Lesotho - Revitalized & Energized

In the right direction, just a little wobbly

 Children's Home
We are getting in the swing of capturing the kids weights each month & the matrons are definitely making efforts to augment the meals with more protein. It has been a struggle of frequent reminders for them to provide nutritious snacks & milk 3 times daily; these are just not common routines for the matrons nor for many Basotho families. Living in poverty with little food to spare creates a set of beliefs & behaviors around food that is not easily influenced or changed. Too often an acceptable meal is simply papa (thick corn meal "polenta") with a little milk. The major shift though has been providing appropriate amounts of formula to the infants & notifying us if the supply is low even if at the last minute. But the matrons see that we are committed to making sure there is sufficient money for food & they are now taking a more active & positive role in feeding the kids & participating in the weighing sessions. We celebrate each month as one or another of kids' weight increases & they creep slowly, slowly up the growth chart toward the low normal range.




We finally finished the menu plan & Rethabile & I collected the prices on all the food items so that I could then determine the monthly food costs for our budget & prepare a shopping list for Sr. Juliana.  The goal was to show Sr. Juliana that she could afford the food the nutritionists recommended.


Conservation Agriculture Farm & the Peace Corps Grant

During much of August I worked with Peace Corps Lesotho on the review process for a $5,000 USD grant started in July.  Mme Ntsopa, the grant coordinator helped to ensure that the application would be accepted by Peace Corps National in Washington D.C.  The terms of the grant required that St. Camillus would be responsible for 25% of the total amount ($1,250 USD) while Peace Corps/PEPFAR would contribute 75% ($3,750 USD).  After several weeks, the grant was approved & local currency (equivalent to $3,750 USD) was deposited into my Lesotho bank account from Peace Corps Washington. Sr. Juliana was so appreciative that we would be able to purchase the irrigation systems & the seedlings for the first crop.

We had plenty of sunny days so Ntate Thabang began work on the irrigation system for the 3,300 square meter Field 1 after community laborers came in to clear and prepare land. At the same time, Thabang had begun growing the 13,000  cabbage seedlings that we would purchase. He would be our seedling supplier as he has a large commercial greenhouse in a village nearby.

Friends of St. Camillus come with love & generosity
A major but very welcome diversion from the farm efforts was the arrival of the Colella Family from Washington State. Kim, Niko, Sam , and best friend Will. They had been planning the trip to Lesotho for a very long time & were going to spend one week visiting St. Camillus and staying with me at the Peace Corps House. Prior to coming they had led numerous fundraising efforts on behalf of St. Camillus, proceeds of these efforts were to be applied to: restocking the chicken coop, purchasing a road sign pointing to the farm, building a clothesline for the matrons, & most importantly creating a playground for the children on the Centre's grounds. In addition, they brought heaps & stacks of clothes, toys, & essentials for the children as well as special treats for Sr. Juliana, Rethabile, & me.

Because Sam & Will (16 & 17 years old) were musicians & performed with their band in Washington, we had arranged several concerts for them. Over the course of the week they played for the students of St. Patrick's Primary School, the Sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, the Bishop, & of course the children of St. Camillus. They had prepared numerous songs tailored to their varied audiences &  were incredibly well received at all the venues. Sam even picked up my ukulele & incorporated it into their songs.

Their visit was very touching as they spent all their free time with the kids; showing love, affection, & so much tenderness. They are truly a remarkable family.



Will Bentley & Sam, NIko, & Kim Colella



Clothesline provided by Colella fundraising

Clothesline provided by Colella fundraising


No comments: