 |
Lesotho has no headline-grabbing ethnic or racial conflicts—its population of more than two million people is more than 99% Basotho and 80% Christian. Rather, the country has crippling drought, rampant poverty and the fourth-highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the world, factors behind Lesotho’s crisis in childcare, education and leadership.
Thousands of orphaned Basotho children are forced to drop out of school to work and support their families, or may be unable to afford school uniforms or materials. Lesotho’s graduation rate is just 8%, a tragic figure that, without remediation, may mean an entire lost generation.
In an effort to restore hope, Project Help Lesotho was born. At Sister Alice’s urging, Herbert spent five weeks in Lesotho in August 2004, visiting schools and speaking to teachers, students and aid workers to find ways to keep Basotho children in school and to boost local economies, so schools could be kept opened and made more effective.
Returning to Canada, Herbert devoted her energies to developing and supporting “small, discrete and hands-on projects that people can relate to,” including:
Twinning—Six Ottawa-area schools have paired up with schools in Lesotho and provide enthusiastic pen pals for Basotho students and initiatives to keep them engaged with and enthusiastic about education.
“Adoption” projects—The Bruyere Mission Fund and individual donors provide shelter, food and clothing to Basotho orphans, allowing them to stay in school.
Micro-economic projects—Supporters provide groups with equipment and materials, like sewing machines and tractors, to start self-sustaining businesses.
Fundraising and donations—Volunteers collect and send textbooks and reading materials to help develop a literacy culture, and remit the proceeds from the sale of wall calendars that feature photos of Basotho children. Staff and students in the Faculty of Education are preparing10,000 textbooks for the College of Education, the Paray School of Nursing and the Leribe Technical School in Lesotho.
The idea for this story was suggested by Marilyn Rennick. To submit your idea, click on “Suggest a Story”.
