Week
1
And so I land
once again at Moshoeshoe Airport, gently strolling to the tiny airport from the
small South African airways plane with the sun shining and a soft breeze
welcoming me home! Two months has literally flown by and as soon as I am on the
main road heading to the city I settle into my seat and think about my new role
at the Lesotho College of Education (LCE).
My first visit on Friday 21st February (well, technically my second) saw me rushed off for a meeting with the Director of the National Curriculum Centre (NCDC), ushered speedily (surprisingly) by my new boss, Dr Khati, the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs. A provisional agreement was made immediately to provide training for LCE in March, which would make my job here so much more purposeful. The lead body on the New Primary School Curriculum providing training for the countries only teacher training institution in my presence and with my technical assistance…would be a great start.
I settled into
my new house on the weekend, a large two-storey house (not common) in the staff
village for the college. A huge space circa 1965, with a lovely view of huge gum
trees from the small balcony area, huge kitchen, hot water geyser, comfy double
bed and an almighty, overwhelming smell of damp!! Oh well, you can’t have it
all eh!!
Morning yoga,
short walk to the office at 8am, 1pm lunch at home and plentiful stares from
the student teachers, local school students, workmen and generally anyone
passing at all points!! I’m used to it now, as my freckly skin gets thicker and
thicker BUT working in an office on my own is not something I’ve experienced
before! Ironically that is going to be my biggest challenge, not the numerous
visits to immigration as my Volunteer permit identification was not on A4
paper!! It finally got sorted and I started to find my feet by Tuesday as I met
my “working party” of Faculty Dean’s and lecturers, wrote my plans, researched
my materials, rewrote my plans, shared my plans, rewrote them again AND finally
spent the morning trying to finalise training at NCDC…..I need to keep my
fingers crossed that the Director sticks to his word, even though he is about
to go on annual leave!
The end of the
week was devoted to a little road trip in a clunky truck to Quthing; hundreds
of donated books from the UK charity School
Aid needed to get 3 hours South of Maseru. Luckily all sweaty hands were on
deck and the seemingly endless boxes of books got onto a truck and got off a
truck, nearly in the right place. The hired truck spluttered and stopped just
at the top of the hill near our destination, the Education Office in Quthing, a
very helpful “bakkie” driver and the lovely team of Welsh teachers on the
Lesotho Teacher Placement Programme helped out. Rea leboha luna!!
An early start
on Friday the 28th February saw our link and placement schools
celebrate St. David’s Day – Basotho Style. Thousands of learners, beaming sun
and smiles, lots of Welsh and Basotho flags, singing and sweating on their Upper
Moyeni parade. We had an Eisteddfod afterward back at Moyeni Primary School
with all schools participating, singing dancing, reciting and acting in
English, Welsh and Sesotho. Seven weeks in and all learners and teachers seem very
happy and educated by our Welsh presence……..#allworthit
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