the Kingdom in the Sky
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| FACTS ABOUT LESOTHO, the Kingdom in the Sky |
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| 1. Lesotho is one of only three countries in the world completely surrounded by a single country. Lesotho is within the boundaries of the Republic of South Africa. San Marino and Holy See (Vatican City) are the other two, both surrounded by Italy. | ||||||||||||||||
| 2. Lesotho has the highest low point of any country in the world. Don't get confused -- it does not have the highest high point. This just means Lesotho does not go very low, and your ears pop alot. | ||||||||||||||||
| 3. There are 2.1MM people who live in Lesotho, a country the size of Maryland. | ||||||||||||||||
| 4. With a +/- 40% unemployment rate, Lesotho has a migrant workforce that commutes to bordering South Africa. A majority of these workers are employed as domestic servants and in mines. | ||||||||||||||||
| 5. Lesotho is comprised of ten districts. The "highlands" include Qacha's Nek, Thaba-Tseka and Mokhotlong. The "lowlands" include Butha Buthe, Leribe, Berea, Maseru, Mafetang, Mohale's Hoek, and Quthing. Each district has a "camptown" where everyday business is performed and basic supplies often not available on the village level can be purchased. | ||||||||||||||||
| 6. Two very good books about Lesotho are: 1) Singing Away the Hunger; and 2) Survival of Two Worlds: Moshoeshoe (out of print but available through second-hand stores; walks through the history of Lesotho's greatest historical figure, King Moshoeshoe I). | ||||||||||||||||
| 7. Cell phones are all the rage. There are more cell phones than there are land lines in the country. Many people purchase car batteries from which they charge their phones and operate basic electrical products such as stereoes. | ||||||||||||||||
| FACTS ABOUT PC/LESOTHO |
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| 1. You will be given a Basotho name by you community-based-training. | ||||||||||||||||
| 2. You will be based out of Outward Bound in Leribe for your 10-week pre-service training. | ||||||||||||||||
| 3. Sesotho (the language) is hard. Your need for it will depend on your placement. | ||||||||||||||||
| 4. A new country director will be placed in Lesotho in July 2003. The office is currently in transition with many new staff members getting ready to arrive. | ||||||||||||||||
| 5. Check your medical status before coming here, beyond them giving you the go-ahead. This sounds silly given the attention Peace Corps pays to medical, but trainees have been sent home immediately upon getting off the plan for overlooked medical conditions (i.e. elevation limits, rugged terrain, etc.) | ||||||||||||||||
| 6. PCV/Ls are commonly victims of petty (albeit intimidating and scary) crime. It is rare that something "more serious" takes place. | ||||||||||||||||
| 7. There are approximately 100 volunteers serving in Lesotho at all times. | ||||||||||||||||
| 8. Volunteers arrive in two seperate groups per year. Education volunteers arrive in our summer (November). This group usually has around 20-25 volunteers and tends to be the younger contingent. Community Health and Community Economic Development volunteers arrive in our winter (June). This group of 30-40 tends to be more diverse. | ||||||||||||||||
| 9. At least four volunteers in country have previously served in other Peace Corps programs. | ||||||||||||||||
| 10. There are seven married couples currently in country. Four of these couples are in their 20's and 30's. | ||||||||||||||||
| 11. There are gay and bi-sexual volunteers serving in PC/L. | ||||||||||||||||
| 12. The PC/L volunteers range in age from 22-72. | ||||||||||||||||
| 13. Over 50% of the volunteers here live without electricity and/or running water. However, many with those conveniences live in a very high standard of living. EVERYONE'S PEACE CORPS EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT! | ||||||||||||||||
| PC/L IS AN UNIQUE PC PROGRAM BECAUSE... | ||||||||||||||||
| 1. It is a small country (although it can feel huge given te road system), allowing for regular all-volunteer meetings and impromptu social events. While isolation remains a compenent of most volunteer's experiences, few volunteers go long periods of time without seeing fellow PCVs. | ||||||||||||||||
| 2. Because of teh elevation, Lesotho does not have malaria. Our kidneys (or whatever organ anti-malaria drugs damage) are quite happy. | ||||||||||||||||
| 3. Bloemfontain and Pretories (cities with modern medical facilities) are easily accessible from Lesotho. This allows older volunteers and those with medical issues to serve here comparitively easily. | ||||||||||||||||
| 4. Peace Corps is not alone here. There are many international organizations in lesotho, all working to improve teh quality of life here. This expands PCVs opportunities toward grant funding, ideas, projects and ex-pat social circles. | ||||||||||||||||