Today we are stepping outside the office for a Q&A with the G.R.O. Artisans Collective Project Leader ‘Me Majoyce Mpelo. The Artisans have had an exciting year redesigning their line, expanding to international distribution, outgrowing offices, adding new members, and hiring a Collective Coordinator to help manage their business. ‘Me Majoyce is a founding member and has grown with each step of the business.

Lumela ‘Me! We are really happy that you are joining us, kea leboha (thank you)!

You are the original member of the G.R.O. Artisans - what does it mean to be the Project Leader?

It means that we have achieved so much in making the G.R.O. Artisans. Moving towards bigger achievements and growing day by day. Every day is a step forward. To be a project leader is exciting and we are making more products. Before we didn’t have many orders, then we grew to where we never had enough time to make the orders we had come to us, and now we have grown to include more members and we can finally complete orders on time. I think it is exciting because we have always talked and had these plans but now we are achieving these things. Becoming the Project Leader proves that we are now growing and seeing many successes.

Over the past year you have experienced some big changes and growth with Bo ‘Me - what events have you been most excited about?

There are so many! The first one is that we have now the bead shop - this is really exciting. So it makes us sell the supplies and beads inside the same space with our products. We have a Coordinator now and have started to distribute our products throughout Lesotho to the country’s best hotels and in South Africa at the boutiques and craft shops. The Artisans are going to the flea markets monthly.

We have started making products for the Queen of Lesotho and even for the US Ambassador. We have a good relationship with G.R.O. supporters and they always give us orders when they are in Lesotho so we are grateful for everyone supporting us in North America. We had new designs for 2010 also. Coming shortly we will have our new office that will be the biggest we have had so far so that we can make enough room for our new members and we will be free to make better products.

Finally, the members have babies in the office which makes it hard to keep producing quickly. Soon we will be having a baby-sitter in the office which will make our work easier and increase our production. There are so many exciting things!

What do you hope that the G.R.O. Artisans Collective will be able to achieve over the next few months?

We hope to have more markets and larger international orders. Our business is beginning to be known because we have started advertising and we hope that our local customers will grow. Bo ‘me want to get bigger internationally and locally. We want to keep growing but I know it happens that we need to keep finding new markets to expand.

‘Me Majoyce we are so thankful that you could take the time to have a Q&A today. The G.R.O. Artisans have experienced so many successes and you really have only had a small amount of time to mention just a few.  We will look for new designs and the launch of your products in Canada and throughout the world!

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

Leanne is the newest member of the G.R.O. Lesotho Team having just arrived from Canada where she is a student completing her undergraduate work in Development Studies at Queen’s University in Ontario. Again, welcome to Lesotho. Let’s start your G.R.O. Q&A.

Having just joined us how has your welcome been into the team?

The whole experience has been great. Everyone has been very welcoming, kind, and there is a real sense of spirit in the G.R.O. office. Overall, I would say the work environment has been really friendly.

The LEAP Career Fair was your first experience with assisting in an event in Lesotho - what were your impressions of the event?

I thought that the event was fantastic. I had the chance to see the local student really enjoying themselves and from speaking to them during the Career Fair they took a lot out of it. Already I have heard of many people calling for more Career Fairs which shows that it was good for the students. Also, I think they had a good introduction to G.R.O. and we saw that there is a need for such programming in the country.

How do you think the team worked together to handle the 2,500 attendees?

Well I saw all of the prep work that went it the day and I came in at the tail end but the event was well organized.  Everyone worked well together - great team work! We made it through the day without any major glitches and it ran cohesively for the most part. The Molapo high school volunteers were also especially great to work with in the main Tertiary tent.

You have been working through a tough assignment over the past few days - can you tell everyone a bit about what you have been doing?

I have been analyzing the surveys and reviewing the data associated with that.

The team sent out pre-event surveys to collect information from students and there were volunteers at the Career Fair dedicated to giving out surveys to teachers and presenters. This has produced a pile of paper work that I have had the joy of going through.

overall, the trend from the pre-event student surveys is that many students didn’t know what their opportunities were and have little access to resources within their own schools. In terms of the event surveys the teachers and presenters thought that the Career Fair was a valuable experience.We are just now waiting for the post-event surveys to come in so we can do some comparative analysis.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

This Friday, The G.R.O. Foundation will be hosting 26 Leribe district high schools and 20 tertiary institutions at the first-ever Career Fair.  The event will feature presenters from Lesotho colleges, schools, training institutes, and universities as well as Career Role models who will speak on behalf of their profession.

