted, the lodge was located on the outskirts of Lusaka and situated within acres and acres of vast game reserve, a pristine setting that could no doubt rival scenes from any Hollywood flick. When we were allotted free time, I never hesitated to hop in the safari vehicle for a game drive, go for a boat ride, or take a tour of the cheese factory nearby. The workshop itself was educational and it reminded me a lot of several research classes I attended in graduate school. My favorite session was presented by a doctor from the states and dealt with biomedical interventions in HIV/AIDS with a particular emphasis on significant clinical trials occurring at present. I must admit that I miss the stimulation of a classroom setting.

THANKSGIVING.
Yet another holiday has come and gone in Lesotho. This year for Turkey Day, nearly 30 Volunteers made the 5 hour long bus passage on predominantly unpaved road to Semonkong Lodge, arguably one of the most beautiful places in the country. Aside from sheer serenity, the lodge offers abseiling, hikes to waterfalls, pony trekking, donkey pub crawling, fly fishing, and more. I ended up with intense gastrointestinal issues (accredited to the wrath of Zambia) so I actually didn’t do much of anything except hang out in the bathroom, fly fish, and participate in the PCV Make-Your-Own-Boat-Out-Of-Natural-Materials Race. Shouting “Get a Stick!” and a handful of people falling in the river were definitely highlights ;-) For the actual holiday, the lodge’s chef prepared a beautiful traditional Thanksgiving meal complete with pumpkin pie and ice cream. For fear of not being able to hold it down, I passed my portions on to Aaron who did a magnificent job at making America proud- I’m pretty sure he ingested every last bite. Mark my words- next year I’m slaughtering my own turkey just to say I did.

PICTURES ARE NOW AVAILABLE.

HIV/AIDS Workshop in Zambia

2009-11-14T05:03:00.015-06:00

I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend an HIV/AIDS workshop in Lusaka, Zambia from November 16-20 with two Peace Corps staff members. Upon my return to Lesotho, I will relay the messages received to both the HIV/AIDS Committee and the greater Peace Corps Lesotho community. For those who are interested, the curricula of the week long seminar is as follows:

Overview of Effective HIV Prevention Interventions

Presented by: The National Network of STD HIV Prevention Training Centers
(California STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, University of California, San Francisco
and Denver STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, Denver Public Health/University of Colorado Denver) -
In partnership with: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global AIDS Program, The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

Participant Agenda
Day 1– Overview of Preventions, Strategies, and Programming
Welcome, Introductions, and Course Background
Prevention Strategies Overview
Using Epidemiological Data to Guide HIV Prevention Decisions
Conducting a Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis
Social Context of Risk
Program Evaluation
Logic Models

Day 2– Behavioral Theories and Their Translation
Behavioral Science
Create Your Own Theory
Formal Theories
Overview of Domains
Understanding Domains
Utilizing Domains in Interventions

Day 3– Levels of Interventions
Levels of Interventions
Overview of Individual Level Interventions
Interventions for Couples and Sexual Partners
Risk Reduction Counseling
Overview of Group Level Interventions
Overview of Community Level Interventions
Skills Needed to Successfully Implement Interventions
Introduction to the Framework Activity – Pulling it All Together

Day 4– Emerging Strategies
Social Marketing and Mass Media Campaigns
Structural Interventions
Prevention with People Living with HIV
Biomedical Interventions
Serving High Risk Groups
Combination Prevention Approaches
Framework Activity – Pulling it All Together, continued

Day 5– Program Evaluation and Planning
Framework Activity – Pulling It All Together
Wrap-up/Course Evaluation

Loss in Lesotho

2009-11-12T03:51:00.004-06:00

The day after arriving in village after having been away for almost two months, I was struck by the most heartbreaking news while riding on a taxi. Tankiso, a lively 5 year old boy who lives down the road, passed away due to a case of the “flu.” A significant portion of my first year of Peace Corps service was spent building relationships with the women employed at the hotel in my village. Because Tankiso’s mother is the owner, it wasn’t surprising that the plumpy little tot was always lurking nearby, attempting to stir up trouble and make patrons laugh at his ridiculous antics. Instantly we became friends. We danced, sang songs, watched movies, shared coke and peanuts, chatted, and laughed at each other’s silly faces. Because of his intrepidity, energetic manner, and English skills that rival that of a high school student, I knew he was going somewhere and wouldn’t be limited by the dark hole that Qacha’s Nek typically becomes for the youth raised in this impoverished region. Unfortunately, no one will ever know just what this boy could have made of his life. It was not his fault and his death probably could have been prevented. Upon further questioning at the hospital, I found out that Tankiso’s father passed away 5 years ago due to complications from HIV/AIDS. For reasons unknown- most likely fear, stigma, discrimination- Tankiso’s mother never opted to get herself or her son tested for HIV. He was admitted to the hospital this past Sunday with severe flu-like symptoms and died early Monday morning. If only his status was known earlier, if only he was on the life-extending anti-retroviral drugs. While the story of Tankiso is no doubt tragic, I do believe that the unexpectedness of the situation has opened more than a few eyes within our community. One lesson learned is that you cannot see or make a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS based solely on the look of an individual. Furthermore, children are innocent and it isn’t fair to deny them the opportunity of a healthy life because of fear on behalf of a caretaker. Tankiso- your smile and spirit will live on in all of us.

Meg & Mike

2009-11-11T02:51:00.006-06:00

The past several months have been a whirlwind of events, travels, and big changes. And for better or worse, the same pattern will persist for the duration of the year. My month-long trip back home to both Idaho and Texas was wonderful and rejuvenating. Catching up with family and friends, eating delicious foods, seeing shows of various sorts, relaxing in the sun while sipping frappacinos, walking the dogs, enjoying the beach, massages and a haircut were just a few highlights. While it was sad to say goodbye to everyone, I know that I am where I belong at this point in my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There is a lot I’m looking forward to in Lesotho :-) As usual the farewells (yes, there was more than one) at the airport with my mom were the most difficult, but my sadness was momentarily suppressed by an unexpected encounter with Mike Tyson. While sitting in a lounge waiting to board my flight to London, people watching as usual, my gaze was fixed upon a large man with a dark tattoo covering the left side of his face. Recognizing the marking from one of those VH1 ‘100 Craziest Celebrity Stunts’ shows, I frantically searched for my camera in my carry-on luggage. Shocked that no one else was noticing the boxing champ, I inched closer to him and his family, tapped him on the knee, and introduced myself. I immediately conveyed my role as a Peace Corps Volunteer and to my surprise, both he and his family were interested in my work. They asked about Lesotho, HIV/AIDS, and the nature of the work of a PCV. After 5 minutes of chatting and a growing crowd, I asked if it would be possible to take a picture with him as a final send-off back to Africa and he happily obliged. His mother-in-law offered to take the photo, which according to Tyson was the first time she’d made such an offer to a ‘fan’. Upon parting, they wished me luck, reminded me to stay safe, and thanked me for my service. I thanked him for his entertaining fights- though I only remembered one in particular.

Kruger & Jo'Burg Vacation Pictures

2009-09-30T02:11:00.004-05:00

Vacation is over but the fun shall soon continue in the States!

Pictures from Kruger and Johannesburg are now available for your viewing pleasure on my Picasa site.

Itinerary for Trip Home

2009-08-31T06:58:00.003-05:00

For those of you who requested the details for my upcoming visit home:
October 8-October 14 in Boise, Idaho
October 14- November 2 in Texas, somewhere?

Feel free to shoot an email my way if you'd like to make plans. See you all soon!

Just Junk

2009-08-21T05:41:00.000-05:00

After a morning of organizing, cleaning, and watching “Jarhead”, I am startled by a vigorous knock at my door. Three children, all under ten years of age, gaze up at me with twinkling brown eyes and heart wrenching smiles. In usual Basotho child style, they do nothing more than giggle, shyly twist from side to side, and divert their eyes when mine catch theirs. I greet them in Sesotho and ask what it is they need. “We are coming to fix the fence” they reply. Fix the fence? But it’s not broken. Sure we have dogs and countless chickens that get through the barbed wire nearly every day but it’s nothing out of the ordinary and surely the money for repairs to go toward a better cause. Moreover, it certainly is not a job for a group of small kids. Interrogating further, I ask if my host mother sent them and the three just snicker and shrug their shoulders. Maybe I misunderstood their English which wouldn’t be the first time. I ask again, “You want what?” This time they reply and point in the direction of the fence, “The things, we want to get the things.” I stand there for a few moments, dumbfounded at how lost in translation I have become. The grins continue and I notice excitement growing in their faces. Another moment passes; I throw my hands up in the air and say, “Okay” for lack of anything better. In a flash they are gone, racing each other toward the fence and stopping at my trash pit. I have just inadvertently given these kids permission to dig in my trash to get the “things” so they can play with. Lovely. Ten minutes later, their treasures include: tin cans, a door handle, a salad dressing bottle, a hair tie, an avocado skin, and some paper.

I need to get these kids some Barbies and G.I.Joes.

Doesn't Get Any Better.....

2009-08-15T03:17:00.002-05:00

Mmm Cupcakes!

2009-08-13T03:49:00.000-05:00

I have been back at site for 8 days and it feels as though I’m in the immersion phase of training all over again. Having been gone from my community for several months due to trainings, I feel out of touch with much of what is occurring in Qacha’s Nek. I only hope that the Basotho don’t feel as though they were deserted. Rebuilding relationships and assessing the needs in my village and in town are my new priorities. That and endless amounts of PEPFAR reporting!

Originally I was going to type out “A Day in the Life of PCV Megan” post but I felt as though the day I chose wasn’t a true representation of what I do here in Lesotho. I suppose no day is the same though, nor will it ever be. Next time. Instead, I will continue with the Randomness Section which has slowly become my favorite part of blogging. It’s nothing more than a jumble of tales, feelings, frustrations, happy moments, etc that I’ve endured since the last posting. I apologize for the hodge podge, but it’s meant to be that way.

