Action Ireland Trust Lesotho Blog.
Lesotho at Last!
After 9 months of planning, we have finally arrived at our destination.
On Sunday morning the 12th April, 45 intrepid TYs, 3 brave teachers, 8 generous parents and 14 dedicated adult volunteers assembled at Dublin airport on behalf of Action Ireland Trust to make the long journey to Lesotho.
With high spirits we set off on 2 separate flights, travelled through 3 different countries, in 13 separate vehicles, crossing 2 borders on our way to meet thousands of students in 5 hub schools, and on Wednesday morning we were warmly welcomed at an unforgettable opening ceremony.
All were moved, many to tears, and one of the 45, Sarah Louise Jones, offered to share her reflections on her experience so far.
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As we left the hotel grounds and went through the gates were met with a big smile and a cheerful wave from the hotel security. The mountains grew higher and higher the more we looked at them. One of them even looks like the head of a lion! I now understand why Lesotho is called “The Kingdom in the Sky.”.
We passed a golf course on the way to Lithabaneng school. On the golf course there was a huge tree that had fallen down completely and had all of its roots coming up from the ground. In the distance, we saw a notorious prison.
The drivers here are very crazy. There are people over-taking you at every turn, making up their own lanes, and there is lots and lots of beeping.
The town is so alive. We saw plenty of people walking to work. On the side of each street there are people selling fruit such as oranges, apples and bananas and other people are selling things such as grilled corn and crisps. Some people even walk through the roads selling goods. 
As we approached the school the learners ran alongside us, cheering loudly and waving. It was like we were famous. The people of Lesotho are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. When we parked up the van at Lithabeneng primary school, it was swarmed by the learners.
My heart melted as we were greeted by each person. They had such big smiles and they were so excited to see us. I’ve never felt so proud of the whole group and I’m even more proud to say that I’m a part of it.
I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip brings, so stay tuned for more updates from us.
Slán a chairde!
Celebrating 20 Years of Action Ireland Trust
Last night marked a truly special moment in our journey here in Lesotho. Looking resplendent in their formal black and white, our TYs had the incredible opportunity to attend a gala evening with the Archbishop of Maseru and Metropolitan of Lesotho, the Most Reverend Gerard Tlali Lerotholi and the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Lesotho, Ms. Mannete Malethole Ramaili to mark 20 years of impressive development work in the region. Also in attendance was Fran Whelan, CEO of Action Ireland Trust, members of the Board of Trustees, as well as representatives from each of the 5 hub schools.
Students sat down to dinner with these and other very important guests, many of whom have been working alongside the charity for 20 years.
To fill us in on all the highlights from the night, Erin Brink and Sara Beed have written about their experiences.
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Tonight we had the Archbishop with us for a meal at our hotel. We all wore our black tie outfits. Fran, the CEO of Action Ireland Trust, got up to speak about how the charity was started, and about our tough journey to get here.
After that, the Archbishop got up to speak. He thanked Action Ireland Trust for the help they have given to the people of Lesotho for many years. Our classmates Svara and Sean bravely stepped up and gave a speech in front of a lot of people. They spoke really well and captured how the students were feeling.
We then enjoyed our dinner and afterwards we performed the “Waka-Waka” and danced to “I Feel Better when I’m Dancing”. We then sang the national anthem, “Ireland’s Call”, “Killeagh” and “Stand By Me”. It was emotional and felt amazing. We then watched local girls perform an act, and all danced alongside them to their music. It was a fantastic night.
We are looking forward to seeing more of the landscape on our hikes in the coming days.
Mountains of Fun In Morija
After a hectic first week working in the hub schools, it was time for our group to have some leisure time and explore a little more of Lesotho. Luckily, the sun came out for the hike in Morija, where the TY’s set out to see the famous dinosaur footprint, before enjoying a traditional meal in the Morija Guesthouse. Resident golden labrador, Nola, greeted them with a waggy tail on the steps when they arrived back for their lunch. Finn Rooney agreed to share his experience of the challenging trek.
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On Saturday, we did a hike up to some dinosaur footprints. When we arrived at the guesthouse, we parked the vans, but not before one of the convoy had to be helped out of a ditch by the locals. It was Claire’s van, and all of her students had to stand around in the sun while the adults worked to free it.
The group was split in two and we were each given a tour guide. I was in group one with all of my friends. The terrain was very tough. We were walking over big rocks. Once we got there the guide showed us the dinosaur footprints. He told us how they were discovered after a large piece of the mountain collapsed and was turned on its side. They were a bit smaller than we expected and a little disappointing, but they were still cool to see, since they are estimated to be between 200 and 250 million years old.
After the hike, we went back down to the guesthouse to have some traditional food, which was really good. I didn’t expect to like it, but surprisingly I did. It was a really hot day, so when we got back to the hotel, we all got into the pool.
A Visit to the King – Thabo Basiou
Our group had an early start on Sunday morning, as they were welcomed back to the village of Lithabenang to worship with parishioners in the local church. Dressed in their Sunday best, the TYs listened attentively to the sermon following a reading from the gospel of Luke. The pastor spoke passionately about coping with adversity, recognising God in challenging times.
After the service, the convoy was on the road once again as they headed for Thabo Basiou, and their next hike. This time they were to climb to the top of the Mountain of the Night to visit the burial site of Lesotho’s Kings. The terrain was easier going than in Morjia but the climb seemed much steeper. It didn’t help when the rain came down, but our hard-working, resilient volunteers soldiered on.
Here’s what Finn Rooney thought of the day.
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On Sunday after Mass, we had another hike. Most of us were still tired from the first hike, so we were reluctant to go. It was really good in the end. The only bad thing was the weather. When we reached the top, there was a thunderstorm and we got soaked.
