On Wednesday we got our site assignment, where we will be living for the next two years. We are scheduled to swear in on July 1st. We head out to site on July 2nd. I was assigned to Thaba Tseka which is high up in the mountains. It gets very cold during the winter and I will also get snow. I was assigned to the organization called Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace. My main boss is named Ntate Bowi, he is the Executive secretary, and he basically runs the whole organization. It is a network of Social Justice and advocacy in Lesotho. We also work closely with the Lesotho Bishop Conference which is a local government agency. My counterpart is ‘M’e Lerato, she is an advocacy officer. He jobs revolves around strengthen civil society, financial organizations, leadership, and local government authorities. They also make sure that the community has a voice heard within the council. They also run a local radio station that is in Thaba Tseka.
Now where would I fit in do you ask? My job will include many different things. I will be working in the local primary and High School on life skills, particularly Positive living, good nutrition, the dangers of re-infection, and adherence to ARVS. I will also be finding people within the community that are living with HIV/AIDS to come be role models for the younger youth, to show that HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence, as long as you are taking medication and eating healthy you can live a normal life. I will also be working with the local government to monitor what is going on, making sure things are running smoothly. I will also work with all the Community based organization to help them become more sustainable. Most people here in Lesotho think that sustainability is money and so they do not continue because they have no money, when in fact you can make a stable organization on very little money. I will be teaching them ways to be able to do that. I will also be running different camps such as Grass roots soccer, Glow camps, and Bro camps within my local community.
Currently we are Thaba Bosiu at the cultural center meeting our counterparts and supervisors and understanding our roles and what they expect from us. So far it looks like I will have lots of work for me to do. Which I am very happy about and I will be able to make my own schedule and work with all different kinds of youth within my community. On Tuesday I will head to Maseru to meet everyone at the head office, then on Wednesday I will be heading to Thaba Tseka to meet everyone else at my organization. I am living on the Catholic Compound. I will be living in a Rondavel, but I will have access to a shower and a toilet, which is a major bonus. Not sure if my house has electricity yet, but even so there is a hotel right in town with Wi-Fi and some good food that I can just use to charge my things. Although I found out that my house is not ready yet, so I will be staying at a sweet B&B and I won’t have to worry about food, which will be super nice. There is also a local gym that one of the current volunteers Evan has built, so I am very happy about that. I am also planning to start a dance club. One of my goals is to learn the cultural dances and perform during cultural day at some point while I am here.
Now where would I fit in do you ask? My job will include many different things. I will be working in the local primary and High School on life skills, particularly Positive living, good nutrition, the dangers of re-infection, and adherence to ARVS. I will also be finding people within the community that are living with HIV/AIDS to come be role models for the younger youth, to show that HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence, as long as you are taking medication and eating healthy you can live a normal life. I will also be working with the local government to monitor what is going on, making sure things are running smoothly. I will also work with all the Community based organization to help them become more sustainable. Most people here in Lesotho think that sustainability is money and so they do not continue because they have no money, when in fact you can make a stable organization on very little money. I will be teaching them ways to be able to do that. I will also be running different camps such as Grass roots soccer, Glow camps, and Bro camps within my local community.
Currently we are Thaba Bosiu at the cultural center meeting our counterparts and supervisors and understanding our roles and what they expect from us. So far it looks like I will have lots of work for me to do. Which I am very happy about and I will be able to make my own schedule and work with all different kinds of youth within my community. On Tuesday I will head to Maseru to meet everyone at the head office, then on Wednesday I will be heading to Thaba Tseka to meet everyone else at my organization. I am living on the Catholic Compound. I will be living in a Rondavel, but I will have access to a shower and a toilet, which is a major bonus. Not sure if my house has electricity yet, but even so there is a hotel right in town with Wi-Fi and some good food that I can just use to charge my things. Although I found out that my house is not ready yet, so I will be staying at a sweet B&B and I won’t have to worry about food, which will be super nice. There is also a local gym that one of the current volunteers Evan has built, so I am very happy about that. I am also planning to start a dance club. One of my goals is to learn the cultural dances and perform during cultural day at some point while I am here.