volunteering Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Sonia Marsh

Peace Corps Trainees Finally Get One Day to Relax

December 6, 2015 by Sonia Marsh 8 Comments

Peace Corps Trainees finally get one day to relax, after a week of teaching 3-4 lessons a day, followed by learning Sesotho and practicing for our final language exam.

We have been observed and critiqued daily, and working hard to get all our lesson plans done according to the Lesotho structure.

Even though it’s a day of relaxation, we never get to sleep in. The bus leaves at 7:30 a.m., supposedly but by the time everyone is on board, it’s more like 8:30 a.m.

We’re visiting the Tsehlanyane National Park, in the northern part of Lesotho, where there’s a beautiful waterfall.

23 Peace Corps trainees are crammed into a bus, and I make sure I’m in the front, next to the window. Music is blaring from someone’s iPod, and everyone starts singing. It’s a long journey.

We stop at Shoprite to buy snacks, however, some of us were (mis)informed, that we were supposed to shop for the week; this would be our only chance. As usual, I take my grocery shopping seriously, as there’s hardly anything to buy except eggs, onions, cooking oil, laundry detergent, candy and beef bouillon cubes at my tiny “Macufe” village store. This Shoprite is amazing! It’s almost like a U.S. grocery store with mushrooms and green beans—yes I haven’t had mushrooms since October 4^th— and as I searched for butter, I only found butter spread, but at least that’s better than nothing.

Once we reach the National Park, which does have an entrance fee of 30 rand, (approximately $2.00,) we are in a giant picnic area with BBQs and a lawn; something else I haven’t seen in a while.

My Peace Corps trainee friends enjoying the afternoon

My training village landscape is more like a desert with sand blowing through the cracks under my door and windows.

I see Thomas, the only other “older” Peace Corps volunteer, I haven’t yet met, in our crowd. It’s always comforting to meet someone over 50, when you’re with young volunteers all the time. I decide to follow Thomas and a couple of other volunteers towards a beautiful water hole, where we can swim.

Thomas a fellow European/American PCV teacher in Lesotho

I stick my foot in the water and am so tempted to jump in, but decide that I’m in the mood for a glass of wine, and a bit of pampering at the 5 star Maliba lodge on top of the mountain. This is the lodge that I booked for myself for a mini-vacation. I was eager to see it. We hike up a steep hill, and by the time I reach the top, I’m all sweaty, and ready for my ice-cold glass of wine.

Thomas and I enjoying lunch and some wine.

I finally get to sit on a comfortable couch, instead of my white plastic chair at home, or the narrow bench at school. I’m in heaven, and I can finally relax, and think about how I’m going to take care of myself, and stay at this lodge as a special treat.

I look forward to relaxing with wifi, TV, a comfortable bed, electricity, and let’s not forget a nice shower and toilet. I won’t need my pee bucket, nor a bucket to bathe in. I might even get a massage. I deserve to pamper myself, and that’s what I’m going to do.

This is Where I Shall be Teaching and Living in Lesotho

November 25, 2015 by Sonia Marsh 16 Comments

I’m so excited to know where I shall be teaching and living for the next two years in Lesotho. Our Peace Corps training is almost over, and I’m tired of living out of my suitcase. Starting on December 17th, after our swearing in, I can move into my own rondavel.

Our training lasts ten weeks, and I’m ready for the next move. Fortunately Peace Corps arranged for a much needed break with “showers and lots of protein” (most of us lack meat and fish as we don’t have fridges to keep our food cold.)

We stayed at Mount Maluti hotel in Mohale’s Hoek, where we attended workshops with our Principals and ILs (Introductory Liaisons.) I left the hotel with my Principal, Sister Bernadette, and my new IL, and it took us eight hours by bus, to reach my new site.

As soon as I saw my new m’e’ (host mother) Mary, I felt at home. She is 62, and has the most beautiful smile. She walked me to my rondavel, next to her house. I stepped inside my new home with sunshine-colored walls, and Mary said, “I shall do everything for you. I am so happy and blessed to have you here.” The rondavel was furnished, with a glass cabinet full of plates, bowls and glasses that Mary said I could use. She gave me new pots to cook with, and brand new bedsheets. I noticed a TV set, and was confused as there is no electricity in my rondavel. Mary said she has solar panels on her roof, and when I move in on December 17^th, she would show me how to use the TV.

M’e’ Maria is letting me use her glass cabinet and TV

Mary is a widow, and a 2^nd grade teacher at my new school. She is retiring in December, and wants to help me learn Sesotho. “The children have prepared a day of dancing and songs for you all day tomorrow. Everyone is so excited to meet you,” Mary said.

The 6^th grade teacher couldn’t wait to meet me so she stopped by my rondavel, just as I was getting ready for bed, and said, “We are so excited to meet you. You have been sent by God, and we are so blessed.”

My new 6th grade teacher whom I shall be working with.

I feel like a celebrity here. Everyone’s excitement to meet me is not what I had expected, and I’m trying to learn about the Basotho culture which values relationships and “togetherness,” while many westerners like their “alone” time. Apparently the Basotho think that we’re depressed when we’re alone in our homes.