Randomness
-I love that the Basotho know where I’ve been that day by the color of bag I bring home (e.g., Black= Chinese or Indian shop, Blue= PEP Store, Yellow= Shoprite, Green= any stall in the taxi rank, etc).
-Found a new lady to wash my clothes. The bonus is she speaks English and has a cell phone! For those who are curious, I am not as clean as I was when I first arrived. Better fix that before I go home to the States for a visit.
-Sometimes I sit in my house with the lights off. It reminds me of my first year in Peace Corps where I had nothing to do but contemplate existential ideas til late into the night.
-The ring of my cell phone when I get a text fills me with utter excitement.
-Taught myself to cook bagels. And they are fluffy, sweet, and delicious. So good in fact, that I will be teaching my host mother to make them to add to her catering repertoire. Her request, not mine.
-Finished season 2 of the Tudors. I actually shed more than a few tears when Ann Boleyn was beheaded.
-I dislike that I continuously trip over and break pieces off of my plastic(?) floor. One day I will seriously injure myself.
-Four snowfalls this winter! That translates to Christmas music and baking.
-“Hi Ausi Itumeleng. My name is Thato. In short, I love you.”
-I’m annoyed that it has taken me over 2 months to finish a 400 page book.
-Scores of trips to the shop to restock my “kitchen”- hooray for the new Indians in town. I heart them.
-Doctors at Machabeng Hospital come and go. Goodbye old friends, hello new ones!
-I used Tide laundry soap for the first time in over a year. I feel like a princess!
-Scene: Adorable 5 year old girl pleading for my Coke Light in front of everyone at the taxi rank. I gave in. Who could resist those chubby cheeks?
-My host mother installed a sliding glass door. It must be the only one in a 50 mile radius.
-I met a woman at the hospital with a CD 4 count of 11. We have nothing to complain about.
-Watching three soccer games in a single day is the most fun I’ve had in some time. Especially being adopted as “coach” and “cheerleader” by the under 12 team who call themselves “The Brazilians”. Congrats to us on our first win of the season!
-Where are the letters my dearest friends and family? It has been far too long.
-Congratulations to Drs. Anju & Ashish who now have a baby boy. I’m looking forward to being “Aunt Megan” to a beautiful Nepalese newborn.
-Homemade tortillas. With Rama.
-The gals at the hotel bar are gloomy because I don’t come by as often. Other than a cold Coke Light with ice & peanuts and raisins, there is no need since I have my own electricity. I’ll make more of an effort.
-I take pleasure in reading National Geographic magazines to the librarian’s son. He’s five and has learned all about seals and Neanderthals from our most recent engagement.
-Yoga band DVD, crunches on the ball to “Mama Africa” by Akon, and new walking routes through the poorest of villages amount to more than 10 hours of each week. The majority of it is the walking.
-Realizing the potential of my vocal cords. You never know how loud you can scream until confronted by 3 man-eating dogs simultaneously.
-Allison’s m&m cookies, hot chocolate, and the Office season finale. Jim and Pam are absolutely endearing.
-Questions, facts, and secrets.
-Cops on horses requesting lemonade from the American. Hmm, where do you suppose THAT came from?
-Bought foil for the first time in over a year. I don’t see any need for it, but my shop had it for the first time so I decided that was reason enough for the purchase!
-Recently discovered that tuna from a can tastes better when heated up.
-Trying to grasp the notion that I have less than a year left in Lesotho. Or do I?
-I might have a mouse living between my roof and ceiling. Never can tell though, it could just be a small bird scurrying around. But I don’t think birds scurry.
-Continuation of Matt Damon movie marathon.
-The construction guys on my new route to walk have a nickname for me: “Lady Lerato” (Lady Love).
-Breaking into the Training Center with code names like Jason Bourne. Yes, I will say it was worth it for more reason than one. :-)
-Mid-day naps just because I can.
-Thinking about and missing cupcakes.

LOST

2009-08-04T03:16:00.005-05:00

Stand still.
The trees before you and bushes
beside you are not lost.
Wherever you are is
called Here,
and you must treat it
as a powerful stranger,
must ask permission to know it
and be known.
The forest breathes.
Listen.
It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back
again saying, Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does
is lost on you, you are surely lost.
Stand still.
The forest knows where you are.
You must let it find you.

-David Wagoner

2009-07-17T01:48:00.010-05:00

"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return. Well I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you." - Glinda from Wicked

Changes are plentiful as of late and while I can’t say that they are for the better or worse, they are most definitely inevitable. Friends come and go, jobs change, priorities shift, etc. Simply put- life happens. Despite these changes we move forward, onward and upward, in our journey through life. Each person we meet, each small piece of our personal histories influences the individual we are today and the decisions we will make tomorrow. I am thankful for where I am in my life, the friends I’ve met along the way, and for the unknown future that awaits me.

Happy Independence!

2009-07-06T04:03:00.000-05:00

“Learning the balance among independence, interdependence, and dependence is one of the tricks of life”…..from my daily calendar.

Greetings my fellow Americans and Happy Fourth of July from across the globe! Unfortunately I am unable to celebrate the holiday in true American spirit complete with fireworks, hotdogs, cheese burgers, friends, and family, but I trust you are all doing enough partying for all of us. Truthfully, commemorating Independence Day here in Africa means a great deal more to me than it ever has in the States. I have ample time to honor and reflect those who have given so much to make the United States a land of equality, freedom, and most of all a place where dreams can be achieved with hard work and persistence. Now, particularly after being in developing Lesotho for 13 months, I realize just how fortunate we are as Americans and have developed a newfound gratitude for the land of my birth. Happy Independence Day!

It’s both strange and wonderful how quickly one year passes. On June 6 my CHED group celebrated our one year in-country anniversary and to my surprise, it was one of the speediest years of my life. As it is told around the Peace Corps community, the second year of service passes even more quickly. I only hope that I am able to accomplish all I set out to in my remaining time in Lesotho. In retrospect, I have learned a great deal over the course of my service about the host-country, the Basotho, and about myself. I have no doubt that this country has changed me and I only pray that it is for the better. I have made friendships within the Peace Corps community that I have no doubt will last a lifetime. The same holds true for the Basotho and expatriate friends I have made in my village and at the hospital. Because of the nature of Peace Corps, groups come and go every six months and saying goodbye to the CHED group before us was no easy task. They taught us a great deal during training and grew to become some of our closest friends. While we will miss them, we excitedly welcome the newest group of Community Health and Economic Development Volunteers to Lesotho. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the seven trainers for their group and put in charge, alongside Kelly, of the HIV/AIDS Technical Trainings. In conjunction with the 13 sessions, I was assigned to be the ‘Trainer in Residence’ for their first week in country. Never in my life have I been asked a combination of such intense, ridiculous, serious, irrelevant, hilarious, thought provoking questions. Who can blame them for their thousands of concerns? As I recall, I too was curious about my new home and wondered what sorts of experiences I was soon to encounter. In fact, spending the first week with them was truly a blessing in that their presence reaffirmed the reasons why I decided to join Peace Corps and the goals I hoped to accomplish over the course of 2 years. The trainees’ eagerness and fervent desire to help where need is the greatest is inspiring. I am grateful each one of the 16 new CHEDers is part of our PC family and look forward to watching them grow into themselves throughout the course of their service.

That being said, a few more changes have recently occurred. The Associate Peace Corps Director (my boss) and one of the two Medical Officers are no longer with Peace Corps Lesotho and have yet to be replaced. In a few months, the Country Director will also be leaving as his contract will expire. Furthermore, the volunteer closest to me recently finished her 2 years of service and may or may not be replaced, depending on whether a job and housing are available in the area. Of all the recent changes in PC lately, this latter has the most impact on my personally because having a PCV close by (within 3 km) makes a world of difference on one’s social life, mental health, and work collaborations. Because of this, I have taken it upon myself to find both a suitable host organization and a house in the hopes that one from the new CHED group will soon be moving to Qacha’s Nek. Aside from my selfish motives, I am the only health volunteer remaining in the district and truthfully that’s just unacceptable with the prevalence of HIV in this country. Recently, a suitable organization in the camptown has agreed to employ a volunteer and I’ve spend the greater part of this past week in search of a house. Going village to village trying to house-hunt with my limited Sesotho has been one overwhelming undertaking. Time is ticking though, so we’ll see how things pan out. Fingers are crossed!

Regarding other work-related issues, projects at the hospital are still slow and I doubt that will ever change. At least it won’t be while I am in Lesotho to witness it. It’s frustrating but I try to keep in mind that some results are not tangible and that others will only be realized long after I am gone. It’s definitely not an easy thing to accept for an American but I am getting better each day. My PEPFAR project with the Men As Partners group in Qacha’s Nek is going strong with 5 of the 6 workshops complete. I have yet to tally the attitudinal change in regards to gender issues in remote rural villages but if all goes as planned, more than a few will have accepted, adapted, and integrated the positive life style changes into everyday living. In turn, it is our hope they will also spread the messages they’ve learned to their friends, families, and colleagues. As for the Qacha’s Nek District Library, many of the books received from African Library Project are stilled piled on the floor as they have yet to be shelved. The government of Lesotho has promised stickers for shelving and the stationary needed to check out a book but have been ever so sluggish in fulfilling that promise. My next trip to Maseru will involve a severe meeting with those in charge at the National Library and with any luck our library will have the items it needs to stock the shelves and continue with promoting literacy throughout Qacha’s Nek district. Onward and upward to the Snake Park- the owner of the park and myself applied for a small grant for with Friends of Lesotho, a network of RPCVs back in the States, and was approved. The materials purchased will aid in the construction of his new multi-acre tourist attraction and will in turn help to educate the people of Qacha’s Nek and visitors alike in matters concerning flora and fauna of the region. When complete (at about 60% completion at present), the park will consist of 40 snake divisions, an outdoor amphitheater, hiking trails, a resource center complete with local artisans selling their crafts, an office, and gender specific pit latrines. The first of its kind in the country, the Snake Park is bound to open eyes and I anticipate great things to come from its inception.