LEAP (Lesotho Educational Advancement Program) is an education initiative set to help graduating high school students bridge between high school and tertiary education.   The first of its kind here in Leribe district, the Career Fair concept quickly gained interest and momentum.  The Ministry of Education Leribe, in partnership with G.R.O., is featuring the Career Fair as part of its Education for All celebration.

Graduating high school students often lack the academic and personal support needed to make educated decisions about their futures, as well as the tools and resources to put future plans into action.  A significant hurdle in Leribe for students is the lack of career-centered programming focused on comprehensive education and career counseling.  The LEAP initiative sets to address these needs through four program areas:  monthly career seminars, a district career resource center, a career resource manual, and the career fair.

More to come as we build up to the big day on May 7!

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

The artisans visited a youth project in South Africa that produces unique and beautiful recycled glass beads.  This youth project, in a poor township of South Africa, provides youth in the community with not only skills and training but an opportunity to earn income.

The lampworked beads, made from used beer bottles and made one-by-one, present a beautiful shine and the kiln-fired recycled glass shows a earthy, matte finish.

Look forward to seeing these new beads in our 2010 eco-line to be launched March 1!

Posted under Letters from Lesotho

Students from the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work paid a visit to G.R.O. in Lesotho as part of their international class that focuses on the changing face of women and children due to the AIDS pandemic.

13 students and their coordinators Lisa and Penny met with Jason and myself to discuss G.R.O.’s workand our philosphy before visting each project.  They first visited with the Artisans and went on a bit of a spending spree which made the Artisans convinced that 2010 will be big, and afterwards, enjoyed some local fare at Unique Silverspoon cafe.

Jason gave them a town tour on their way to the Grannies Poultry project where the students turned volunteers as they dug irrigation trenches and helped the grannies clean out the coops.  Just as the irrigation trenches were being dug, a huge downpour showered us but did prove that the trenches will work!  After some watermelon and cookies, the students headed to Molapo high school where they saw what a local school looks like.  Too bad schools out of session for summer so they weren’t able to meet the G.R.O. scholars.  A fabulous day here in Hlotse and we were really pleased to host our visitors from Boston College! 

Posted under The Movement

Throughout this week, I am taking the GRO Scholars to the local internet café here in Leribe for internet training.  The café only has one computer with internet, which we reserved for four days so that the students could go after school in groups of four or five.

I was a bit surprised to learn that not one of the students had ever used the internet before. I set up email accounts for all of our scholars so that they could learn email basics this week.  Each of them get 30 minutes on the internet, during which they learn how to log-in to their accounts, compose and check email, type in web addresses, and use search engines.  Leading up to this internet training, I had completed basic computer training with the students using the Molapo High School computer lab and individual computer time on my laptop.  During these times, the students were taught how to type properly and use programs like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

One of our GRO Scholars, Marahaba, said how she was so grateful to have learned the internet and how wonderful of an experience it was for her.  The students took notes when they were not sitting at the computer (the other three observed while I would show one different features).  Afterwards, they were looking up prices at the internet café (which is fairly affordable for the students) so that they could come back on their own time.  I hope they do so often!

Sophie Kim
G.R.O. Volunteer

Posted under Letters from Lesotho, Uncategorized

My first week in Leribe as a G.R.O. Volunteer has flown by. I have been kept busy with meetings at Molapo High School and getting situated here in Leribe. Leribe is much quieter than Maseru (where I have spent the past two summers), but I find myself very happy here and well situated. I was so overjoyed to return to Lesotho that I was nearly crying when I arrived at the airport. I am incredibly thankful for the chance to come work here again.