I slept well, and Mary’s rooster woke me up at 3:48 a.m. At 7:30 am, Mary and I walked to school. I greeted the village chief along the way. As soon as we reached the school, all the children came running down the hill to take a look at me, but were shy when I started asking them their names. High fives, seem to be the way to get them to come closer.

Mary took me to the staff room where I met the other teacher took photos of everyone. I’ve discovered that taking photos is one of the best ways to be on good terms with everyone. They love having their photo taken, plus I can place their names with their faces.

Mary drew flowers on the board, and my “Welcome ‘m’e Palesa” greeting. That’s my name in Sesotho, which means flower.

Sonia pointingto board — This is what my ‘m’e wrote to welcome me in the staff room

So the children danced and sang for me, and this is something the Basotho love to do. I hope to learn to flick my hips backwards, the way they do it.

OlderGirls in dancecostume — Another dance by the 6th graders

Reception closeupdance — Adorable Kindergarten children danced to welcome me as their new teacher

Watch them dance for me.

So now you can see the teachers and children that I look forward to working with starting in January 2016.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. More about how we are celebrating our Peace Corps Thanksgiving.

Cultural Differences Between Americans and the Basotho

November 16, 2015 by Sonia Marsh 7 Comments

With my new Principal, Sister Bernadette and teacher at a workshop in Mohale'sHoek,Lesotho — With my new Principal, Sister Bernadette and teacher at a workshop in Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho

There are major cultural differences between the Americans and the Basotho, and I shall share a few that our Sesotho language teachers gave as examples when comparing life in the U.S. and life and expectations in Lesotho.

Relationships come first in Lesotho.

The # 1 difference is that people always come first in Lesotho, which is why it is so important to greet everyone you meet. I make a point of saying, “Dumela ‘m’e, u phela joang?” (Hello, “mother” how are you?”) to every woman I meet along the dusty, dirt road towards school.

Time is Money in the U.S.

In America, “time is money,” and people are always in a hurry to get things done, and accomplish their goals. Money is more important than relationships, whereas in Lesotho, it’s all about taking time to greet everyone, including the kids you meet; asking them, “How are you? Did you sleep well? How did you wake up today?” followed by, “Be well,” and “Go in Peace.”

Why Dogs Are Not Considered Pets in Lesotho

Our language and cultural Basotho (people of Lesotho) teachers are outspoken, and one of them explained that the reason the Basotho don’t treat dogs as pets is because of what happened during apartheid. The Boers (South African of Dutch, German, or Huguenot descent, ) would only let the blacks sit in the truck bed, whereas they let their dogs sit in the front seat. She said, that people now understand that we (Americans) truly love our dogs and cats, and after explaining the reasoning behind the treatment of dogs, all of us Peace Corps Trainees, gained a new understanding of why dogs are not allowed in their houses as they are not considered pets in Lesotho.

Delivering babies

Here’s another cultural difference which I found interesting. When a woman delivers her baby, the husband finds out the sex of his child according to whether he gets 20 liters of water poured on top of him (a girl) or whether he gets beaten with a stick; (a boy.) Apparently fathers do not attend the delivery of the child, and if he’s sitting in his office, this is what his colleagues would do to alert him of the birth of his child.

Dress Code and Cleanliness is Very Important to the Basotho

Finally, the Basotho are very clean, and take great pride in dressing appropriately. Teachers always dress well, and are supposed to wear long skirts that hide their knees. I have not seen any women wear long pants, only skirts and dresses; however, young girls and women do wear jeans in the camp towns and Maseru, the capital.

The bo-‘m’e (mothers) seem to love to clean their houses and are busy sweeping, feeding the animals, doing laundry by hand, washing windows, and all of this using water which they have to transport from the community faucet by donkey, or by foot, if they are close enough. My ‘m’e gets her grandson, ten-years-old, to collect the water from town strapped to the donkey.

Gender Differences

There are many gender differences, such as the specific roles of men and women. Men are still the head of households, and are regarded as the authority figures in schools. Female teachers and even the Principal agree that the men eat and leave their plates for the women to clean.

Corporal Punishment in Schools

We had a rough time during our Peace Corps training workshops where we discussed the status of corporal punishment with our Principles and IL’s (Introductory Liaisons.) The 2010 government Bill states that it’s illegal for a teacher to beat a child, however we learned that this is common practice in schools today, and that there are very few repercussions. Many Principals and teachers state that this is the only thing that works with kids and that since their parents do it at home, they are used to this form of punishment.

Empowering Girls

It seems strange to hear about teachers agreeing to empowering young girls at the same time as they claim that women like to cook, clean and take care of their men, and that in their culture, the women often tell their friends to keep their mouths shut if they get abused by their husband.

I’m writing about what the Basotho have told me. These are not my personal opinions.

The Basotho love to sing and dance; even at a workshop

My Daily Life as a Peace Corps Trainee In Lesotho

November 11, 2015 by Sonia Marsh 14 Comments

100_3391 — In the computer repair shop with fellow Peace Corps trainee friend, DeeDee

Here are the latest updates on my daily life as a Peace Corps trainee.