Although not directly related to work at site, I have been elected to two new positions within Peace Corps Lesotho which has thrilled me immensely as it allows me to stay current on HIV/AIDS statistics and research. First, I was elected as the Qacha’s Nek representative (and later co-chair!) for the HIV/AIDS Committee. The committee, comprised of one member from each of the 10 districts, discusses matters related to health in the district and then brings concerns and suggestions back to the national meetings. At the quarterly national meetings, we discuss best practices by PCVs in our respective districts, host guest speakers, and learn about social and scientific updates concerning HIV/AIDS on the national and global scale. We also take on the responsibility of the HIV/AIDS sessions during all phases of training, both for the CHED and ED groups, which includes the creation of an HIV/AIDS Manual twice per year. Secondly, I was nominated for the Peer Support Team and will be trained for 2 days later this month for….well, probably the same issues I studied for 2.5 years in graduate school for Clinical Psychology.

So what am I the most excited about at present? Two months from tomorrow I’ll finally have my first (only?) visitors from the States, Vanessa and Elena. I love you girls and cannot begin to express my enthusiasm for seeing you both again. Safari and the Big Five, here we come……

For those of you who have forgotten, I am coming home in October for about a month. Let’s plan something!

Randomness & Nothing More
-And God said, “Let there be light!”….and then Megan had electricity!
-Bad News: Fruit & Veg Shop has closed in town. Good News: the Indians have opened a new shop with Mountain Dew and Cadbury chocolate covered peanuts.
-Qacha’s Nek shall henceforth be known as Quacha’s Check.
-Brown lentils are actually yummy, who’d have thought?
-Nicknames: The Oracle, Rockstar, Buffy the Peace Corps Slayer.
-Cooking homemade Creamy Potato Soup makes me feel like a chef! Sad, I know.
-Pictures from Swaziland are now up for your viewing pleasure.
-TB test complete. Result: TB FREE.
-I find it hard not to cheat when doing crosswords. I might be losing brain cells.
-Italian is easier than Sesotho. And prettier. I miss the clicks though.
-Hallelujah for electric heaters!
-“Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Moon River” on repeat….Who does that?!
-A passion for toast.
-I’ll take 3 Coke Lights please. None? Okay, then Coke Zero.
-Being snowed OUT of my village in Africa.
-Yay for new Yarises in America and having transport when I return to visit!
-I’ve developed a new obsession with long socks, especially the ones found at random taxi ranks.
-Watching Aaron eating oranges is one of the funniest things since The Office.
-Blast the frozen water pipes! Sigh…..It’s Summer in America! >:-{
-Cheers to getting your soul back in Mozambique.
-Lesson #1: Don’t ever tell your mother you want a pee bucket in America.
-Thanks Dad for putting Pete Seeger’s “Union Made” on my iPod. It makes me laugh. And it gets stuck in head for hours. I even sing it out loud in my village and camptown.
-Still experiencing the random blackouts with my electricity. It’s good for me though, reminds me I am still in Africa.
-“Listen, y’all”
-Glad I’m over the Vampire novel phase of my life. Yikes, what’s happening to me? Wait, before this it was wizards and witches. Trend eh?
-My host mother tells me that I shut the door the wrong way. Is there really a wrong way to shut a door?
-New record: 11 hours from Maseru to Qacha’s Nek. That includes the sprinter breaking down 5 times, sitting in the side of the road for over an hour, transferring to a bus, standing on a bus between men and chickens, being someone’s sweetheart, and watching an elderly woman fall on the bus and sustaining a 10 inch gash across her skull. Of course…just put a bandana on her and it’ll heal miraculously.
-Harry, Voldemort, & Tri-Wizard Tournaments.
-Taking Picture Requests. Something you want to see here in Lesotho? You name it, I shoot it then post!
-Wish List: Letters, Pictures, and Phone Calls. And Reef Sandals Size 9.

Lovin’ Lesotho: A Few of My Favorite Things….

2009-05-15T07:29:00.002-05:00

-Using the local hotel bar as my personal office- unlimited diet cokes, peanut/raisin packets, and electricity where I’m able charge my gadgets
-Taxis with names such as Slow Poison, Last Ride, Taliban 2, War Bus 2, Mellow Yellow, Black Man’s Toy, Top Dogg, etc.
-East Coast Radio playing “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
-An endless amount of donkeys, cows, sheep, goat, dogs, and children on the roads
-Dumping my trash in a hole and burning it
-Pit latrines and pee buckets
-Clicking in the Sesotho language
-Taking an entire day to hand-wash a load of laundry
-Prepaid cell phones
-Prepaid electricity
-Snow in Africa
-Walking in the rain because there are no other options
-“The Chips Place” & “”Kibu” restaurants in Qacha’s Nek
-The Snake Park
-Barack Obama jingle on Lesotho radio: “Don’t give up, don’t lose hope….he’s like a messiah with passionate desire, to promote democracy , man of power, sole provider, one love, one heart, one voice- YES WE CAN!, together we can learn to win, to live, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama”
-The answer to everything, including questions such as “how are you” is YES!
-Unlimited reading time
-Developing tolerance for new food flavors
-Practicing Italian on my iPod and wearing out the headphones
-Sporadic and torrential downpours
-Vivid dreams (I’m not even on Mefloquine!)
-Having to transport fresh fruits and veggies 9 hours on a bus to get them to my site
-Seeing parents handwriting on letters/packages
-Helping random stamp collectors add to their collection
-Holding on to the notion that one day I will have electricity
-Finding cheese that isn’t spoiled
-Double Rainbows
-Taking 2 Spiderman gummy multivitamins daily, sometimes more because they are just that good!
-Smash- Lesotho’s brand of instant mashed potatoes
-Finding avocados
-$9.00 Frosted Mini-Wheats- no joke!
-Unlimited TV shows from other PCVs: The Office, The Tudors, Seinfeld, Star Trek Voyager
-Passing out hundreds of condoms in a single day
-Awful Lesotho Television: Judge Judy, Dr. Phil, Days of Our Lives, News, Rugby, Soccer
-South Africa is my neighbor
-Talking about safe sex to EVERYONE
-Babies and children are easily entertained
-Creating endless amounts of lists
-Using a Leatherman for just about EVERYTHING
-Trips to Bloemfontein and Kokstad, South Africa with the girls
-Headlamp batteries exploding all over my forehead
-Navigating throughout the country without street names
-Discovering the occasional twig in my hair
-Dramatically carrying around condoms at the hospital to set a good example
-Brushing my teeth and spitting in plants
-Baking homemade bread
-Using computers at the post office where all the keys are out of order
-Teaching Windows Vista to a bartender
-Using a mop handle as the pole to hang clothes on in my wardrobe
-Friday Club parties

Oh the Injustice!

2009-05-06T03:12:00.000-05:00

Last night at approximately 5:30 in the evening, I was startled by an abrasive knock on my front door. My host mother, ‘M’e Malebohang, frantically shouted my name and repeated her banging until I appeared at my locked burglar bar covered door. When she saw me, a visible sense of relief spread across her entire body and she wiped away several trickling tears from her cheeks. Immediately, I inquired as to her frenzied state and explained that she thought I had been injured or worse in a two car accident just down the road in my village of Ha Mamosa. My ‘M’e then described the scene below: two vehicles were awkwardly positioned just off the road, crowds were gathered to witness the scene, and a group of Basotho and Chinese were quarrelling back and forth regarding who’s fault the accident truly was. Considering that there are very few light skinned people in my area of Qacha’s Nek, it is no wonder that many Basotho confuse me with the Chinese- hence my host mother’s misunderstanding.
-
With the darkening night skies approaching, I grabbed my headlamp, tied my shoes, thanked my ‘M’e for her concern, reassured her that I was fine, and swiftly rushed down to the scene of the accident. Generally, I try to stay out of Basotho/Chinese disagreements for fear that one group will interpret my interference as taking one side over another. However, I worried this incident might be different as injuries could possibly be involved from the force of the crash. Upon arrival, I located the cars and individuals involved in the accident to assess the presence, or lack thereof, of injuries. Because I have got the doctors’, several nurses’, and the ambulance drivers’ cell numbers on speed dial, I figured I may be their best bet at receiving care within a decent amount of time if need be.
-
As it were, no injuries were sustained yet a dispute was brewing a few feet away from the vehicles. The tension was tangible as a group of 4 Chinese men suffered a series of verbal blows from a growing group of Basotho. Accusations of the opposing party being under the influence of alcohol were thrown back and forth. Crowds continued to swell and spectators began shouting their opinions on the matter often times making matters worse. The police arrived just as the situation nearly got out of hand, though they did little to calm the masses. To my surprise, the Qacha’s Nek police came equipped with a breathalyzer (YAY for advances in Lesotho!) and insisted that both the Basotho and Chinese group blow into the mechanism. Meanwhile, questions arose as to who the true driver of each car was. Scores of rumors arose from the crowds: the Chinese men ran off after the accident creating a hit-and-run, the Chinese switched drivers because the true driver was actually drunk, the Chinese did it on purpose, etc. I assumed the biases were held primarily on part of the Basotho spectators but that appeared not to be the case as the police repeatedly breathalyzed the group of Chinese men yet only made one Mosotho driver blow once. Groups of men roughly manhandled the Chinese until each blew into the breathalyzer at least 10 times each. The scene was rather disgusting and I urged the children around me not to pass judgment until all the facts were in. I described in detail how an investigation in America would be conducted, from the cops’ perspective to that of the people actually involved in the accident. The injustice and need to assign blame on the Chinese was evident since my arrival. Though I am unsure as to how the decision was eventually made (the breathalyzer failed to prove alcohol content on either side), the police notified the Chinese that the crash was their fault and that they’d be force to pay cash- right now. No assessments were made on either car in terms of damages so I’ve no clue as to how the sum was estimated. Long story short, the Chinese paid and the Basotho still hold a grudge. On my walk home, I was impressed by the afterthought of a small 8 year old girl, “Maybe it’s true. We should wait before we make a decision about who made the cars crash. It could happen to me and my family. The Chinese are people too. And they are nice to me. Sometimes nicer than my own brother.”
-
At least one person learned a lesson.