During the next two months, I will mainly be working with the G.R.O. Family Scholarship Fund. It is exciting to dedicate myself to a project that I feel so strongly about. I have spent the past week learning as much as possible about the scholarship program and the school. I spent last weekend studying the scholarship recipients’ backgrounds and family situations. It was devastating to learn about what circumstances the scholars were living in. So many have lost parents and/or have families suffering from long stretches of unemployment (it is very difficult to find work in Leribe at this time). One of the students had an unemployed grandmother who had to resort to begging to take care of her and her 6 siblings. Some of the students have lost everyone in their family to HIV and are living completely on their own. All of this reminded me once again of the great importance of having the G.R.O. Scholarship available for these children who have gone through the unimaginable.

When I met the scholarship recipients at Molapo High School last Wednesday with Jean to kick off the new quarter, they each introduced themselves and told me what they dreamed of becoming in the future - engineers, doctors, lawyers… It is rewarding to be part of this important initiative that enables them to turn their aspirations into reality.

AIDS Club

I have been a special guest of the AIDS Club at Molapo High School during the past week. I asked to attend a couple of the meetings because I have previously conducted HIV education in Lesotho. The group meets every Tuesday and Thursday to discuss HIV – how it’s transmitted, ways of prevention, HIV news stories, etc. The club meets out in the field behind the school where the students stand in a circle to talk about what they know concerning the virus. I was impressed by their knowledge and that they were committed to discussing the topic for 2 hours every week. They asked me about details related to transmission that they otherwise may have been embarrassed to ask in front of their club advisor (who is one of their teachers). I was surprised that there was one question after another for an entire hour from the group. I was very frank in describing details concerning how exactly the disease is transmitted – most of them don’t know these important details concerning HIV as many of their educators are embarrassed to talk about it with them. I admit talking about some of these topics can be awkward at times - and there is plenty of giggling from the students (I did the same back when I was learning sex education in school). But it is absolutely crucial for them to know these things in order to protect themselves and others.

G.R.O. After School Program

I love being here with the students. Any feeling of homesickness I might have goes away when I am with them. It never fails to amaze me how resilient the human spirit is. You see it everyday here with these students. They are so sweet, kind, and open even after all they have gone through.

I have spent the past week with the G.R.O. Scholars to kick off a new after-school program. The students meet Monday – Thursday and the program is designed to provide more social and academic support. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons are made up of study hours for the students to work on homework and ask questions. Wednesdays are G.R.O. Leadership Club meetings which are for career guidance, confidence and leadership development, practical skill-building, and help with applications. The first week of the program went very well. The study hour periods helped students focus on their studies. The students also enjoyed their first club meeting, where we played icebreaker games and watched videos containing advice from successful Basotho on entering different career fields (e.g., medicine, accounting, data management, education).

I’m looking forward to continuing working with the students and helping them develop their interests and motivations.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

The temperature is dropping here in Leribe as we have peaked into the late days of Autumn. With the change of seasons The G.R.O. Foundation, along with all of our current projects on the ground, have closed out the summer months with strong results. As the newest volunteer member of the G.R.O. team I have recently arrived from Whistler, British Columbia, to assist in project and capacity development here in Leribe until the end of June. During my stay my main objectives are to enhance the current business model for the G.R.O. Artisans Collective to ensure continued stable growth through increased cooperation with the Lesotho government and to establish international ties to create market opportunities for the HIV positive mothers; to provide complimentary support to the Grannie’s Poultry Project in hopes of completing the construction on their first chicken coop with the addition of electrical wiring, heating, ventilation, pest deterrents, and a catchments system for rain water; as well as to assist in daily operations of the organization – such as maintaining this blog posting.
After arriving on 24 May I have been going nonstop to get up to speed on all of the current operations here and meet all of the community members that are involved and affected, directly and indirectly, by the support of our donors and volunteers. Already, I can say with confidence that there are real positive changes to individual daily lives happening in and around Leribe thanks to the assistance provided to G.R.O. for food, education, health care, and shelter. Two of the many introductions I have had that struck a chord with me were the G.R.O. Artisans’ ‘Me Mamabula, along her daughter Joyce, and Family Scholarship recipient Kopano Phokoe. When we first traveled just outside of Leribe to meet ‘Me Mamabula and her daughter Joyce at their one room home, where she currently designs and produces all of her jewellery I found a beautiful healthy three year old who, although a bit shy, was smiling interested to know who this new visitor was. As part of the Artisans Collective ‘Me Mamabula receives far greater than fair trade wages for her jewellery as well as business training that will allow her to become a leader within the Collective. On the second occasion I met Kopano at Molapo High School where despite having lost his entire family to HIV/AIDS and needing to travel for almost two hours to and from Leribe to attend school he maintains some of the highest marks in his class. Kopano receives funding through the Scholarship Crisis Fund to ensure his basic needs are met at home and that he can afford regular transportation to school. These are just two of the dozens of people I have already had the fortune and opportunity to meet in my short stay thus far. Both are examples of ways in which we are trying to give the people of Leribe a helping hand to realize their dreams and become leaders of their community.
This past Friday we celebrated National Worker’s Day with a large festival bringing together over a thousand people for traditional Northern Basotho music and local cuisine. The Artisans Collective was in attendance where ‘Me Mathabang and ‘Me Mamabula displayed and sold their fashion jewellery. This experience gave us the chance to experience the natural retail skills that ‘Me Mathabang possesses! The festival also gave all of the NGO newcomers a chance to experience some of the flare the locals have to offer. While the ex-pats received sunburns and basked in the warmth everyone else in attendance was wrapped in traditional Basotho blankets and seshoeshoe dresses to keep warm as they cheered and danced to the music. Thank you to all the members of the community, Lesotho Boston Health Alliance, and OHAfrica for coming out and supporting the Artisans Collective. Please check out the photos from the event.

