We are very excited to bring you a Feature Q&A with an integral and inspirational figure in both the development and the future of The G.R.O. Foundation Lesotho. ‘Me Mapalesa Selialia is a founding member of the Grannies Poultry Association of Lisemeng II and an elected member of the G.R.O. Lesotho Executive Committee currently serving her second term as the Treasurer. We are very grateful to have ‘Me Mapalesa with us for this very special Q&A!

Why did you start the Grannies Poultry Project?

The project was started to raise chicks for sale, and the profits of which are reinvested into the project for the provision of social support to Beneficiaries.

How do the grannies help the community?

The Grannies help improve nutrition to vulnerable children, elderly and chronically ill. They also provide the home based care to chronically ill and for minor ailments:

• Supply food packages to the needy
• Treat minor aliments
• Sell fresh and tasty meat to the community at the affordable price.

Can you please explain what activities it takes to run the chicken coop each day?

• Check the chicks’ condition each time we enter the coop and record the findings when necessary. For example, check if the chicks are not ill.
• Clean the coop and change litters when the need arise.
• Clean troughs and give food and water to the chicks’ three times a day.

What does it mean to you yourself to be a strong part of G.R.O. Foundation?

It means that G.R.O. Foundation will never fail to support its projects; it will grow and spread to other districts or even countries. There are much of possibilities to achieve greater goals.

Why do you think it is important for people in Canada and the USA to support G.R.O. Foundation?

It is important so that G.R.O. Foundation will in turn continue to support, strengthen and empower social support systems under its care.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

Up to a few months ago Jean Margaritis was likely to be one of the first faces you would encounter upon entering the G.R.O. Lesotho office or contacting the organization in country.  As Co-founder and Programs Manager Jean has worked tirelessly to support project partners, staff, and families within Lesotho. Her work ethic is matched only by her compassion for those that surround her. Recently, Jean has returned to Minnesota to be with her family but has maintained close ties to G.R.O. Lesotho staff and continued to support the in country board of directors.

After having spent the better part of 6 years either living or directly engaged in Lesotho you have had to take a step back with your return to the United States. How do you stay connected to all of your friends and G.R.O. project partners on a daily basis?

When I first returned to North America in 2006 after spending two years in Lesotho with the US Peace Corps, it was very hard to stay connected to Lesotho.  Few people in Lesotho had access to internet, phone calls were incredibly expensive at over 30 cents a minute, and letters took ages to arrive.  Technology has advanced so much in the last four years that staying connected to the G.R.O. projects, friends, and partners is easier and quicker.  Our Lesotho team has access to email and internet daily, and I speak with the team regularly by Skype.   We get updates and photos regularly from Lesotho, through Q&As and from our team.  It’s very exciting because it helps us remain connected and focused on our priorities ahead, and definitely helps us stay productive as a team, even though we are thousands of miles away.

What do you miss the most about your average day in Lesotho?

To be honest, no day was the same which is probably what I loved about it the most.  Every day presented a new challenge, a new project idea, a new accomplishment.   I miss walking into the Artisan’s workshop, always noisy and alive with women’s laughter and baby cries.  I miss the morning team briefings with the staff, charting out our day, the camaraderie and team work. The afternoon meetings with the grannies where we spoke about chickens and business over tea and biscuits are unforgettable.  I definitely miss the amazing and powerful energy within G.R.O. Lesotho that is created when everyone is working for a collective vision.

What is your current G.R.O. role now and what are you hoping to accomplish over the coming months?

My current role with G.R.O. is still that of Director of Programs, but has shaped and morphed with the fact that I now live thousands of miles away.  This is very exciting for me, because it has allowed our Lesotho team to grow, change and adapt in positive ways to accomplish our shared vision under local leadership.  I work daily with Rethabile, the G.R.O. Lesotho Programs Manager, as she continues to implement our plans for growth and development and lead the growing team.   Our primary goals for the next few months are to scale-up the LEAP program with the distribution of 4,000 career resource books and opening of the Career Center for high school students.  The Artisans Collective will be attending the Morija Arts and Cultural festival in October, and then will work to expand their retail locations throughout South Africa with assistance from our new Peace Corps volunteer, Adam.   The Grannies are looking to scale-up production now that the winter months have passed, and will also be distributing first aid kits to the local high schools.

I am also working in North America to help the artisans establish retail outlet and an online store as well as to strengthen our USA networks and partners.  I will also be focused on grant-writing for G.R.O. Canada and G.R.O. Lesotho.  It is a very exciting time for G.R.O. and I would like to thank everyone for being part of it!

