New Year, New Things

So it’s a new year, my second and last year in Lesotho, and a few changes have gone down. Read on for a snapshot of Grace in Lesotho in 2016.

School

So I get back from Chistmas 

Jeff Duck

 Cape Town, and general relaxation mode, and began school on a low point, in a general funk about my purpose (another branch of the whatthefuckamIdoing here tree). But the only place to go when you’re down is up, and I’m feeling re-energized and sharp. I’m working hard with my standard 7’s, many of whom were supposed to repeat grade 6 but sort of moved themselves up with their friends, as well as with a few particular strugglers after school pretty much every day. I’ve got a solid co-teaching relationship with the class 7 teacher too, and that makes all the difference.

Once ‘M’e Eugenia and I start up Grassroot Soccer (scroll back for an earlier post about it if you haven’t read it) again after Easter break, I’ll be way more fulfilled at school. I’d rather talk about correct condom usage and healthy relationships than the ins and outs of the present perfect tense ANY DAY.

School is also way less fun without Lebo

The thing about Peace Corps (and probably other similar short term programs) is that I’m very aware of the end date, and very much focused on pushing myself to work my hardest and get the most out of my time here, now more than ever. I can’t quite believe that I’ll be home this time next year.

Home

It’s finally started to rain more, which means there was enough moisture in my shitty loam soil to replant my garden, and for the Basotho to sow their fields. Hopefully we’ll all get to harvest before the frost comes in June.

Went on a walk after a thunderstorm one day

All the better to wash your basin with

I’m also back on the running/work-out train after a long rest period in a boot while recovering from tendonitis in my foot, and I’m now joined most mornings that I run by one of my friends who teaches at the high school.

Lesotho

As of this week, three more people in my group have left Peace Corps, and two have left country. My group is shrinking by the month, for various reasons, and it makes me feel weird and sad.

I’m in the process of preparing for a BRO camp with the venerable Mack Rotherham on March 18^th-20th: a three day camp with sessions on self-esteem, gender, HIV, healthy relationships and all that good info/training that boys here (everywhere?) are so in need of. Super pumped!

I’m ALSO in the beginning stages of planning a week-long GLOW camp (same, but for girls) with some cool cats to be held in early October, about a month before I scoot on out of Lesotho.

the peaches are here!

The World

As in, plans are in the works to see more of it. You never know what life will throw at you, but if all goes according to plan then I’ll get to visit Swaziland (for Bushfire music festival), Namibia (during winter break) and Ethiopia, Ghana and Spain (after I finish here and before I come back to the states).

Shine on, ya’ll. Khotso.