|
Thank you for your interest
in Malealea and the people who live here. We would like
to tell you a little bit about the history of sponsorship
in Malealea and current initiatives to help the community
with education.
Tourists have always expressed an interest in the welfare
of the local villagers, particularly children. Visits to
the local school have been a popular choice on the agenda
of activities at Malealea with tourists often finding the
school visit a highlight. Indeed, it is very moving to see
children having to cope in such different conditions to
those in more affluent countries. And, it is deeply appreciated
when tourists do feel moved to contribute towards education
and the upliftment of the community.
In the past, tourists gave money to the teachers in an
effort to help the school. Unfortunately such good intentions
often turned into temptations for the teachers, who themselves
have many needs. It was then decided that the money should
be channelled differently, and two separate funds were set
up, a school building fund, and a fund for sponsorship of
individual students.
- was very successful. As you will see when you visit
Makheteng Primary School, there are three very nice new
classrooms complete with desks, blackboards and murals.
Thanks to the generous donations made by tourists, children
now enjoy learning in a comfortable and stimulating environment.
We are also planning to build a new staff room for the
teachers’ use.
- was less successful. While
a number of individual students definitely benefited from
being sponsored, there were also many problems.
- The first was a set of problems related to equal opportunity.
All the children in the valley understandably want a chance
to be sponsored. However, the opportunity was usually only
available to children at the schools which tourists visited.
For this reason, many children left the schools they were
attending hoping that they too might be sponsored if they
could meet a willing tourist at another school. This meant
some students were walking for over two hours to attend
at the schools where tourists visited. Certain schools
became overcrowded while other schools lost not only the
children, but the government subsidies as well.
- Secondly, students who were lucky enough to receive
sponsorship often had difficulty because they become the
target of jealousy from families who weren’t able
to receive sponsorship. This created divisions and ill
will in the community.
- Thirdly, sponsorship was in some instances abused.
Sponsored students forged receipts in an effort to benefit
further financially, creating even greater problems and
distress in the community.
- And lastly, sponsorship created a dependency on tourists
not only for school fees, but for general needs. Children
and adults wrote to tourists pleading for assistance. Tourists
were seen as the only way out of financial difficulty,
a perception which does little to build independence and
self-respect in the community.
In addition to the problems above, there have also been
some general changes in the education system, such as the
introduction of free primary school education, which have
prompted us to re-evaluate and revise the sponsorship programme.
Because primary education is now free, we are concentrating
our efforts on secondary school education, and are directing
our resources towards developing education at the local
Malealea High School. We are doing this in several ways:
- Firstly, we have set up a .
Would-be sponsors are encouraged to make a contribution
into the Malealea Scholarship Fund. These funds are then
allocated to candidates whose selection is based on need,
desire, and academic accomplishment in that order of priority.
The selection process is transparent and fair, giving every
scholar in the Malealea valley an equal opportunity to
apply. Funds are properly audited and accounted for in
a transparent way, cutting out the risk that funds may
be abused.
- Secondly, the scholarship programme has been conceived
within a vocational training framework where the scholarship
forms part of an integrated work/study programme. Candidates
are engaged in a range of work related activities that
offer them an opportunity to develop vocational and academic
skills - while they in turn contribute to the school as
a way of acknowledging their scholarship. The work portion
of the program is varied to utilize the interest and talents
of the students giving them the widest range of experience.
Activities include working in school improvement projects,
agricultural projects, and community development projects.
Each student is required to work 200 hours per year. The
work experience is supervised and designed to reinforce
classroom learning. Each student has an exercise book in
which they record, in English, each work task they undertake.
After 20 hours of work this book is submitted to the staff
for inspection. All entries are in complete sentences with
correct spelling. If tasks involve mathematics, the calculations
will be included. Examples are the area of a wall painted,
the amount of materials used, or the time required to do
a job. In addition, special sessions are held to discuss
issues like HIV/AIDS, educational opportunities, and community
responsibility.
We believe that offering students an opportunity to earn
their own education is one manner in which they can be introduced
to talents of which they may have been unaware. It is the
aim of the program to provide the student with a positive
introduction to productivity and craftsmanship. At the conclusion
of each project the student should be able to tell friends
and family, “I did that”. At the end of the
program the student should say, “I can do that”.
- And finally, we are also supporting the development
of the high School itself. Through a partnership with two
British schools, the school is being electrified, computers
are being introduced, and a comprehensive library established.
Our aim is to develop the resources at the school, as well
as the opportunity of accessing those resources though
scholarships.
It costs R1000 to send a child to school for one year.
If you are able to make any kind of contribution to this
programme, please contact Mick or Di Jones who will be able
to give you the details for the Scholarship Fund Account.
With thanks
Gillian Attwood
(Chairperson of the Malealea Development Trust)
I have now shipped nearly 1000 books to Di headed for
Malealea. I have more than 1000 waiting to be picked up,
sorted, catalogued and shipped. Poor Mary Ann! She is going
to be very busy when they arrive. I hope she starts training
local people in library skills.