We spoke to Jean Margaritis from her home in Minnesota.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

The G.R.O. Foundation has again increased in size as we excitedly welcomed Adam Peel,  a US Peace Corps Volunteer, to the team. Adam has dedicated himself to a two year placement in Lesotho where he will be working closely with the Bo ‘Me of the G.R.O. Artisans Collective, as well as assisting G.R.O. Lesotho to continue to better achieve its goal of community poverty reduction.

To begin, Welcome to the team Adam - we are really excited to have you! Why don’t we start by telling all of our G.R.O. supporters a bit about yourself?

1) Sure,  I was raised in the great state of South Florida (yes it is its own state).  I  am an alumni of The Florida State University where I received a Bachelors as well as an Applied  Masters  Degree in Economics.  This is my first time travelling abroad , well I went to the Bahamas, but that doesn’t count.  I love to meet new people, try new things,  and see new places.

As far as my overall work with G.R.O. Lesotho I am helping to build the capacity of the organization.   More specifically I will be helping to assist ‘Me Motse’oa in making the Artisans a more profitable and stronger collective. I will also help in providing support where necessary to the LEAP program where my main role will be to act as a facilitator to ‘Ntate Katiso LEAP coordinator.

And as an incoming volunteer how were you received by the staff and project partners of G.R.O. Lesotho?

For my arrival, the G.R.O team held a braii for me this has been my  most exciting experience so far. It is very interesting to take part in a  celebration with a different culture.   The Basotho people love to dance and have lively celebrations.  It was a very welcoming experience.  They cooked traditional food including papa (a staple carb), chakalaka (a delicious spicy bean dish often expertly prepared by ‘Me Rethabile),  moroho (cold salted cabbage salad), and even mothoho (a warm heavy porridge that you add sugar to) - I wouldn’t recommend that one. We danced to the local music where I learned a new dance move whereby you pretend to chop yourself with your hand on your arm and leg.

You are walking into a foreign country and a different work environment but you do have a very supportive team - with this in mind what do you hope to accomplish in the first 6 months of your stay in Lesotho?

In the first six months as a volunteer I hope to make a positive impact with the G.R.O Artisans. I would like to help in facilitating a sales plan in which we will have a better approach to increasing sales in the region. I would also like to help in developing a system to accept credit card payments.  In the first six months I will also help Ntate Katsio in planning and implementing the distribution of the LEAP Career Guide books that the G.R.O team has made. In addition, I will be working on the LEAP Resource Centre here in Hlotse, Leribe. I will be cataloging books and helping to build a promising place to learn and receive information.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

The Lesotho winter has pushed us toward the heaters and taken the students out of school for winter break. This has given ‘Ntate Katiso ‘Mota some more time in the office as he continues to strengthen the Family Scholarship Fund and the LEAP (Lesotho Educational Advancement Program) education initiatives. We had a chance to sit down with him to discuss what has been a busy month.

After only a few short months you recently received a promotion - can you tell us about your new position?

The new position I have just accepted is the LEAP Program Coordinator. This position means taking over the general role and direction of LEAP and being responsible in developing the work plan and ensure that it is being implemented. The new job still contains my work with the Family Scholarship Fund (FSF) as they are interconnected and both deal with students. We still have the FSF Leadership Club that we use as a model for the LEAP workshops. So I have more of a chance to expand my working activities to more students throughout the whole district.

You and and I have worked closely since you first started with G.R.O. Lesotho - as you continue to manage the Family Scholarship Fund and take on the LEAP initiative what are some of the trainings you have been engaged in and what are you hoping to learn from them?

I have been engaging with a number of professional skills training sessions. These include how to effectively lead and properly attend a meeting - overall professional meeting skills. I have also been invovled in learning how to respond to important messages, e-mails, and letters.

Those are the trainings I have been working with and I am hoping to learn better ways of communicating and conducting myself in professional situations. This has become especially important as I am the face of the programs so it is important to ensure we appear professional and am able to work well with all the attendees.  Also, I am looking to expand my abilities to respond professionally to different situations with our project associates and colleagues. Now that the LEAP program deals specifically with a number of government departments and larger players throughout the Lesotho education sector these things are important.

What successes are you working towards and where do you hope to see the FSF and LEAP programs in the next few months?