Winter Project: PEPFAR Grant for 'Men As Partners' (7 Workshops in Qacha's Nek Rural Villages)

2009-04-25T14:06:00.024-05:00

Q: What is PEPFAR?
A: In 2003, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was launched to combat global HIV/AIDS - the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history.
-
Q: What are the goals of PEPFAR?
A: Through 2013, PEPFAR plans to work in partnership with host nations including Lesotho to support:
-Treatment for at least 3 million people
-Prevention of 12 million new infections
-Care for 12 million people, including 5 million orphans and vulnerable children
-
Q: How does PEPFAR relate to Megan as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho?
A: PEPFAR has allocated millions of dollars to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the mountain kingdom. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I am provided the opportunity to apply for a PEPFAR grant in a sum no greater than $5000 so long as the proposal is a community generated idea and initiative.
-
Q: Did Megan submit a PEPFAR grant and was it approved?
A: Yes and Yes.
-
Q: What is the purpose of Megan's PEPFAR grant and how will it aid in the battle against HIV/AIDS?
A: Megan's PEPFAR grant money will be utilized in 7 rural villages in the Qacha's Nek district. With a particular emphasis on men, two facilitators will conduct workshops with the goal of sharing the message of the Men As Partners Program. This includes:

-Enhance men’s awareness and support for their partners’ reproductive health choices
-Increase men’s access to comprehensive reproductive health services
-Mobilize men to take an active stand for gender equality and against gender-based violence

-Reduce the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS by becoming more aware of their decisions and those of others
-

Q: How will project success be measured?

A: A pre and post test questionnaire will be administered to the 220 total attendees. The questionnaire will measure attitudinal change regarding the aforementioned issues. It will also be considered a success when at least 20% of the total budget is donated as "in-kind" contributions from local communities.

Q: When will the project begin and end?

A: I have opened a PEPFAR bank account and am expecting the funds to arrive this upcoming week. The project is slated to begin in late May and conclude in July. If all goes as planned, I will complete the reporting in August.

A Special Thanks to Tully's Coffee

2009-04-25T13:18:00.003-05:00

The first time I visited Tully's Coffee was on a trip to Seattle several years back. In a city plagued with coffee houses on every corner of every intersection, I was relieved to find a joint that I'd never heard of in southern states of America. Walking into the wave of aromatic beans brewing, I prepared myself for no expectations as I'd never before heard of Tully's. As it were, the drinks were delicious and I only wish we had something of its sorts in Lesotho....and now I do!

I'd like to send out a special thank you to Tully's Coffee and Ashley Williams for their generous coffee and tea donation to the Peace Corps Volunteers in Qacha's Nek. It is appreciated more than you know!

Assassination Attempt on Lesotho Prime Minister

2009-04-23T02:23:00.004-05:00

Read All About it:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/8013432.stm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090422/ap_on_re_af/af_lesotho

PlumpyNut: One Child at a Time

2009-04-20T02:09:00.001-05:00

Every year, malnutrition kills five million children worldwide- that’s a rate of one child every six seconds. There is little disagreement that Africa sees the worst of it. Why? Children are unable to obtain the milk, vitamins, and minerals their vulnerable little bodies need to thrive. Mothers in many rural villages are unable to produce enough milk themselves and they cannot afford to buy it at their local shops. For those can afford to purchase milk, there is no electricity and hence no refrigeration in which to store it. While powdered milk is sporadically available, it is often proven problematic in that clean water is difficult to come by as villagers refuse to boil and/or treat their water supply.

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In effort to combat such a widespread famine crisis, French scientist and nutritionist Andre Briend formulated the antidote to malnutrition in 1999. His ready-to-eat, vitamin enriched concoction is called PlumpyNut and has been a Godsend to children across a host of developing countries, both in the curing and prevention of malnutrition. The PlumpyNut product is packaged in a small foil sachet and is comprised of peanut butter, powdered milk, powdered sugar, vegetable oil, vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, and K, and minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, iodine, sodium, and selenium.

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Because the paste tastes slightly sweeter than peanut butter, children generally cannot get enough of it. Mothers favor PlumpyNut because it requires no cooking, water preparation, or refrigeration, making it easy to dispense to their children in a variety of situations. This famine relief miracle “food” is simply squeezed out of the packet by the mother or child into the child’s mouth at a rate of 2 to 3 times daily for 2 to 4 weeks. Because each 92 gram sachet contains 500 kilocalories, PlumpyNut aids in rapid weight gain which can mean the difference between life and death for a child. As added bonuses, the product has a shelf-life of 2 years when unopened and costs roughly $1 for an entire daily dose. Here in Africa, four small factories are currently producing PlumpyNut though additional plants are expected to emerge as the child survival rates due to this product are fully realized.

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In terms of success, PlumpyNut has proven efficacy since its introduction during the crisis in Darfur in western Sudan and Moyross. Over 30,000 children were fed the product and according to aid officials, malnutrition rates were decreased by half. Similarly, in 2005 a region of Niger branded with the highest rate of malnutrition was administered the peanut-based product. At present, that region now has the lowest rate of malnutrition in the whole of Niger.
With that being said, PlumpyNut is available here in Lesotho and is dispersed at clinics and hospitals nationwide at no cost to the family. Children’s progresses are carefully monitored on a daily basis by trained nurses, doctors, and community health workers. Unfortunately, it saddens me to report that because of the ignorance of a handful of those trained medical professionals and mothers who are ill-informed or blatantly selfish, PlumpyNut often ends up in the wrong hands. There have been countless instances where I have found myself utterly disgusted at the individuals who misuse the remedy for something other its intended purpose or for someone other than its intended user. Case in point: Nurses at the hospital where I work steal ample amounts of packets of PlumpyNut to spice up their oatmeal for breakfast. They also eat it by the mouthful, on the clock, with no shame or guilt when doctors and officials are turned the other direction. Just last week, I was riding the 9 hour bus from Maseru to my site in Qacha’s Nek when I noticed an incredibly large healthy woman taking PlumpyNut packets from another woman of the same size. Though I am unsure as to where the second woman obtained the packets in the first place, I am certain that they were not meant for her (or her obese friend), but rather a child a need, a child who might indeed die without the nutrients that PlumpyNut provides. Mark my words- It will be my personal mission, from this day forward, to confront and educate those misusing PlumpyNut, a product that undeniably has the capability to potentially save a life- one child at a time.

The Great Egyptian Escape

2009-04-14T10:47:00.004-05:00

It has been over a month since the great Egyptian escape and I’m not sure that I have completely come to the realization that my vacation is over. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t daydreamed about being back in that amazing North African country, with its rich history, unique culture, and welcoming inhabitants. I have no doubt that Egypt will be revisited again in my lifetime. I truly loved nearly every moment as you will soon discover from the following tale…

Traveling both in-country and internationally as a Peace Corps Volunteer is a unique experience in that you are afforded the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people. At times, you’d give almost anything to cut and run from the individual giving you the free lift. Conversations are strained and sometimes even blatantly awkward but you press on nonetheless for the sole purpose proving to yourself that you can survive anything- even strange topics and long pauses that last an eternity. As luck would have it, our adventure to Egypt began with a free ride from Lesotho to Johannesburg, South Africa with an outspoken white Afrikaner man and his reserved black South African girlfriend. In any other country, the dynamic between the two may not have been so carefully scrutinized, but considering the not-so-distant apartheid era in South Africa, I paid close attention- admittedly more than I should have. Simply put, the lasting effects of apartheid are still ever-present though they may portray themselves in the most subtle of ways- sharp insults played off as jokes, areas of town that are still segregated, crooked politicians who are bitter regarding either the pre or post Apartheid system, etc. Despite the country’s imperfections, I am reminded that the unjust system was abolished in the ‘90s and is similarly experiencing what America must have felt like a decade after the Civil Rights Movement. In any case, our mixed race couple who offered us a free lift is a testament to the notion of impending change for the better. Let us hope the trend continues.

After arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa we checked into our backpacker’s, enjoyed a few episodes of “Fresh Prince” and “Grey’s Anatomy”, and then set off for en educational experience at the Apartheid Museum and newly opened Nelson Mandela Exhibit. After a medical scare with one of my travel companions (all turned out to be fine), I spent the remainder of my time exploring the museum with a young man from Ireland who shared and compared his experiences regarding the violence in Northern Ireland to that of South Africa. An eye opening conversation to be sure! As the day drew to a close, the 4 Peace Corps Volunteers in my traveling group departed for the airport though not before a quick drive-thru to my first McDonald’s in ages. This would be the first of my many “American Indulges” throughout the duration of the Egypt trip.

In the usual Megan Style, we arrived early. While waiting in the line for Egypt Air, we were approached by a group of men who requested that because we were traveling comparatively light, we check their bags in our names since they were already over their limit. Considering their request was made directly in front of security and airport officials, we doubted the harm in their request. HOWEVER, they were blatantly denied. Americans are nothing if not paranoid airplane travelers and as such we take precautions to the extreme. Everyone should know this by now, yeah? Anyhow, I spent the remainder of the time buying Twilight books 2 and 3, chatting with a Texas A&M couple at a restaurant, and calling my mom to appease her never-ending nerves regarding my international travel adventures. Boarding was eventually announced, I found my window seat, and settled in for the 8 hour flight ahead of me. Not 5 minutes later, I heard an older gentleman yelling in my direction, “Howdy! Beat the hell out of TU.” Quickly realizing the Aggie chants, I whirled around and was introduced to a Tunisian man who attended TAMU in the 1960’s. It’s strangely reassuring that one can cross oceans and find a sense of home with complete strangers. Later during the flight, a Palestinian man from Gaza struck up a conversation with me regarding politics, religion, war, and family. Though shocked at a few of his extremists beliefs, he was friendly. A little too friendly. After the food was served and I fell asleep all nestled close to the window with my blanket and pillow, I awoke to the one of the most uncomfortable positions I’ve encountered in a while. The Palestinian man was stroking my hair from behind me as he also lyed down next to the window near his seat. Uncertain as to whether I had imagined it all, I pretended to awake by dramatically moving around a bit. I resisted sleep to determine if my imagination had gotten the best of me. It hadn’t. Not five minutes later I felt a hand on my hair, reaching its way to my scalp. Frightened and not knowing what else to do, I stood up, turned around, and threw my pillow at the perpetrator. Laughing it off and stating he “couldn’t help it” was no comfort to me. I refused sleep for the rest of the flight, praying this wasn’t a premonition for what was to come on my vacation.