Do you remember how upset I was about my laptop screen not working and my camera SD card having a virus? Well here’s the great news first.

I found a wonderful young tech guy named, Tobias, in our closest camp town to fix my laptop screen and remove the virus from my camera SD card.

Now the method he used might be considered a little “strange,” but it worked. He unscrewed the screen and showed me a wire that needed to be replaced. When I asked him if he could replace it, he said he didn’t have the part for my Lenovo laptop.

I refused to give up, so I told him about a YouTube video I found on how to fix a flickering screen. Tobias asked me to leave my laptop with him for an hour, and he’d try to fix it.

One hour later, I discovered a piece of folded paper at the bottom of my screen. The screen no longer flickered; it worked perfectly. No need for Best Buy’s $199/year service, when a piece of paper can do the trick.

See the paper to the right of the Lenovo sign

“How much do I owe you?” I asked.

He shrugged and said, “I don’t know, 50 rand.”

That’s about $3.50 for one hour of his time. I told him I would send all my Peace Corps friends to his store to get their computers fixed and to purchase solar panels.

Tobias then ran a virus scan and fixed my SD card for $2.00. Now I can take better quality photos with my Kodak camera again.

I bought a radio for $10.00 in town and my life since then has changed.

Not only can I get South African radio, but I found a French radio station which makes me feel close to my dad in Paris and my French relatives. I enjoy listening to the argumentative debates when the sun sets at 7 p.m., as this creates a lively atmosphere in my candle-lit room, during dinner.

Listening to South African radio is quite eye opening when you come from the U.S. You get a completely different perspective on the world. I hear topics that don’t appear in mainstream news in the U.S. For example, South Africa wants to start teaching Mandarin in schools as the Chinese invest more money than the U.S. and Europe in Africa.

There are two billion people who speak Mandarin; more than any other language in the world. Spanish is the second language, and English is the third most spoken language in the world. The South African radio interview mentioned how important it is for the next generation to speak Mandarin in South Africa. “It’s not colonization; it’s not compulsory.”

Finally, the last piece of wonderful news is that I now know the name of my 500-person village and Catholic school where I am going to be teaching English for the next two years. I visit my new site and school next week during our training. It’s a thatched-roof rondavel.

Come back and see my new home next week. So HAPPY, I get a shower for the first time in over a month, as we’re staying in a hotel for training on Friday-Monday.

My First Experience Teaching in a Small Village in Lesotho

October 23, 2015 by Sonia Marsh 9 Comments

sonia-kids — My first experience volunteering in a small village school

After two weeks of training in our village, with 36 other Peace Corps volunteers, we were finally given the opportunity to see what it’s really like to teach in a small village school.

We all boarded combis (taxis that can hold up to 15 people, all squished together,) and as fate would have it, ours was the oldest taxi, and it broke down on a hill towards Teyateyaneng or (TY for short) our camptown.

We had already paid the cab driver our 7 Maluti, and one of our volunteers wanted a refund.

“I don’t think you’ll get a refund. This is Africa, not the U.S.,” I said.

Stupidly, my backpack weighed about 25 pounds, and I didn’t realize we would have a big hike up the hill, as well as to my HVV (host’s volunteer village — a one-hour walk in the rural foothills and valleys surrounding our camptown: TY.)

Our host volunteers took us to a nice resort hotel the Blue Mountain Inn, in TY. If you visit me, this is a nice place to stay.

We had free Wifi and electricity, so we took advantage of this, and ordered a cold beer and lunch. I was so happy to eat a fresh salad with feta cheese; first one in 2 weeks. I love Basotho papa and morojo, and their fresh beets and pumpkin, but I craved a salad with balsamic vinegar and oil.

Hanna and I were met by Hillary, our host volunteer, and she took us to her house after lunch, and a quick tour of the supermarket in TY. I was so happy to see butter and cheddar cheese.

The three of us climbed into a 4+1 (taxi) to Hillary’s road, and little did I know, that we had a 5 km hike up and down hills, before we reached her well-built, cement-brick rectangular house, with a thatched roof.

Her ‘N’tate (host Father) is such a hard-working man, who retired from gold-mining in South Africa, and managed to save enough money to build a beautiful house. He does not have electricity, but raises chickens, and grows numerous crops. His wife bakes delicious fresh loaves, and sells the eggs to local villagers.

Children carrying desks to various outdoor classes

Hillary’s place was big enough for all 3 of us, and I slept on the floor. We had delicious home-made tortillas, pizza, and even watched a movie on her laptop.

The school we visited is a 30-minute hike from her house, and the children were so warm and friendly, calling us “Madam.”

The 7th grade children had exams, so the school schedule was modified. We taught outside, and the children are used to carrying their benches on their heads back and forth to class every day.

So far, I feel more confident that I shall be able to teach these beautiful, smiling children. I just need to learn my Sesotho, and that’s a challenge for me.

More to come when I have Internet access again.