Right now, I am working on a comprehensive work plan which will assist in implementing these programs. In the next few months, I want to see LEAP as the most well known and successful G.R.O. Lesotho program in terms of its coverage and impact on educational stakeholders throughout the country. With the FSF I would like to see it increase its benefit for the students. This mean fine tuning the FSF Leadership Club and being able to provide interactive sessions to teach the students more skills giving the students a chance to become better leaders. I want to see students leaving the program and their high school time with the chance for brighter futures. They can pass and go to tertiary.  So, that’s what I can say about the two programs in the months to come.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

With the busy schedule that ‘Me Rethabile Skundla, the G.R.O. Lesotho Programs Manager, keeps we are always grateful when she takes time out of the day to sit down for a Q&A chat. Today, it is especially cold so we are huddled near the gas heater for a Lesotho version of the fireside chat.

Already a month has passed since the LEAP Career Fair - What are some of the things you have been working on since that time?

I think mostly I have been working on the EU LGNSP grant which is one of the largest funders for the LEAP education initiative. This means I have been very busy! Some of what I’ve been working on include attending a workshop where I had to present our complete work plan at a 2-day workshop. There we presented the budget, time line, and activity schedule for the program.

What big changes are coming up for the organization?

There really is so much - I can begin with our new LEAP coordinator, ‘Ntate Katiso ‘Mota has stepped in with a promotion, we are getting closer to publishing the LEAP Career guidebook, and we hope to shortly open the LEAP Resource Centre for district stufents. Bo ‘Nkhono (the Grannies) have also joined ESAF which is a buying program that should give increased access to the retail market for selling their chickens. Also, the Artisans were able to send a gift to the Queen for her birthday which just happened. There really are so many exciting things with all of the programs so I’m sure I’m leaving a few out!

Finally, how do you feel with the World Cup starting next door in South Africa?

Wow - This is one of the days in Africa where everyone is so excited and we are all in the mood for football!  Still, work goes on but we’re in the mood for it to start - only a few hours now until Bafana takes the field. In Africa, rain means a blessing and it has been raining all day and night - this is special because it is winter so we are all feeling the good mood.

Who do you think will win in the opening game tonight between Bafana Bafana (South Africa) and Mexico?

South Africa, of course! 2-1 is what I think so I’m absolutely excited!

Well, that about wraps it up for today - Kea leboha (thank you) ‘Me and GO Bafana GO!

Posted under Notes from Lesotho, Uncategorized

G.R.O. Lesotho was lucky enough to have Megan Landes, G.R.O. Canada Chairperson, visit us here in Hlotse-Leribe and time her visit around the LEAP Career Fair. We have tracked her down for a cross-continent Q&A.

We were really excited to have you visit once again and the whole team misses you already! Having been to Lesotho numerous times what was your impression of the programs on your most recent trip? Is there anything that really stood out to you?

Well, I have to say that it was incredible to be back in Lesotho to see the work that GRO has done in the last 12 months. We have gone from having volunteers only to now having full-time employees - what a change. And we seem to be exponentially growing - an office, a beading store, a truck!! It is great to see what tangible change is happening on the ground - and in such a good way. The GRO Lesotho team seems to be energetic, motivated and passionate about what GRO stands for.

You were honoured as one of the dignitaries at the Career Fair - could you explain what that experience is like for everyone?
Yes, I was a “dignitary” as the Chair of the Board of GRO Canada. How exciting!
During the Career Fair we hosted over a dozen other dignitaries from the Ministry of Education and from the District Administrator. It was a key moment for GRO to get this kind of exposure to those in the government - Jamie White, the Director of GRO Canada and I spent quite a bit of time talking about what GRO is, what we do and how we do it. At the end of the day we had the attention and understanding and support of the dignitaries that were invited - a success I believe!

We have talked about this on numerous occasions but for everyone taking the time to read your Q&A could you say a few words about what you miss most about Lesotho when you head home?
It is always the people. It has been such a special thing to be involved with the Artisans and Grannies and students over the past few years. It is remarkable to be able to come back to Lesotho to see them grow, and prosper and succeed…and I wish them all well and hope to see them soon again.

Typically in a Q&A you only have to answer 3 questions but because we don’t get the chance to sit down often we are going to hit you with a 4th one. There have been big developments brewing for G.R.O. in Canada over the past few months - without giving anything away what can you tell everyone about what the summer has in store for G.R.O. Canada?
Yes, GRO Canada has been undergoing its own remarkable developments. We have applied for CRA registration status, have updated the website, strengthened our board, executive and community of volunteers on this end…and we will be holding a big GRO Canada Launch party come late summer/early fall…GRO Canada is growing along with our GRO Lesotho project partners!

Thank you for taking the time to answer your first G.R.O. Q&A. We were so happy to have you visit us and always look forward to your return to Lesotho!