Nearly as soon as the plane’s wheels touched down on the run-way, I was with my friends and more eager than anyone realized to get off the aircraft. We payed $15 for our visa, exchanged Rand and Dollars into Egyptian Pounds, and met the Canadian Hostel driver who picked us up and drove us to the backpackers while we caught our first glimpses of the big city. Unfortunately, I was unable to catch a sight of the Pyramids of Giza but I did note the chaos of driving in northern Africa- no adherence to lanes, complete ignorance of traffic lights, lack of proper road etiquette, etc. While in the capital, I visited Old Cairo which houses the beautiful Coptic Museum and Hanging Church. I attempted to visit several of the smaller churches in the area but was denied entrance because of an early closing time- that is, until the guard heard my American accent and stated that since he loved President Obama I would be allowed in. Truly, it has been nice venturing abroad as great many people seem to hold Americans in a positive light since the 2008 Presidential election. I also ventured into the Khan-al-Khali bazaar which is comprised of an intricate series of streets, dodgy alleyways, and random staircases that lead to the most obscure of shops. Brightly lit shops line every street, colorful crafts are on display at every glance, and the smells of deliciousness baking were ever present. While the excursion was rather overwhelming because of the massive amounts of haggling and people constantly in my face with questions or comments regarding my origin and purpose of my trip to their country, the shopping was magnificent. The same held true for my trip to Giza which was most definitely a highlight of the trip. We took a scary 4+ hour camel ride into the desert to the three pyramids. My friends rode camels with traditional names such as Ali-Babba while I was stuck on Oscar who insisted on relieving himself including gassing every 5 minutes. According to our camel guide, riding the massive animal is also called an 'Egyptian Massage'...and in traditional African style, he meant it in a naughty way. After gratefully hopping off Oscar for about the fifth time, I went inside the Second Pyramid which was an amazing experience. The tomb was narrow and required me to crawl down a long, steep, dark passageway to enter the burial chamber. Because of the lack of oxygen and ventilation inside the pyramid, a handful of people in every group must return back to ground level because of breathing and dehydration issues. Though I was sweating profusely by the time I reached the chamber, I stood in awe at the ancient barren room and was thrilled to have made the trek that Egyptians of old made in the quest of burying their pharaohs. After emerging from the darkness below, I beheld the beauty of the Sphinx and continued to take an unnecessary amount of photographs. Following Giza, we drove to Saqqara (Step Pyramid & Djoser) and then to Memphis where we dined on the most succulent oranges, visited the Ramses Museum, and gazed upon the Bent Pyramid from afar. The last tourist stop in Cairo was to the Egyptian Museum which houses nearly all of the ancient Egyptian artifacts dating back thousands of years. Viewing King Tut's treasures including the burial mask felt surreal- it's something I've always read about or seen on television but never thought I would actually have the opportunity to see in person. And then there was the Royal Mummy Room that I was nearly denied access to because the guard did not think I was old enough see such things. The gallery held the bodies of women and men who were astoundingly well preserved despite having died centuries ago.

Of course no Peace Corps Volunteer's trip out of the country is complete without an excursion to at least one mall and boy did we hit the jackpot in Cairo. The mall we went to was towering at over 7 stories tall, had at least 2 Starbucks, almost any store my deprived little heart desired, and a movie theater where I watched, Twilight, International, Marley & Me, and New in Town. I also spent an evening at the Hard Rock-Cairo where I danced to Arabic jams with a few new Canadian friends, a New Yorker, an Englishmen, and an Egyptian. As expected in the predominantly Muslim country, very few women were out at the club and the majority of patrons were drinking juices instead of alcoholic beverages. I also treated myself to handful of hours each day to alone time. It isn't easy living in solitude in a hut in Africa, always alone in your thoughts, and then being thrown into a vacation and forced to be around people at during all hours of the day. As such, I walked the streets of Cairo alone but quickly discovered that my quest for peace and quiet wouldn't be found on streets where men constantly hassle you, asking questions to no end until you finally get up the nerve to tell them to leave or just simply ignore them completely. (I am still working on my 'mean street tough attitude'). In any case, I found myself back at the homely Canadian Hostel either watching TV shows or mingling with the employees at the backpackers who turned out to be an amazing resource for all things Egypt and simply fun people to be around. Of course we also ate a lot, both American foods (McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, Starbucks, Chili's), and Egyptian foods (kushari, hummus, falafel, shwarmas, straight up sugar cane, traditional sweets), and drinks (Stella, liquorice tea, karkade/hibiscus tea).

The second city on our tour of the country was Luxor, which unfortunately did little for me in terms of excitement. In fact I was more than ready to leave after only being there a single day. To begin, we chose a sketchy hostel where the manager was less than friendly regarding a cancellation on one of his tours of the city. I was actually given the glare of death after refusing to pay the 50 Pound cancellation fee that I was earlier told would be waived. Because of my fear of him and his unremitting temper, I left the hostel at an ungodly hour and continued on my journey throughout the city exploring with a friend- and all my bags! While in town, I explored both the East and West Banks of the Nile, visited Luxor Temple, rode a felucca boat to Banana/ Crocodile Island where I sampled Stella and fresh fruit, hired a corniche to take me to a local bazaar, and frequented several women-owned craft shops. I also crossed the Nile via ferry and visited the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, and Winter Palace. Perhaps one of the most memorable experiences of my Egyptian Adventure was meeting a young man named Komsan who was a local felucca guide and taxi driver. After asking him a great deal of questions regarding his culture, he noted my sincere desire to learn more and offered to take me to his village. Most sites in Egypt are quite the tourist hub and although I was of course interested to see them all, I wanted more. More of real life, real people, real situations and real Egypt without the foreigners constantly lingering around. I took Komsan up on his offer and was able to visit his home, meet his family, explore his village, and share in his hopes and dreams regarding his future aspirations both for himself and for his country. I have never felt so welcome by a group of people as I did when I was in Egypt. I was thoroughly impressed with their hospitality and willingness to share themselves with complete strangers.

So by now many of my readers have heard about the drama that occurred while I was visiting the Valley of the Kings. For those of you who have not, I will briefly summarize my somewhat traumatizing ordeal that was brought on by no one other than myself. :-) So as everyone knows, the Valley of the Kings is the rich archaeological site that houses a plethora of ancient tombs and treasures, the majority of which probably have yet to be discovered. I was more than excited to visit this historical site as I knew I'd have the opportunity to glimpse into the past. While there, I entered the maximum of 3 tombs and saw the artistic hieroglyphics painted and carved onto nearly every inch of the walls of every tomb. I also saw several sarcophagi which were used as coffins for the kings in ancient times, still located in the same position in which they were placed hundreds of thousands of years ago when the pharaohs were buried and sealed in their tombs. After trekking for about an hour around the Valley of the Kings, we stumbled upon a site that was currently being excavated by famous Egyptologist & Archaeologist, Dr. Otto. He and his team were just outside the tomb's entrance piecing together pottery and other artifacts. They approached us just outside the "do not enter" rope, presumably because they heard our American accents, and we proceeded to strike up a conversation about Texas (yes, even in Egypt!). Unfortunately, they were unable to grant us access to their tomb because of government/historical site secrecy concerns. We said our goodbyes after a short while and were pointed in the direction of one of the more exciting tombs. We took their advice, followed the large tunnels after a series of exhausting staircases, and entered the most magnificent tomb I have ever seen. While signs were present outside each tomb regarding the prohibition of photography in the Valley, I took little note. In fact, I figured photographs weren't such a big deal so long as the flash was turned off to protect the hieroglyphs. I mean- I was able to photograph great works of art in the Russian Hermitage Museum so what would be the difference here inside an Egyptian tomb? Guards were posted in and around each tomb and so I decided it was best to follow the no picture rule. That is until I reached this magnificent piece of architectural and artistic work. My friend agreed that we should ignore the rule (dumb, I know) and take the pictures anyway when the guards weren't paying attention. She served as my "lookout". 7 pictures clicked away and when I went to take the final 8th photograph of the deep blue ceiling painted with celestial stars, I was busted! The following 15 minutes were blur and my heart pounded in fear while my thoughts ran wild regarding various forms of punishment I might have to endure. Long story short, my camera was taken away, I was hauled off to the Inspectorate's Office, detained against my will, yelled at about my photo-taking crime, and told that I would have to pay a fine of 50 Pounds. 50 Pounds per picture! The best part of the story is that I ended up getting a 50% discount on my fine because I showed the Inspector and his gang pictures of my meek house in Lesotho with no running water or electricity. As they laughed at my absurd willingness to give up my American lifestyle and move to a developing country in Africa with poor living conditions, they delivered the discount news (not before I tried to bribe them, hah!). I took the "deal", paid the fine, retrieved my camera, deleted the illegal photos and accidental video that I took, and ran out of there after nearly two hours of being held. Needless to say, the incident added to my dislike of Luxor and I was more than excited to get out of there and visit Alexandria, my next and final city on the Egypt tour.

Alexandria, a 3 hour train ride from Cairo, was beautiful and being able to splash my feet around in the bright blue Mediterranean Sea was surreal. I toured the library in Alexandria which once housed the oldest of ancient scrolls and writings before it burned to the ground and was eventually rebuilt. It was perhaps the most gorgeous and unique of all the libraries I have visited thus far, with its modern architectural design and massive gray wall carved with writings from every language known to man- both past and present. Because Alexandria was only a day trip, I was pressed for time and as such did not see the famous Lighthouse up close. I did however, have a cappuccino at a hotel which is located on the site where Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, supposedly committed suicide. At least she had a great view of the Mediterranean!

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That about sums up my adventure. Stay tuned for updates in Lesotho. Much Love.

(Photo's from Girls Weekend: Megan and Kelly)

A Few Announcements!

2009-03-31T07:29:00.002-05:00

Photos from Egypt are now posted, so have a look! A blog will soon follow, I promise.

And for the big news.....I broke down and purchased a ticket back to the states! I'll be around October 6 -November 2. For those of you who are interested, let me know. Cheers!

Highlights for the Week

2009-02-26T03:28:00.004-06:00

(1) My house now has electricity hookups (1 box w/ three outlets and a lightbulb). Here's to hoping that by the time I return from Egypt there will be light!
(2) Eating Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for Breakfast.
(3) Handwashing loads of laundry outside in a thunderstorm.
(4) Reading a 500 page book in a single day.
(5) Recovering from the flu, mostly.
(6) Free rides from both friends and strangers. Oh how I will miss hitching when I return back to the states!
(7) Receiving letters and packages from family.
(8) Celebrating at the Newbie Party for Brett- welcome to Qacha's Nek!
(9) Finding a new camera - one that takes pictures automatically at the recognition of a smile. Technology these days......!
(10) I leave for Egypt next week!

