Wow!

Well, today was William’s first driving experience in Lesotho.  The good news is that he did well, and thankfully for us, he perfected the Lesotho driving by the end of the night when we really needed it.  Today was a very busy and productive day.

William's first Lesotho driving experience

The day started in Maseru, where we met with Ntate Thabong Lerata, whose jewelry we have been selling on our Etsy shop.  It was great meeting Ntate Lerata and learning his story.  He once worked in the mines in South Africa, but because of its closing, he had to return to Lesotho where there was no work.  In order to support his four children, he began making jewelry and other art to create an income.  He makes many items, from straw hats to painted plates to the beautiful earrings and necklaces.  We are thrilled that our support of him and his work will help his family attain stability and allow him to continue to provide for his children.

This afternoon provided one of the most fruitful meetings we’ve had as an organization.  We had a meeting with the Committee that oversees Leratong Community Center.  The Committee is comprised of 8 community members who have been with Leratong since its founding.  We were able to discuss our partnership, and learn about the recent successes and challenges.  One of the amazing parts of the meeting was the inclusion of Ntate Lesoli.  Ntate Lesoli was once served by Leratong, by means of a scholarships and sponsorship.  He was able to attend and finish school, and has recently graduated with honors in business information technology.  And now, Ntate Lesoli is going to build Leratong its first ever website.  Talk about empowerment!

As soon as our meeting was over, he had to jet over to the National University of Lesotho (NUL) to sign in to our live video Google+ feed.  But, when we got to the University, we learned that it’s internet wasn’t going to cut it.  So, we hopped into the car behind William’s brilliance, and sped back to the Guest House where we are staying.  We ran into the house and asked if we could sign into the internet.  With two minutes to spare, we entered our Google+ Hangout.  We apologize to anyone who was frustrated with our being late, but thanks for going with the flow, which is part of life here.

While we were having our Live feed, Team Lesotho was starting a meeting with NUL students.  Over this past week, Team Lesotho has been spreading the word about a meeting with Bloom Africa, and the chance to ask questions and give input.  And, just as we raced to our Google+ Hangout, we zoomed back to NUL and entered the lecture hall out of breath from running to the classroom.  We were ecstatic to see about 50 students waiting to learn more and get involved with Bloom Africa.  And we think the students were relieved to see that we actually exist. 

Addressing the students 

We quickly started with our presentation, and gave a brief background of ourselves and Bloom Africa.  We then discussed our current vision and focus on empowerment, rather than hand-outs.  We then received some wonderful, critical thinking questions about our work and their role in it.  It was so encouraging to see the student’s though process and willingness to speak up and encourage our work.  And as is common with Bloom Africa events held at NUL, Team Lesotho asked everyone to provide anonymous opinions and suggestions after the meeting.  One reaffirming comment read “I’m feeling so inspired with your organization because it empowers orphans, and that was my concern.”  If we can inspire others to inspire others, empowerment is possible.

Bloom Africa and NUL students

Tomorrow we have a pitso, or community meeting, at Leratong Community Center, the first for us.  We will be there with the village chief and other community members, discussing our role at Leratong and how we can be more effective.  The ongoing dialogue between us and our Basotho partners is providing invaluable communication we’d otherwise be without.  It’s truly wonderful to be here.

Ka Khotso,

William & Andrew