Well, after 2 months of Peace Corps training I'll officially be sworn in as a volunteer this Wednesday. Yesterday I passed my Sesotho language test with an Intermediate Medium score. It's amazing how much language you can learn when your immersed into it. Training has been challenging, but very educational and enlightening. I spent a few weeks total in Maseru at our training center and then lived in a village outside of Maseru during my Community Based Training for 5 weeks. During Community Based Training, I lived with a host family and studied the language, culture and had technical sessions about agriculture, nutrition and HIV/AIDS. It was a chance to get a taste of the culture, language, food, music and to bond with other trainees in my village.

I am nearly finished with training now and I'm very excited to start my volunteer service. For the next 2 years I'll be living in a remote village in the District of Thaba Tseka, in the heart of the mountains of Lesotho. I had the opportunity to spend 4 days there to settle in and to meet my counterparts and supervisors. Travel to Maseru is 8-10 hours depending on the transportation that's available. I have to travel on buses over several mountain passes (steep, gravel/rocky, bumpy roads) wedged in seats with people, packages, chickens etc.. My house is about a 20 minute walk up a ridge from the road and I'm lucky for that. My house is a stone rondavel with a grass thatched roof . I open my door to a stunning view of mountain peaks and the river valley below. Words can not describe how beautiful it is. Each night I get an amazing view of the sunset and alpenglow on the peaks which are covered with snow.


I will be teaching Agriculture, HIV education and some English at the schools and also be working with community members on gardening, seed saving and soil conservation projects. There are donga's (eroded ditches) all over the mountainsides from overgrazing and farming - I'll hopefully be working on some reclamation projects with the Ministry of Agriculture and to plant some trees. It will be challenging and work is much slower with so little resources.

I have no easy cell phone access (although I can pick up reception on one of the ridges near my home), no electricity, running water, phone lines, grocery stores, microwaves etc. But, It's the Peace Corps :). I'm really happy about my site and the potential work that I can do. I love living in the mountains and the community and village is beautiful. I'm the only white person within miles and miles and I really have to continue to work hard on learning Sesotho and expanding my language skills. Things are going to be very challenging over the next few years but I'm learning a ton and am excited to live and work in Lesotho for the next 2 years.

My next update will be in 3-4months. I'm on "lock-down" for my first 3 months of service and my closest internet access is hours away.


I hope the summer in America is beautiful and everyone has been getting out on the river, lakes and mountains to play. Spring is on the way here, but it's still really cold at night. My down jacket has been a good friend during training :). I will write again in a few months.

Salang Hantle,



Pam