Back To Where The Heart Is

Six years ago I took a trip that influenced who I am today. I was fortunate to be one of 30 Wittenberg students to travel to Lesotho with Professor Rosenberg. The trip exposed me to another part of the world and to a country that I did not know existed before. Today, Lesotho feels like my second home.

It was easy to fall in love with Lesotho’s beauty and the friendly and welcome spirit of the Basotho (people of Lesotho.) The smiling faces of the children became a part of me. The work we did in orphanages, Habitat for Humanity locations, and an AIDS clinic opened my eyes.  Holding the hand of a young orphan infected with HIV gave me an understanding of the depth of the virus; of the immense effect it was having on the people of Lesotho. I saw the need- one in four Basotho are infected with HIV/AIDS and the result is over a 100,000 orphans in the small country- but I also felt the incredible potential of this beautiful country. The experience inspired a group of us to create BLOOM Africa.

Two weeks ago, after six long years away, I had the opportunity to return to Lesotho with my brother Andrew Steele. As we crossed the border during the darkness of the night into Lesotho, I rolled down my window and was immediately greeted by the distinct smell I remembered. Tears filled my eyes listening to the beautiful singing welcome of the school children.  I was overcome with goosebumps. I couldn’t believe I was finally back.

I can remember as a kid watching the Lion King and dreaming of a faraway place of Africa. This continent, that was once just a dream to visit, has now become a reality in my life. Now, I have visited twice, and we have a team of amazing volunteers around the world devoting their time to help with BLOOM Africa. In all, our return to the nation of Lesotho was surreal.

While there, I was continuously confronted with the phrase Kaofela rea tsoana....We Are All the Same. Through travel and meeting people from all different walks of life, the phrase encapsulated the truth I've learned. As humans we all share common hopes and dreams that binds us together. During our trip, we visited project sites, spoke with leaders in the community, shook the King’s hand, and met with local and international NGOs to learn and collaborate. There is great work still to done in Lesotho, but I am optimistic and re-energized that working with the Basotho and BLOOM Africa there is a brighter future ahead for the children of Lesotho.

“Maybe I’m a hopeless optimist.  Maybe I’m naïve.  Maybe I’m unrealistic.  Maybe my educational expertise isn’t sufficient to anticipate how much can and will go wrong.  Or maybe I just can’t bear the thought of failing the kids again.  It doesn’t matter.  I’m all in.  And for the long haul.”

-Dr. William Henk

Thank you for sharing in BLOOM Africa’s dream.


Peace,


William


This blog entry was written by William Thomas, BLOOM Africa Deputy Director.

Why Lesotho?

“The rolling Maulti Mountains seem to scrape the sky as they stretch for as far as the eye can see.  As my taxi approaches the border, the distant valleys and dongas paint a landscape like I’ve never seen before.  As I exit the taxi, the clean mountain air surrounds me.  There are herd boys watching their cattle or goats in the distance.  I can hear cowbells swinging from the necks of the animals ranging up steep mountainsides in the distance.  The sound of children playing echoes off the sandstone walls, and the smell of a fire burning outside a rondavel fill my nostrils.  As I take in a deep breath and close my eyes, I let it all sink in and realize…This is Lesotho.”

It all started in 2009, when I traveled to Lesotho with Wittenberg University of a service-learning trip.  As I entered the culturally rich kingdom, my life was forever changed.  Despite the natural beauty of Lesotho, it is the Basotho, or people from Lesotho, that make it such a wonderful place.  The hospitality shown from the Basotho was unlike any I’ve ever experienced.  It’s common to be invited to a home for tea or to simply talk, when you may not know the person at all.  If you are walking through a village, it’s not rare for children to come running to you and figh over who gets to hold your hand as you walk.  The Basotho believe in walking hand-in-hand with their brothers and sisters, and I intend to never let go.

The simplicity of life in Lesotho helps expose the true wealth in humanity: community and togetherness.  There is no word for ‘stranger’ in Sesotho, the language spoken in Lesotho.  Instead, everyone is seen as a Ntate (father), Mme (mother), Abuti (brother), or Ausi (sister.)  It is only through each other that it is possible to be who I am, and this concept of Basotho culture is something I wish to bring to my life in the United States.

There are certainly daunting issues facing Lesotho, and the world economic downturn has hurt the Basotho worse than most people.  So as BLOOM Africa joins hands with our Basotho brothers and sisters, we hope to work together to empower each other and learn from our shared mutuality.  There is much the Basotho can teach us about our humanity, and we hope to embrace it as we continue to walk together, hand-in-hand.

It’s important to recognize the differences in our cultures, appreciate them, but never to forget that kaofela rea tsoana, ‘we are all the same.’

Thank you for your support, and we ask that you walk with us as we continue our work in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.

Khotso,

Andrew