Lumela! Today was our chill, “choose our own adventure” day! Some of us, including me, chose to go to church in the morning, and it was absolutely beautiful! We walked to the church, waving to the kids and adults that we passed along the way, with some smiles from the kids we played with at the community center yesterday! Once we got to the church and sat down for the service, the choir, which consisted of a group of women and men that sat towards the front of the church, started singing. The acoustics of the building made the songs sound absolutely amazing, and I was so captivated by the songs even though we couldn’t understand a lot of what they were saying. Music is truly such a universal language, and today reinforced how much connection it can bring to everyone around. After lunch, 9 of us also went pony trekking, which was something that I hadn’t done since I was a little kid. It was super fun, although our ride was shorter than the morning crew’s due to weather and such, but it was absolutely beautiful nonetheless. Trace and I were the slow pokes of the group, but I loved how relaxing the ride was even with uneven terrain and my horse casually stopping for grass or water every few steps (LOL). The views were amazing, and it really helped me further appreciate what was around me :) I can’t wait to keep experiencing so much wonderful things in Lesotho!
- Shania S.
Today I was in a group that hiked a mountain in Ramabanta, Lesotho. We started at 10am, leaving the trading post and hiking down the hill. For about a mile, we followed a road until we reached the base of the mountain, where we walked through a couple of different villages on our way up. In each village, everyone was extremely friendly and saying hello. The kids would follow us for a bit before going back home, but some stayed with us the entire time and climbed the mountain with us.
One kid, who was 19, helped us climb and let us know which routes were easier, since a lot of them were extremely steep and rocky. He was extremely nice and helpful, but was asking us for money to help him pay for school. As much as we would have loved to help him out, we can’t contribute to the stereotypes of being the “white saviors” while we are actively volunteering to help better communities in Lesotho.
Nevertheless, the kids and our group made it to the top of the mountain, where we took photos and videos. In this moment everyone was extremely happy and excited. As we hiked up the mountain, there were no differences between us, just one shared goal. Which was to make it to the top. Everybody helped each other reach the summit, whether through words of encouragement or by giving a helping hand up big steps and slippery slopes. Overall, everyone from Witt, Knox, and the kids from nearby communities had a fantastic time and ultimately completed the climb.
-Jake F.