To begin, I must apologize for the delay in posting this most recent entry. As a novice volunteer in Lesotho until recently I had yet to experience my true initiation into working abroad in Africa. This rite of passage is symbolized by a few bed-ridden days and an attack of severe stomach flu. In penning this entry I am proud to announce my return to the outside world and my appreciation for all of the individuals from G.R.O., OHAfrica, and the Lesotho Boston Health Alliance for nursing me back to proper health.

Now, with that discomfort behind us I am really excited to fill you in on what has been happening on the ground here in Hlotse over the past two weeks. By all accounts there has been a flurry of activity as we have filled our days with multiple meetings and project reviews to strengthen our existing infrastructure. Currently, the entire G.R.O. Lesotho team has been spending the majority of our evenings and all of our weekends pouring over our most recent grant proposal in hopes of further expanding our capacity within the community. The process is integral to the growth of programming and resources for grassroots organizations such as ours and is one I am unfamiliar with so the work is excitedly breaking unfamiliar ground for me.

With the end of term winding down this week at Molopo High School we met with all of our Scholarship students for their quarterly academic performance reviews. The program ranges in age from Form A to Form E students, the Lesotho equivalent to North American Grade 7 to Grade 11, who all face distinct home life challenges most students have lost at least one if not both of their parents to HIV/AIDS. With some students falling behind in their studies the one-on-one meetings give us the chance to communicate with each student in a safe and comfortable environment without the social challenges of approaching teachers in a classroom setting.

During the academic reviews we were able to assess and address a number of challenges affecting some of the students work. A number of factors including poor eyesight, poor nutrition, and inability to seek academic help were uncovered leading to the disbursal of 3 Care Packages to students as a result of the reviews. The process of meeting with the students has consistently been one of my favourite activities because of the tangible benefits and social interactions the work provides in meeting with the children and young adults who are set to become the future leaders of their communities. Finally, I would be remiss without sending our congratulations from everyone at G.R.O. to ‘Ntate Mphana and his wife on the birth of their new baby girl!

Waking up in the Morning is becoming an increasing challenge as new days are met with the chill of frost filled nights. More than any other G.R.O. initiative the Grannies Poultry Project has encountered the most challenges with the onset of the cold weather. A lack of heating for the chicken coop due to poor insulation and no electrical wiring has seen the Bo Nkhono lose a number of chicks over the past week.

After our meeting last week we came to the unanimous decision to begin preparation for the renovation of the coop. The intention is to be as innovative and cost effective as possible by framing the inside of the coop and insulating the building using sawdust and removable sacks of chicken feathers. By creating a drop ceiling with sliding roof panels the Grannies will be able to regulate the amount of insulation in the roof simply by adding or removing stuffed sacks of feathers. This simple technology will allow the project to reduce monetary costs and environmental impacts by using readily available materials. The renovations are slated for completion by the middle of July.

The G.R.O. Artisans Collective has kept us all busy with far more than jewellery production over the past while. After a lengthy group effort the 2009 Fall – Winter Catalogue is complete. A huge thank you to Pauline for all her graphic design leg work, Jean for her photography, and our models ‘Me Mathabang, ‘Me Mamabula, Lexi, Jess, Thuli, and Jean for making my part in completing the catalogue much, much easier than it should have been! The final approval came today over lunch we watched ‘Me Mathabang, ‘Me Mamabula, excitedly pour over the first printed copy. After all of the hours that were put into the finished product there was little else that could have been more rewarding than watching the two women smile as they leafed through the pages showing their work. We will be posting the catalogue in its entirety very shortly but in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us, artisans@grofoundation.org, if you would like to receive an immediate copy and order form.

Looking at my calendar for the rest of the week I can assure you there is no slowing down. The time is 7:45PM here in Leribe and I need to sign off as we still have one final meeting before the day comes to a close. After spending far too much time sitting on the sidelines I am grateful to be able to fill my day with this much activity. Thank you for taking the time to check in on our activities and please stop back shortly as I doubt I will be able to go a full week before writing to you again.

Salang Hantle,

Thuso Selialia

Jason.

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