Heading into their final exams for the year the students of the Family Scholarship Fund have been very busy. The Family Scholarship Fund provides an additional learning environment and social support network based at Molapo High School in Leribe, Lesotho. The regular classes are supplemented by additional study sessions and support as well as an after school Leadership Club to participate in life-skills activities and confidence building. We were able to sit down with Abuti Kali, Abuti Tsoanyane, and Aussi Marahaba. These are their collective answers.

(Abuti means ‘brother’ or ’son’ and Aussi means ’sister’ or ‘daughter’ in Sesotho)

Students of the Family Scholarship Fund at Molapo High School 2010

Why is the FSF program important for students?

Not only does it offer educational support and the sponsorship to needy and vulnerable students but also provide students empowerment and the learning opportunities.

How has being a GRO Scholar helped you in your studies? How has it helped at home?

Being a G.R.O. Scholar has helped in many ways. It has given us an opportunity to attend school, relate with others in a good way and we have learned skills such as making decisions and working as a team. As GRO Scholars we have also been helped in the family in a way of supporting with human needs such as groceries and clothes during the winter.

What is your favourite FSF activity?

Leadership clubs especially team work activities. This is the most favourite FSF activity; it doesn’t only provide a refreshing environment, but also a very good way to relax and be in an enjoyable atmosphere for students.

What do you hope to do after you finish secondary and graduate as a GRO Scholar?

We would like to do social work, accounting & engineering. These are the careers which advocate for the country’s development.

Aussi Marahaba

Abuti Tsoanyane

Abuti Kali

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

This past Saturday, 6 March, the G.R.O. Artisans Collective held their Opening Day ribbon-cutting ceremony. Along with a large crowd and many of the G.R.O. members from other projects in attendance the day was a great success!

Congratulations to ‘Me Majoyce, ‘Me Makhotalong, ‘Me Mathabang, ‘Me Mamosebetsi and their families for their successes as members of the G.R.O. Artisans Collective!

Special thanks to the G.R.O. Scholars of Molapo High School and the Grannies Poultry Association of Lisemeng II as well as Jean Margaritis, ‘Ntate Katiso ‘Mota, and ‘Me Rethabile Skundla for assisting in organizing and lending their helping hands all day long!

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

I taught the students about resume writing during this week’s G.R.O. Leadership Club Meeting (after a fun icebreaker: party style musical chairs – e.g., musical chairs with dancing – which the kids really enjoyed!)

None of the students had heard of resumes until this lesson.  After the students listened to an interview from a Basotho career mentor (a successful accountant) about the importance of a good resume when applying for jobs, I thought it would be good for them to get familiar with the structure of a resume and how to write one.  (I cringe at the memory of my own first resume which was 5 pages long!)  I definitely did not want the G.R.O. scholars to make the same sort of mistake – it’s better for them to get trained on the right way to write a resume earlier than later.

The students hand-wrote a draft of their resumes after receiving a resume writing 101 presentation and looking at a few examples.  It especially helped them to look at past resumes which were written by students at Masianokeng High School during a career guidance camp held by Rice University students this past summer.  They followed along with the format and got a good idea of what constitutes a good resume – as well as solid experience drafting one.  They will hopefully by able to type them out in the Molapo High School computer lab soon (the computers have been nonfunctional for the past few weeks).

Sophie Kim

G.R.O. Volunteer

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

At last week’s G.R.O. Leadership Club Meeting, I gave a presentation to the students on different tertiary institutions. Many of the students were surprised to find out some of the stringent requirement for entering university. It made them realize the hard work it would take to be accepted into one! The students all have dreams of becoming professionally successful – e.g., becoming an engineer, doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc. But they did not necessarily know the high scores they needed to enter the institutions that would allow them to fulfill their dreams. They were very attentive during the meeting and I think that they will now put greater effort into their school work after the presentation and the stern talk I gave them about improving their grades. I think it will help them to be more future-focused than before and I really hope that this is demonstrated in their grades this term!

Sophie Kim

G.R.O. Volunteer

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

On August 28, 2009 Leribe district challenged HIV and AIDS stigma and discrimination.   The festival, the first of its kind, was brought together by local and international NGOs and the government of Lesotho.  G.R.O. Foundation hosted the “Kids Corner” with a jumping castle, face painting and frisbee games. The G.R.O. Scholars, all high school students affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, demonstrated their support by volunteering all day at the event.  The G.R.O. Artisans, a collective of HIV positive mothers, challenged stigma in their own way by teaching kids how to make bracelets.   The Olympic Youth Ambassador Program and Kick 4 Life joined us in offering HIV prevention and Life Skills games to the over 1,000 people who attended the event.  We would like to thank our community partners and friends who helped make this powerful and important event possiblem and we stood up and said ‘no’ to stigma and discrimination.

Posted under Letters from Lesotho