Malaria

2009-02-19T08:55:00.008-06:00

In effort to prevent any unforeseen illnesses during the course of my upcoming vacation to East Africa, I have opted to take the "better safe than sorry" route. While I have already been vaccinated more times than I can count for this disease or that throughout my service, I have yet to be prescribed anything for malaria. Because Lesotho has a high, mountainous elevation, mosquitoes don't thrive here as they do in most other parts of Africa and thus no malaria prophylaxis is required. So, what exactly is Malaria?

Malaria- one of the oldest infectious diseases, evolving around 10,000 years ago- is a mosquito-borne disease that is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver and then infect red blood cells. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, headache, vomiting, and flu-like symptoms between 10 and 15 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Left untreated, malaria can quickly become life threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs, causing severe complications and eventually death. Each year 350-500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in Africa south of the Sahara. This sometimes fatal disease can be prevented and cured. Bednets, insecticides, and antimalarial drugs are effective tools to fight malaria in areas where it is transmitted. Travelers to a malaria-risk area should avoid mosquito bites and take a preventive antimalarial drug. However, in many parts of the world the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria medicines. In regards to my trip, Egypt has relatively few cases of the disease therefore I am at very little risk. In any case, I have opted to take the antimalarial, Mefloquine- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

GENERIC NAME: Mefloquine

BRAND NAME: Lariam

DOSAGE: Orally 1x/week; Administer 2 weeks before, during, and 4 weeks after being in malarial zone

SIDE EFFECTS: Mefloquine may have severe and permanent adverse side-effects. It is known to cause stomach upset, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, hair loss, ringing in the ears, drowsiness, lightheadedness, and central nervous system problems (dizziness, headache, insomnia, and vivid/strange dreams). In rare instances, it may also cause severe depression, anxiety, mood changes, paranoia, hallucinations, confusion, restlessness, aggression, nightmares, insomnia, seizures, birth defects, peripheral motor-sensory neuropathy, and vestibular (balance) damage. In 2002 the word "suicide" was added to the official product label, though proof of causation has not been established.

All that being said, please don't worry ;-) I live and will be traveling to a low-risk malaria zone. I only post regarding this subject so that you are aware of one of the many "hardships" of sorts that the majority of Africans face on a daily basis. It's hard to believe that on this continent, a child dies every 30 seconds from this unremitting disease.

The Latest from the Mountains of QN

2009-02-11T00:39:00.032-06:00

Before I begin to ramble away, as is the case on most of my posts, please note that I have uploaded new pictures under the Durban and Qacha's Nek 2009 albums. During my recent trip to Durban, I unknowingly fell victim to the African curse- the one that murders electronics of any kind. Both my watch and camera flat-lined and as such I have been unable to take recent photographs of the happenings around Lesotho. For that, I apologize. It is my hope that by the end of this weekend, I will have successfully found a replacement camera in Bloemfontein, South Africa. I desperately need one for my upcoming adventure, the trip of a lifetime to.....Egypt!

Originally, the plan was to vacation in West Africa in May with a few fellow Lesotho PCVs; however due to the nature of life as a volunteer in Africa and unforeseen circumstances, the trip had to inevitably be postponed. Rather dejected, I decided to throw myself back into work and patiently await the trip that now seemed an eternity away. As fate would have it, two days later I ran into Elizabeth, another Lesotho PCV, who raved about cheap round trip tickets she just purchased to Cairo. As excited as I was to hear about her purchase, my intrigue strengthened when she stated that the price was $380 round trip and would I like to join her. Considering my West African journey was temporarily on hold and I had no other vacations to look forward to, there was little hesitation on my part to join the trip to the land where ancient civilization practically began. Within 10 minutes of Elizabeth walking into the room, I purchased my flights and began researching. To think- all those years of fascination in studying the Ancient Egyptians in elementary, middle, and high school are to become a reality in March, nearly three weeks away! No doubt I will visit some of the world's most famous monuments including the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, and the Valley of the Kings. To be able to gaze upon walls and walls of hieroglyphics painted thousands of years ago, view the mummified bodies of ancient Pharaohs, and behold the sight of thousands of artifacts created and presented as gifts for loved ones in the afterlife all must be an amazing experience. If time permits, we would love to travel along the the world's longest river, the Nile. Catching a glimpse or even venturing out a bit into the vast, sparsely inhabited Sahara Desert would also be quite an exciting feat in itself. In any case, we are planning very little and instead vow to journey where the wind (or lack thereof) takes us! It is a trip for the books and I can only imagine how I will feel when I am finally there.

Anyhow, I am at the point in my Peace Corps service where I am quite comfortable with nearly all aspects of living here in Lesotho. Work is going well, I am making more friends with each passing week, and I have become extremely comfortable with the dangers of public transportation- for better or worse!

Compulsory HIV/AIDS Testing

Where work is concerned I have been keeping myself busy at the hospital with a plethora of projects, though often times I find myself working alone as it proves to be the only way to get something accomplished in a timely manner. It is no secret that Lesotho has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world and despite the heaps of foreign aid being thrown in all directions, the rates continue to rise. Testing for the virus is not mandatory and unfortunately every hospital/clinic across the nation has a different policy regarding who should test and why. At the national hospital, Queen Elizabeth II located in Maseru, patients arrive with the assumption that they will be tested and therefore it is the norm. Patients have the option to "opt-out of testing", in which case they are required sign a lengthy set of papers that denote the reasons behind their resistance. At other hospitals, including my hospital Machabeng, the HIV/AIDS testing policy is the opposite- that patients are required to "opt-in" if they want to be tested and therefore sign a series of forms giving their consent. Needless to say, the assumption for most hospitals around Lesotho is that patients will not be tested upon arrival, and if they are it is because the person is more than likely HIV positive. Stigma around the virus is one of the sole reasons for testing deterrence. Our project goal- an initiative between myself, an American Baylor doctor, and the chief district doctor in Qacha's Nek- will be to implement a policy change that requires all in-patients to test for the virus. Of course, everyone has rights and as such will be given the option to "opt-out"- not in anyway dissimilar from what is occurring at the national hospital. If the project succeeds and HIV/AIDS counselors test every individual according to plan, many lives could potentially be saved as their status will be known and ARV medication will be administered before the disease has progressed beyond help. Furthermore, stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS testing will decrease because every patient is subject to the process. While still in it's initial stages, every child in the pediatric ward has been tested for the past 2 weeks. I have high hopes that in due time, the same will hold true for patients in the male, female, and TB wards. Click here to read about how Lesotho's Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili has set a unique example for his countrymen in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Defaulter Committee

As an update, I am still an acting member and founder of the Defaulter Committee at the hospital, which aims to seek out rural villagers and ascertain the reasons why they are no longer taking their HIV/AIDS, PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission) or tuberculosis medication. The list of patient defaulters has been compiled and all is a go for the excursions into the villages- except transportation. It seems to be a recurrent issue that there are never vehicles around when a legitimate need arises. Although my patience is tried and tried again, I know that in due time our cause will become a successful reality. They key is persistence!

MAP: Men As Partners

A few months ago, I learned about an organization called EngenderHealth through a 3rd year Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho. He has put on a series of workshops in conjunction with the organization subset called Men As Partners. Recently, I have agreed to sign on with the initiative in my district, as I feel quite passionate about the message they aim to disseminate. As per their website:

"Around the world, women carry disproportionate responsibility for reproductive health and family size. And while women receive the bulk of reproductive health education, including family planning information, gender dynamics can render women powerless to make decisions. Men often hold decision-making power over matters as basic as sexual relations and when and whether to have a child or even seek health care. But most reproductive health programs focus exclusively on women. EngenderHealth recognizes the importance of partnership between women and men, as well as the crucial need to reach out to men with services and education that enable them to share in the responsibility for reproductive health.
To address this, EngenderHealth established its Men As Partners® (MAP) program in 1996. Through its groundbreaking work, this program works with men to play constructive roles in promoting gender equity and health in their families and communities."

How MAP Works:

The MAP program uses many approaches to address gender inequalities, including:
-Holding interactive, skills-building workshops that confront harmful stereotypes of what it means to be a man.
-Enhancing health care facilities’ capacity to provide men with quality care by training health care professionals to offer male-friendly services.
-Leading local and national public education campaigns, using murals, street theater, rallies, and media, which explore the theme of partnership.
-Building national and international advocacy networks to create a global movement.

QN District Library

When I last wrote about the the Qacha's Nek Library, the books had been delivered from the African Library Project and were sitting in bags waiting to be opened. At the present, the books have been unloaded and are nearly completely labeled and shelved. Since the start of the new year, I have made an extreme effort to visit the library for at least 3 hours several days a week for many reasons: (1) Set a good example to the Basotho, (2) Assist and check in with the librarian to determine where help might be needed, (3) Read and teach English to small children, (4) Make friends with library patrons, (5) Stay up to date on current events by reading articles in newspapers from across the world, and (6) Charge my electronics and read/research issues of interest. Within the next month, the librarian and myself also plan to hold a comprehensive workshop for librarians across the district to ask questions and learn how to efficiently and successfully run the libraries in their respective villages.

A Digression

There have been countless days when I ruminate over the usefulness of my being here. I wonder if what I am doing here in Lesotho and in my village are effective and worthwhile projects. I wonder if it's sustainable, if it will last long after I have left this mountain kingdom. More times than not, I feel myself becoming a bit dejected because perhaps I might be accomplishing more elsewhere. But then I inevitably remind myself that half the reason I joined Peace Corps is cultural. On one such day a few weeks ago, I decided to venture out onto a relatively unknown dirt-road to reintroduce myself to the less well-off side of Basotho life. The village, which was much poorer than my own, was full of children running around naked while their mothers washed clothing and linen in large basins or cooked over steaming hot pots of boiling water and food. After greeting nearly 20 individuals, I continued my walk until I came across a group of boys between the ages of 9 and 18 singing and playing the harmonica. It soon became obvious that their English was limited, all save Mpho. Mpho, an 18 year old boy, showed an extreme interest in my presence and requested that I follow him just over a nearby hill so he could show me what he does for a living when he isn't in school. As it turned out, he builds houses for work and even makes the bricks himself. After describing the brick creation process, I was led to his work station and watched (and often times assisted) in building bricks for an entire afternoon. The labor wasn't necessarily the significant part of the day, but rather it was the connection, the relationship, and the cultural sharing that took place that was meaningful. I look forward to similar days and have promised myself to the exchange of culture a larger focus in the future.

