4th of July from Lesotho

Happy 4th of July!! Yesterday afternoon Peace Corps ended our classes earlier and did a braii (bar b que) for us. We had meat ( a huge treat) and all the fixings.
A couple of weeks ago I tried to blog, but had internet cafe issues. I just finished week 4 (week 5 if you count staging) of CBT (community based training. Trainings been really structured, stressful at times, an overload of info....and really great. It will be 2 or 3 weeks until I find out what my placement will be, meet my country coubnterpart and then spend a few days at my site checking it out. Ill come back, hopefully pass the sesotho language proficiency exam and then be sworn in as a volunteer on August 6. Just one month from now.
In the meantime, all 23 of us continue to learn about a variety of subjects- permaculture, microbusiness, HIV/AIDS, differences in culture, diversity awareness... and of cours, Sesotho. Ke batla ho bua Sesotho ho mante. (I want to speak Sesotho well) Im keeping up,, but it seems like just barely. I admit to feeling rather old!
Last weekend, all of the trainees were split up and sent to visit current PCVs (peace corps volunteers) Along with 4 other trainees, I was able to see 2 different sites- one in a village (the volunteer works at a boarding school for disabled kids) and the other in a camptown. Both PCVs were extremely hospitable- besides answering lots of questions, it was a great break from the structured training.
Im going to talk a little bit about my program: C.H.E.D (communtiy health and economic development)
CHED is a relatively new program in Lesotho, and no in all PC countries. It used to be that there were separate tracts (ie health, education, agriculture etc...) and that was your primary focus. Here in Lesotho, 2 PC groups come in a year. 1 group of education volunteers (teachers) and 1 of CHED. Basically, Ched volunteers will be placed with an agency who has asked for help, but once you get to your site, besides working with that agency, you can do whatever you wont- after you spend time working to ascertain what the community needs. Teaching about HIV, small income generation, youth outreach, permaculture...whatever would really help. The key is that PC is here to capacity build. It must be sustainable. It's not for us to do- its for us to help and guide the community to do and take ownership in. Otherwise, once a volunteer leaves, the project collapses. Im interested/ excited/ nervous to see how that pans out at my site.
So far, Im quite impressed with PC as an organization. The person in charge of the CHED program is wonderful She's very involved in our trainings, in our site development, and has made sure that we know that she is available 24/7 if we have problems. I believe her. She rocks. Our country director is much the same way. Plus, he's a guitar player (from how he talks, a pretty good one I suspect) which makes him cool. Though he's making me miss my guitar a lot.
Enough for now. Although I will add that Im learning to (and surprisingly liking to) use as little water as possible to get clead, do dishes, cook, etc...
"Peace Corps has not only taught me to look at the glass as half full, but to look at it and think, hmm- I could bathe in that" PCV volunteer
I miss you all and wish you could be here to soo this beautiful country and meet some of my awesome fellow trainees. All is right with the world.
Sala Hantle!!
Merrill