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

Jean is well known to our supporting community as Co-founder of G.R.O. Lesotho and the outgoing Programs Manager. She is adamant about putting the focus at all times on individuals and projects here in Lesotho but we’ve tracked here down for her first G.R.O. Q&A.

The LEAP Career Fair is the largest event G.R.O. Lesotho has put on to date and potentially the largest Career Fair ever to be organized in Lesotho - how do you feel the event went?

I think the event was an overall success and it really demonstrated the G.R.O. philosphy of low cost high impact programming. We were able to provide 2,400 students with information and encouraged them to search outside of the careers and schools they may have been considering. All the feedback we received was positive and, more than anything, I was proud of how we presented a top of the line program to the students, high schools, tertiary schools, and the rest of the district.

In the days leading up to the event you mentioned a few times that you might have a mini-break down if things became seriously chaotic but I never saw you come close - were there many problems throughout the event and how do you think everyone dealt with them?

Logistically speaking, I think with any larger event there will be things you didn’t or couldn’t have planned for and, of course, we ran into a few barriers. However, I think the team was able to navigate the small challenges that came up and were able to easily accommodate the issues. Going into the event I wasn’t sure if we would have any serious challenges but no, I didn’t cry and spent most of the day thoroughly composed. Overall, I think we were all quite surprised how smoothly the whole thing went.

Over the past year the organization has seen tremendous growth and you have been at the centre to deal with the growing pains - where do you think G.R.O. Lesotho is in terms of potential and actualization at the moment?

You know, as a locally registered charity run by an exceptional team of basotho nationals with support from G.R.O. Canada and our current partners, including the Canada Fund, I think we have built a solid foundation of support.

In terms of potential, well, I think the potential for our Lesotho programming is mind boggling. Strong staff, strong partners, low cost - high impact programming, and an increasing recognition throughout the country - these are all great developments that are really the beginning of our vision. In terms of actualizing its potential I am completely confident that the team we have on the ground is able to recognize what the organization is capable of and use their tools and available resources to really follow through and continue to come up with ways forward in strengthening local communities.

I know that you had been dreading and avoiding this Q&A but thanks for taking the time to sit down and speak a little bit about the current G.R.O. Lesotho programming.

Posted under Notes from Lesotho

Career role models speak to students about their futures

Hlotse-Leribe, Lesotho – May 7th 2010 –  This past Friday over 25 Leribe high schools attended the first ever ’LEAP’ Career Fair, held in Leribe District.  The event, funded and organized by local non-profit organization ‘The G.R.O. Foundation Lesotho’, provided Leribe’s Form D and E students with career information and inspiration for their future academic pursuits.  Over 30 Lesotho based tertiary institutions, technical colleges and professional representatives were made available to discuss career options and academic opportunities with the students.  In addition, career and community role models presented 40 minute discussions to students highlighting the activities and benefits of specific careers. These included; police work, military service, nursing and medicine, health counseling, accounting, business and several other attainable career choices.

The G.R.O. Foundation Lesotho presented the event as part of the newly launched LEAP initiative (Lesotho Educational Advancement Program).  This program focuses on ‘bridging the gap’ between high school and tertiary education by providing students with information on academic and career resources available to them in the Kingdom of Lesotho.  Many Basotho students, although successful in completing their COSC exams, fail to move on to higher education due to lack of information or direction in planning their next steps.  Through the provision of academic leadership clubs, a career resource manual, and via district wide career fairs the LEAP program seeks to assist students in making the jump to further education.

The Leribe district career fair, held on May 7 2010, was the inaugural LEAP career fair event aimed at connecting students with academic institutes and Lesotho’s business leaders.  The event was hailed a success by all in attendance – with many calls for the event to be replicated in neighboring districts.  Teachers, students and presenting guests described the event as ‘well organized’, ‘rich in information’, and an ‘invaluable resource for students planning their futures’.

The G.R.O. Foundation Lesotho and its’ local partners would like to extend their sincere thanks to; the Lesotho Ministry of Education, the Lesotho Ministry of Youth, Gender and Sports, the Leribe office of the Ministry of Education, the Office of the Leribe District Administrator, the office of the Leribe Chiefdom, the Leribe District Council, the Lesotho National Security Service, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (Leribe District), Nedbank Lesotho, the Lesotho Agriculture College, Kick 4 Life, Sunrise Theatre Group, and all of the students, teachers, volunteers and presenters that made the event a success.

The event’s slogan was ‘A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step’ and it appears through the LEAP Career Fair, many Leribe based students have taken a step towards a more positive future.

Students from 26 Leribe district schools attended the Career Fair

GRO Artisan, Mamabula, speaks to eager students about being a jewelry designer

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

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