The Holidays, South Africa, and 2009

2009-01-13T06:51:00.005-06:00

The last few weeks have been filled with everything but work and while I thoroughly enjoyed the break, I am more than ready to feel productive again. A few days before Christmas, Tara came to visit and once again I showed off the ever-exciting Snake Park. Tara, the brave soul that she is, requested to hold a poisonous snake and to my surprise, the owner allowed it. Because of the lack of safety regulations regarding, well everything and the fact that our hospital now has anti-venom strangely made everyone a little more at ease. I even had a go at petting the slithering creature. Check that off my list of things to do- and never do again! Becky and Rachel also showed up in Qacha’s Nek where we celebrated the holidays together in my small house. Despite our holiday meal consisting of a delicious chicken taco platter, nothing felt right. It is a strange feeling to be celebrating Christmas in the dead of summer without the comforts of family, friends from home, and the holiday spirit. Thankfully though, I have made some wonderful friends here in Lesotho and I am so grateful to have shared Christmas with them. I also received many phone calls and texts from home which was bittersweet. I would like to offer an apology to those of you who I spoke with, it must have been difficult to understand my words through the muffled sobs and tears. ;-)

Following Christmas, a large group of PC-Lesotho volunteers opted to head to Durban, South Africa for a week long vacation away from the Mountain Kingdom. The drive in on public transport took about 5 hours and was much less hectic than expected. At one point, we somehow managed to convince an entire kombi full of passengers including the driver that a stop at KFC was a must. To my amazement, the chicken wrap and french fries were amazing. I only wish the ketchup here was actual ketchup and not “tomato sauce”- there is most definitely a difference. The weather was muggy and hot, not dissimilar from a summer back home, though the sun only graced us with its presence for a day or two. Because the group of PCVs in Durban was so large, we broke up into smaller groups depending on our moods and interests for the day at hand. Navigating the streets proved to be a challenge as nearly all of the roads have recently been renamed to reflect the names of famous historial figures. Throughout the duration of the trip, I visited the Durban Botanical Gardens, Gateway Mall, Pavilion Mall, uShaka Marine World, two beaches, two clubs, and many restaurants. Laying out on the beach to tan was quite nostalgic- if I closed my eyes the smell and sound of the Indian Ocean fully reminded me of the Texas coastline. Once while returning to shore from swimming relatively far out, the lifeguards came to full alert and began blowing their whistles eagerly and waving their arms for the swimmers to come in. As it turns out, a shark of unknown size and species was supposedly sighted not far from where we were swimming. South African beaches have a severe problem with shark attacks and as such the government has implemented a program where mandatory shark nets are required along specific stretches of the coast. According to the lifeguard, the beach we were located had a shark net in place, however holes in the net are not uncommon. After several kayaks circled the water for nearly an hour, swimmers were allowed back in. I, however, was done for the day! In Durban, I also went to the movie theater twice to see “Australia” and “James Bond: Quantum of Solace” and the IMAX to see “Madagascar: Back 2 Africa.” It is strangely amusing that I find movies infinitely more entertaining and worthwhile than spending hours shopping in a mall for things that I no longer have a need or want for. Oh, the small ways in which Africa changes a person!

So after the holidays came to a close, I spent a few short days at my site before heading to Maseru for Peace Corps-Lesotho’s All Volunteer Conference. Again thanks to my luck, I was able to hitch a ride on private transport with my hospital- anything beats a 9 hour, sweaty, bumpy, loud kombi ride! While the sessions of the conference were a recap from everything I learned during Phase 3 in December, it was a nice opportunity to meet the remaining volunteers in-country who I had yet to make contact with. The 2 beds per room, the electricity, the running water, and the television were just added bonuses. Overall, the sharing of experiences by Volunteer, both cultural and work-related, was the highlight of All-Vol for me because it helped to put in perspective the accomplishments I have made thus far and the direction I hope my work will take in 2009. More often than not, I find myself re-evaluating and re-defining the reasons I joined Peace Corps and the means by which I can be an effective member of the Basotho community.

Happy New Year.

A Step Out of My Comfort Zone

2008-12-19T05:29:00.002-06:00

Since returning to site a few short days ago, I have already made some major changes and improvements in the way I present myself to the Basotho. Before my trip to Maseru, I was very cognizant regarding what I said and the ways I presented myself. Adhering to culturally sensitive is a huge issue as a Peace Corps Volunteer because, on a daily basis, we have to be able to readily adapt to new situations and places that are all too unfamiliar and even incomparable to what we know back home. In my case however, I went overboard. Admittedly, I am that volunteer who speaks to everyone who greets me, the one who will stand in the middle of the street for 30 minutes attempting to explain my motives for coming to Africa and answering those never ending questions such as “who are you, where are you going, where are you coming from, can I visit you, are you married, will you have me as your boyfriend/husband, can I have your shirt/money/candy/bracelet/socks” etc. While there is no fault in being overly polite, there is something to say when I do not stand up for myself to someone who is obviously treating me with disrespect. Perhaps of all the information I gained from my time away, the most valuable is the idea that culturally sensitivity is a two way street. Needless to say, this holds true for people all over the world- not just Peace Corps Volunteers. As I continue through my service I have vowed to keep this in mind as I am confronted with new people and situations. Undoubtedly, it will avert any negative feelings I may harbor toward the host country nationals and in turn boost my sense of self as a person, as a Volunteer, and as an American.

Second point of note: I “made” curtains … on my own. Three sets actually which I believe is the single most courageous and daunting endeavor I have undertaken thus far. Okay maybe not, but it is definitely a step or ten outside of my comfort zone- and realm of knowledge. I have three windows in total, a large full length window on the front and two medium size windows on the side of my small one room house. During a 3 kilometer uphill walk to town in the sweltering summer heat, I resolved to put off the business of curtain making no longer. Because I was already dripping wet with sweat, I decided to continue the hike to PEP which of course is another uphill battle. The ready-made curtains were awful and because my front window is so large, I would have had to buy two- an expense I was not about to bear. I opted for a duvet cover that was meant for a double size bed. For the two smaller windows, I purchased two long panels that would need to be hemmed. Luckily I got a hitch home from a stranger named Patrick (guess we aren’t strangers anymore) and after cooling down began the mysterious process of curtain making. Bear in mind that I have never attempted to make anything with fabric in my life with the exception of a pair of boxers that were never completed and probably two sizes too small. Ultimately, the three curtains were a success in my book because they (1) cover the windows and (2) are relatively straight. The pinks, oranges, and yellows would give my mother chills, but remember that this is Africa, I am a Peace Corps Volunteer, and I go for what is cheap! For your viewing pleasure, stay tuned to my Picassa for the photos of my creations.

Third point of note- I am now able to add baker/caterer to my resume! Some time ago I wrote about the ample amount of time spent in my “kitchen”, perfecting the recipe via critiques from various tasters in village and Peace Corps. My host mother, who is one of a few caterers in the district, took an extreme liking to the bread and insisted that I make several loaves for a family party a few months back. Again, it was a huge hit and word soon spread that my dessert was rather scrumptious. A few days ago, my host mother again approached me to see if I would be interested in baking enough banana bread to feed 25 principles located around the Qacha’s Nek district. The event would be held at the Ministry of Education office and the bread would serve as the side with tea. Without hesitation, I agreed! For the ordinary person, this project might seem slight, but for someone who has caught spaghetti on fire (no joke), the project provoked feelings of dread. In the end, the catering event and the bread turned out exceptionally well. For this feat, I give myself a pat on the back.

Lastly, Peace Corps-Lesotho has also initiated my future career as a prolific apple picker. During my first trip to the shop after returning home from Maseru, I was shocked to find that produce prices had risen to the extent they had, especially apples which now sell for at least R2.50! Because I thought I had been ripped off, I discussed the prices with my host mother who reassured me that the prices had indeed risen. Not long after, however, I was thoroughly embarrassed when she reminded me that we have 5 apple trees in full bloom in our own yard. Vowing to never buy an apple in town again (during apple season at least), I fetched a bucket, climbed a chair, and began picking apples till my heart was content. [For the Mario Brothers fans out there, I totally felt like Yoshi, the green dinosaur thing!] Furthermore, now that summer is in full swing, the refrigerator next door has been turned on, which means lemonade & cold apples with peanut butter. There simple is nothing better!

Hope for the Future

2008-12-14T05:49:00.003-06:00

Now that I am back in Maseru for an extended period (Phase III of my PC experience), I have been able to reflect on the first six months as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa. My time here has been filled with both ups and downs but through it all, I have stayed motivated and grown to love the direction my life has taken and my home and work in Africa. Don’t get me wrong however, not everything has been roses and ponies. The relationships I have made with Peace Corps Volunteers, host country nationals, expatriates and loved ones back home have been the glue that has held me together on the days when I believed my presence in this developing country made no difference. Sadly, however, one of my best PCV friends here in Lesotho has decided to leave the country and return to America, where wonderful opportunities await. While I am saddened by his departure, his friendship and the memories we have shared will remain always. Tom, you will be missed. On a positive note, two volunteers in my district who have just completed their service- Rachel and Todd- are heading home ENGAGED! Best of luck to you both!