Our guide took us up this historical trail and stopped at points to explain about of the King’s of Lesotho and the story of the mountain. We learned that it was two Irish men in the 1800s who taught the Lesotho people how to make bricks, after they deserted from the British Army.
After the hike, we ate lunch in the restaurant in the cultural village. The food was amazing. When we got back to the hotel, we decorated our vans before the inspection the next morning.
Fun at The Kick4Life Soccer Academy
On Tuesday, after another busy day at their hub schools, the TYs had a quick turnaround at the hotel to get set for the highly anticipated soccer match against local teenagers attending the Kick4 Life Academy.
Drinks coolers refilled, jerseys in hand, the group headed out with great excitement.
The next morning, all were in agreement that it was the highlight of the trip so far. Fionn Nugent agreed to share his thoughts on the event.
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Tuesday kicked off with a football themed wake up call. Everyone went off to their schools to continue their lesson plans, where the learners made bookmarks, origami and friendship cards until lunchtime.
After lunch, some played football and rugby. Some special learners were given new eye glasses for the first time. One little girl even ran home to get her Mam for the occasion. It was very emotional.
The school day was cut short, so we could rush back to the hotel to get ready for some pretty intense football matches against the Fit4Life team.
There were 5 matches in total. PCS put in a good performance, but the team from Lesotho took the win in the end. They beat us 10 goals to 9.
At the dinner, we sat beside them and talked about school and what life was like in Lesotho. We stayed at Fit4Life until late. We went back out onto the pitch and danced. Before we left, we sang ‘Ireland’s Call’, and both teams sang their national anthems. It was pretty special. We didn’t want them to leave.
Planning for Change
Along with our TY volunteer group, Action Aid Ireland also have a team of town planners here on the ground in Lesotho. They have held a series of meetings and workshops with planners and junior planners from all over the region to explore sustainable development and improve living conditions for the whole population here.
As part of this important work, a small group of our students helped to facilitate workshops with grade 7 in the Leqele primary school today. The learners provided an incredible insight into daily life in Lesotho, as well as highlighting challenges they faced in relation to sustainable development.
Two students from Portmarnock Community School will represent the group at a high-level planning conference later in the week.
Emma Hayden from the TY planning team described the workshops for us.
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We got to the Lequele primary school at around 8.45am. When we got there we went to look around the school, at the new toilets and the reception class. The planners arrived at around 9:45am and then we made our way to 7th grade.
In each class, there were about 45 children. We started with an ice-breaker of 2 truths and a lie. The first task was for the learners to explain what they think town planning is, and draw a map from their house to school. Then we asked the students to highlight what they liked about their journey to and from school, and what they disliked. Their responses were very good. Then we had them come up with solutions on how they could change their dislikes.
After lunch we came together to a classroom with 2 of the Lesotho learners and the planners to create a powerpoint about the effects of climate change in Ireland versus its effects in Lesotho. It was a collaboration between all of us and will be presented at the planning conference on Friday.
Time to Say Goodbye
Friday was an emotional day for our group as they said farewell to the students in their hub schools.
The closing ceremony at Leqele primary school was attended by the Chief of the area, the Minister for Education and representatives from each of the five schools.
There were heartfelt speeches, poems and performances from the learners, and our TYs danced the Waka Waka for the last time in the rain. Sadly, the bad weather cut proceedings a little short and the ribbon was cut on the new toilet block earlier than planned.
There were lots of tears as the convoy pulled away for the last time, but all agreed that the memories made during our two weeks here will last a lifetime.
Emily McAllister shared her reflections on what it was like to leave the learners behind.
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We started our final day in Leqele, where a closing ceremony was held for us. The opening of the new bathrooms and nursery was celebrated. It was great to see all the hard work put in by the builders and students in AIT.
The learners were so excited and always had a smile on their face even through the rainy conditions.
Due to the bad weather the ceremony had to close early, but it was still great to dance and see all the learners perform.
We then went to the army barracks school at Makoanyane, where we sat in the nursery that was built by AIT last year. We watched another closing ceremony and the ribbon was cut on their new toilet block. It was so nice to hear all the teachers speak so positively about the impact that AIT has had on their lives over the years. The students there performed in the rain and we all joined in with them.
The rain began to clear up and we were able to go back to Leqele, where we said our final goodbyes to the students. Some students were given new shoes and clothes. It was great to see their reactions. Many learners were very upset to see us go and gave us loads of hugs and letters. It really was a lovely day because we got to see all the work that has been put in over the two weeks and the impact we had made on all the students.
Chasing Waterfalls
On Saturday morning, with suitcases repacked, the Action Ireland Trust party left Lesotho behind; bodies tired but hearts full. Back on the road again, in convoy, they made their way northward to Clarens, South Africa. Negotiating their way through the border crossings, like veterans this time, each vanload in its turn reminiscing on highlights from the hub schools.
They arrived back to a bustling Clarens, which was playing host to an arts festival, for a couple of days rest and recuperation, before embarking on the long journey back to Portmarnock, back to porridge and back to normal life.
Whilst there, the students were given time to explore the picturesque little town, enjoyed some souvenir shopping and checked out the local cafes and restaurants. Some did interval training, others played Paddle, most enjoyed pool time.
On Sunday morning, there were no crazy wake up calls, and the extra hour in bed felt like a long overdue luxury. All batteries were well and truly recharged as the group set out on their final hike, in search of the infamous waterfall at the end of the Clarens Educational Trail.
89 year old local guide, Rodney was a mind of information on the local flora and fauna, and spoke about the conservation work being done to preserve the pristine landscape of the region during the rest breaks.
There was some minor confusion about the route, so it took longer than usual to find the waterfall, but it was definitely worth the wait. Not one of the TYs wanted to miss the opportunity to take a dip. The cool water was just the refresher needed to complete the trek and finish on a high.