August 7, 2012 - Snow in Lesotho

Today there is snow in Lesotho again…it’s VERY VERY COLD! The people in my village are not used to dealing with the snow; it happens rarely here. Mariha (winter) is playing its usual tricks on us…a few days of pleasant weather, allowing us to believe that Selemo (spring) is just around the corner…then boom! When I came to school this morning, I saw children walking in the cornfields with their uniforms and blankets tightly wrapped around their little bodies. Many of them were not wearing socks…a few were barefooted! How the Basotho are able to survive is amazing! Most of the young ones laughed and sang as they “shivered” their ways to their schools. Since I was the first teacher to arrive at Renekeng Primary School; I slipped into the warm little room where lunch was being prepared for the children; I wanted to see if I might thaw my toes a little bit. Three fires were going so that beans and papa could be cooked. The children will eat as soon as the food is ready and then go right back home to climb into their warm beds and blankets. It’s the only way to stay warm on days like today because most families cannot afford heaters in their huts. As the tiny ones entered the school grounds, they were ushered into the cooking room to warm themselves! It was good to see the cooks so concerned about them! Eventually, those who had managed to make it to school gathered in one classroom. That was wonderful because all the bodies made the room almost comfortable! Now we are all in our respective areas, waiting for the completion of the food preparation. As soon as we eat, we’ll all go home and climb into bed!!! I MUST find a new novel…maybe I’ll just work in my crossword puzzle book. My friend, Andrea, who works at a high school in Buthe Buthe, said she was called this morning and told that her school had been cancelled. We cannot do this at the government primary schools because the lunchtime meal we serve is often the only meal our students get! So, we’ll feed them and then head home…luckily, I shall have the warmth of my little gas heater today (so long as it doesn’t run out of gas!) The roof of my mokhoro is wonderful…it’s been keeping out all the rain and snow that ole Mariha has been throwing at us! However, the windows and door of my little place do NOT keep out the wind and the constant dust of this season; today’s snows should do a lot to lessen the dust in my house tomorrow! Ah, another day in wonderful Lesotho! Radio South Africa claims that this latest storm and cold spell will end on Thursday…but no one really believes that. We shall see what dear old Mother Nature has planned for us. My beloved Basotho continue to sing and smile through all of this; they are truly a blessed people!