Again, thank you for your support and sign up for our newsletter to keep infomrmed about project updates and ways to get involved in North America. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or for information on how you can assist the G.R.O. Foundation and its initiatives in Lesotho!

Salang Hantle!
(Stay Well!)

Jason Clark.
artisans@grofoundation.org

Posted under Notes from Lesotho, Uncategorized

Check out our Spring 2009 newsletter.  You can find it here.

Posted under The Vision

The schools are still on break for the summer holidays.  January starts the new academic year so it’s back-to-school season for everyone.  Pre-schoolers are trying on their very first backpack, elementary students struggle to fit into their older siblings old uniforms, junior highers nervously await their first day at a new school, and high schoolers begin to stress about their senior examinations.   Schools are supposed to begin their first term next Monday (January 19) but schools here never really start on time.  The first week is for paying school fees, finding old school books, being sent home for inappropriate uniforms or waiting for teachers to arrive from their own homes in the mountains.  The first week is always a bit chaotic but I am glad our students in The Family Scholarship Fund don’t need to worry about paying their school, book or examination fees.  In the disorganized first week of school, they can just sit back, relax and catch up with friends.  Though when classes finally begin, our students work hard.  They participate in career guidance sessions, LifeSkills classes, extra academic tutorials and many are participants in the Drama and HIV/AIDS clubs.

Thanks to all of your support last year, we are now able to add an additional five students to The Family Scholarship Fund.  We’ll be accepting the new students next week. G.R.O. goes to great care to select our students.  First, students are identified who demonstrate excellence in the classroom but would be unable to attend school due to financial hardships.  Students who have lost both parents (double orphans) in Lesotho are sponsored by the government whereas students who have lost one parent (single orphans) are considered for the scholarship.  Other students who are able to demonstrate significant hardship are also given consideration.  Once the teachers have identified students, the students submit a written application along with a letter from their chief verifying their home life situation.  Our academic advisors then conduct a home visit to meet family or relatives.  Their completed applications are submitted to the principal for approval before the selection committee officially nominates them for the scholarship.

I’ve been phoned by about 15 different people informing me that the Form C (Grade 10) Junior Certificate exam results were released this week in the national papers.  Everyone was very excited as four of our Scholarship students took the exam this year and we are very pleased that all four passed!  Thakisi, Kefuoe, Likano and Marahaba are now able to enter Form D this year.  Congratulations!

We are still awaiting the Form E (Grade 12) results which will be released at the end of this month.  Three of our students took this senior level exam – we are keeping our fingers crossed for Matseliso, Tsepo and Marosa!

Until next week, sala hantle (stay well) and thank you for your ongoing support.

Posted under Letters from Lesotho