As an update to my employment situation, not much has changed. My organization, the District Health Management Team (DHMT) of Qacha's Nek has proved unreliable and unwilling to provide and support or direction. They have also failed to uphold their part of the bargain which states that in exchange for a PCV, they will provide rent and furniture for the duration of the PCV's stay. Because of the culmination of a variety of such factors, I will no longer be working with them directly. I do plan to volunteer as much as possible with the hospital, though not necessarily in conjunction with DHMT. At present, my most promising and worthwhile project concerns the ‘Defaulter Committee of Machabeng Hospital.’ Simply put, the Defaulter Committee is a district-wide initiative to track patients who are no longer visiting the hospital to obtain their ARV (anti-retroviral), Tuberculosis, and PMTCT (Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission) medications. I saw the need for a project such as this early on but only recently began to assess interest among the hospital community. After a general meeting was held among employees from various sectors of the hospital, the committee was voted upon and established. It was decided that a representative from the HIV/AIDS ward, the TB ward, the Maternity/Child ward, and myself would serve on the committee. While it is my job to act as a motivating force, it is the rest of the committee whose job it is to track the actual patients. At present, the wards are developing their lists of defaulters. Following their completion, the list of patients will be broken down in terms of their associated clinics around the district. If the patients have provided permission for medical status to be released, their names will be sent to Community Health Workers (CHW) in their respective villages. If the patient has not provided permission, as will be true for most cases, we will respect their confidentiality and therefore travel by means of hospital transport and track the individual ourselves. The tracking process will be a difficult yet important task in that it will hopefully reveal the reasons why the patient is no longer seeking treatment (e.g., the patient has died, moved, cannot afford to travel to and from the hospital). If the latter proves to be chief explanation for patient defaulting, discussion regarding the need for mobile clinics will need to be put in order. I have high hopes for this project and only time will tell whether the dedication and follow through by the Basotho and sustainability of the project will endure.

Perhaps of everything I have done since arrival, I am most looking forward to the working with Kaye, an older PCV in my group who shares a similar mental health background as me. It will be comforting working on a project within my realm of expertise and finally being able to put my skills to good use here in Africa. During my week of Phase III Training, we were exposed to a variety of potential projects and educated on the various grants that are available for Peace Corps Volunteers, including President Bush’s PEPFAR. As of right now, our project ideas are in initial stages but the general concept would be to educate HIV/AIDS Basotho counselors regarding the importance of confidentiality, positive living techniques, and cultural, gender, and age sensitivity. Depending upon the curriculum we choose to implement in the lectures, we would travel to various parts of Lesotho to conduct workshops for KYS (Know Your Status), PSI (Population Services International), LPPA (Lesotho Planned Parenthood) HIV/AIDS counselors and hospitals/clinics. There is also a potential for grant writing, though I am wary about that option because as it is well known that in developing countries, grants are not usually sustainable. In that respect, it is educating the right individuals that is key to our project.

As previously stated, I have been away from my site in QN for nearly 3 weeks and it has been blessing to take a step back, reflect, and have a little fun. Because I have been in the continual process of integration during the last few months, I have stayed in my village and camptown as much as possible in effort to focus on my role as a volunteer. Now that I am integrated, it’s time to explore Lesotho. A few days before Thanksgiving, I travelled to Mohale’s Hoek where I stayed with Lorain, a PCV from my CHED group. No one likes to be alone on a holiday so we planned to spend a few days together and celebrate Thanksgiving at the local hotel. Alas, there was no turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie to be found. Instead, we opted to split a pizza and drink some juice- not at all the same but it inevitably gets the job done. Although it was by far the most uneventful Thanksgiving, it was perhaps one of the most personally meaningful in that I have truly realized what I am thankful for. Funny that it takes being across the world and separated from the ones I love to truly get it. Happy Thanksgiving.

Following my adventures with Lorian, we departed ways and I headed to Malealea Lodge & Pony Trek Centre located just outside of Mafeteng. Not long after switching combis, my drive down a beaten gravel path revealed the most beautiful and lush sights I’ve seen in all of Lesotho. The view was paradise- greens of all shades, mountains beyond compare, and a stunning silence that reverberates for miles on end. Upon arrival, I spent the day exploring the lodge in all its expansive glory. I took a walk to a local artisan shop where crafts were being made, engaged in meaningful yet broken conversation in Sesotho, and even learned how to create local ’juice box’ wallets. I watched the departure of several families on their pony trek adventures and played with a herd of dogs that weren’t threatened by the sight or touch of a human. In the late afternoon, 6 volunteers arrived and so the exploring continued. The following day, the group divided in two with people opting to hike to pony trek to a waterfall. [For those of you who don’t know the story, the last time I was on a horse I was aggressively bucked off, fell to the ground with a thud, and desperately crawled to safety before the horse trampled me to death. Please note that I am not sure if the story occurred in quite that dramatic a fashion but that is most certainly how I remember it. Needless to say, there was a slight amount of trauma involved.] I elected not to hike since I do that nearly every day and instead chose to literally get back in the saddle. Once strapped in however, a noticeable and unexpected fear rushed over me. A Mosotho horse guide asked if I would like his assistance, meaning that he would walk the horse the entire 4 hour journey at a cost of R40 ($4). Without hesitation, I said yes and do not regret my decision for a second. The excursion was much more involved than any of us ever expected. Trails were sparse but the passageway elected was full of mountain cliffs and rocks crumbling ever so often under the pony’s hooves. We crossed rivers, rock beds, lowlands, midlands, and highlands. About half way through our journey, the pony trekking group dismounted the animals and was led down a steep path by a group of Basotho children to a hidden waterfall. The serenity of it all made it hard to return but truthfully I was anxious to get back on the pony, finish the trek, and return to the safety of solid ground beneath me. That evening, we enjoyed a delicious home-cooked fish dinner and roasted s’mores in a fire pit. All in all, Malealea Lodge comes highly recommended in my book because it displays the true beauty Lesotho has to offer.

So what’s next for me? I will return to my site in Qacha’s Nek tomorrow where employment opportunities will be sparse until the beginning of 2009. The month of December is generally very slow in Lesotho as many people take leave or simply fail to come in to work altogether. I plan to continue assisting the librarian in the organization of our new shipment and also hope to organize my thoughts concerning the mental health project. Although I have been warned against spending Christmas in village because of the drunken dangers, I have opted to have a few friends over to celebrate with me. A few days following that celebration, we will depart for Durban, South Africa where I will be greeted by palm trees/tropical plants, the hot summer sun, and the roars of the Indian Ocean calling my name. I can only hope that my vacation to South Africa will resemble being at home!

A Christmas Gift From Me to You!

2008-12-12T00:30:00.004-06:00

Seasons Greetings! So although I am unable to celebrate the holidays in my usual fashion- shopping, baking, singing carols, and spreading the holiday cheer- I have been able develop new ways of getting excited about the upcoming holidays. My ipod is overflowing with Christmas playlists, my house is decked with red bows, garland, snowflakes, and stockings, and everyday I count down the days till my South African vacation in Durban. Now I know this has been a very long time in coming but I have a present for all my blog followers. Because I have had access to speedy internet in the capital of Lesotho, I spent the last few days uploading the entirety of my pictures. Click here to view my PCV experiences for the past 7 months in Lesotho. Enjoy!

African Library Project

2008-11-24T04:20:00.004-06:00

As a Peace Corps Volunteer, it is my job to work not only with my host organization, but to branch out within my community to see where I am needed and what areas may necessitate improvement. Some Volunteers choose to start youth groups, partake in extensive keyhole gardening projects, or even assist in the development of small businesses. My lack of attraction regarding the aforementioned is overwhelming, but my interest was sparked the last week of training when an older PCV began a simple discussion on building libraries in Lesotho. We were informed of potential non-profit organizations that were willing to assist volunteers in Lesotho in the donation of books for both new and old libraries. Upon arrival to my site, I investigated the situation at the Qacha’s Nek District Library- located in the camptown and the largest in the district. Though the books were scarce, the set up was extremely nice with plenty of shelving, chairs, desks, and burglar bars for security and protection. Furthermore, the library is run solely by a woman in her mid-30’s who has an extreme passion and desire for her people to take an interest in reading. According to her, the deficit of patrons at the library was the consequence of the lack of age appropriate reading material and knowledge of the library’s mission and services. After several visits with the librarian, a hidden effort to determine her work ethic and skill level, I approached her to see if she would be interested in applying for the African Library Project, an organization that actively develops libraries in Botswana, Swaziland, Kenya, and Lesotho. Fortunately for us, it is only in Lesotho that the African Library Project works directly with Peace Corps Volunteers. If all goes well, the project will expand into other countries as their US capacity of donation permits. Because book drives and shipping books from the U.S. take an extended period of time, the estimated arrival date of the books was to be May, 2009.

Needing no time to contemplate the proposition before her, my librarian quickly agreed to submit the application and a deadline of November 1st was set by myself. In all honestly, the REAL deadline was not until November 15th, but considering ‘Basotho Time’ (a phenomenon in which everything takes longer and deadlines are not met when they should), I told a white lie and as you will see- it paid off. In order to obtain the support and meet requirements for the application, the librarian and myself ensured that we had local support, a clean and secure facility, leadership, and borrowers. We completed the application, obtained letters of recommendations from Qacha’s Nek district leaders, wrote a description of the community, submitted personal narratives regarding the importance of the library, and photographed the library itself. To my amazement, everything was completed by the designated date and was put forward to the African Library Project. A week later, I received an email requesting several more photographs of the inside of my library, particularly regarding shelf space for the books. I submitted what I had and obtained a call 2 days later. As it turns out, a shipment of between 1500 and 2000 books were already in country and the African Library Project was sorting through applications trying to find the books a home. Much to my surprise, our library was chosen as the recipient- the hard work paid off! No waiting around to determine if we were approved, no worrying that something would fall through between the book drives and shipping, and no remaining stagnant until the books’ arrival next May. Perhaps the best part of this whole process was observing my librarian’s face when I shared the exciting news with her. Astounded, she covered her face with her delicate hands and began to cry tears of joy. I, shocked at her reaction, rushed to her side to offer my congratulations for her efforts and accomplishment. That was two weeks ago and already the books have arrived in Qacha’s Nek via Peace Corps transport. Although they are currently being stored in my house (yes, it’s crowded!), I expect they will reach their permanent destination within the next few days. Sorting, labeling, and shelving the books will be no easy feat, but I am eager to assist where I can and promote literacy and reading on behalf of the Qacha’s Nek District Library. Just another example of how my personal motto in Lesotho applies: Small successes inevitably lead to larger changes. Congratulations QN Library!