It turns out that this idea of donating books to support
literacy in Africa is very popular here. I meet with nothing
but support for this project. It is a good vehicle to do
some education about Africa at the same time. It may be
hard to believe on your end because you have only received
one box, but at some not too distant point in the future,
Malealea Valley is going to have all the books it needs
for the time being.
I would like to continue this project, expanding to other
communities in Lesotho and Africa. I have already been sending
books to a school in Zambia for Aids orphans. My real dream
is to establish sister schools because I think so much more
can happen to benefit both sides in the long run. But I
think the libraries are a good first step and a more organic
way to begin a cross-cultural relationship between communities.
I need help on your side of the equation identifying communities
or schools that have in place the necessary ingredients
to make a library successful. In my mind, the major ingredients
are 1) room in a clean dry space to store the books, 2)
educated personnel who are capable of .setting up and operating
a library or willing to be trained, 3) a reader population
with enough english to be motivated to read the books. Do
you see other necessary ingredients which we should use
as a criteria for selection?
Gillian, I know your area of expertise is community development
and you have solid experience as well, so I am hopeful you
will be able to help me with this. It seems to me that if
I can partner with an existing established organization
(perhaps like the Peace Corps), this might go a long ways
towards creating the libraries. I would very much appreciate
your thinking on this subject. I'm under the impression
that Malealea is much further along than most communities
in Lesotho in terms of community development. Are there
others that you feel are in a position to benefit from books?
Are there other organizations besides the Peace Corps that
I should consider partnering with? What can you advise me
in terms of direction?
When Mary Ann has had some more experience setting up your
libraries, I am hopeful she will share what she has learned,
so we can incorporate her experience and shorten the learning
curve for future communities. She is creating a model for
other communities. Maybe she would even be willing to train
teachers in other communities how to set up and run a library?
I'm just thinking out loud and maybe planting a seed at
this point.
In February, I am planning to pull together a group of people
to create more support structure to what I am doing and
hopefully develop financing strategies. By then, I hope
to have identified and contacted an organization already
operating in Africa that I could work with.
Back to Malealea and the Sister School idea. Where is the
Royston School that you mentioned Malealea High School is
already partnered with? What is the nature of their current
relationship? Do you have contact information so that I
might communicate with someone at Royston? I'd love to learn
what they have found out. Have you had any teachers indicate
an interest in partnering with an American school? I have
two elementary schools ready to go.
Where do you have to go to get these emails? Do you have
access to a printer?
Hope you are all well.
Chris
with regards to royston high school, the nature of their
relationship with malealea high school is also one where
they assist the school with fundrasing efforts to improve
the high school. for example, thy have raised funds for
a windturbine which generates electricty for the school.
they also support the school in other ways such as buying
trees and planting them with the malealea high school students
at the school. for them, they also benefit from the programme
as a cultural exchange programme whereby they come out with
about 16-20 students to malealea once a year and spend a
week or so engaged in projects with the malealea school
students. they have done much to improve the school and
lend hope to the idea of really making it a better educational
instituion. the contact person for this project is a man
by the name of ken dunn. his email address is k2dunn@tinyworld.co.uk
or KD@city.sheffield.sch.uk
i am sure he would be very glad to correspond with you and
would be delighted to hear of your interest in their partnership
with malealea high school.
Date: 23-January-2005 To: Malealea Development Trust
From: Mary Ann Eisemann RE: Malealea High School Library
The High School Library is coming along nicely. Students
are showing interest and a few community members as well
shown interest and have made use of the library. There is
still much work to be done before we officially open which
I anticipate will be in early March. In this report I would
like to express what we have accomplished, what we are doing
presently, and what we hope to accomplish in the following
18 months.
- What we have accomplished…
- Re-decorated an unused classroom to be used for the
library.
- With the help of Reginah, a student working off school
fees, sorted, catalogued, labeled, and carded 442 books
that were already here.
- Contacted book donor organizations and individuals
requesting donations of books.
- Visited and consulted with librarians at St. Thomas
School, Mafeteng Public Library, and Lesotho National
Library Services in Maseru.
- Obtained information from LNLS regarding a school
library training workshop which would be useful for my
counterpart.
- Visited the four primary schools in Malealea to determine
need for and nature of library services at these schools.
- Received 854 books from school libraries and individuals
from the United States; of these 94 have been processed.
- What we are doing presently…
- Continuing to catalog and process the books.
- Book shelves are being built and all shelving should
be completed by the end of February.
- Developing title list of local books and books in
the Sesotho language.
- Assessing library needs regarding furniture and book
processing supplies. Presently we are using recycled catalog
cards and making book pockets and cards out of whatever
paper we can latch on to.
- What we hope to accomplish in the next 18 months…
- Catalogue and process approximately 2000 more books
that are on their way from individuals in the United States
and the books that are purchased locally.
- Issue library cards to students and interested members
of the community.
- Develop and teach an appropriate course in library
usage and etiquette to high school students and interested
members of the community.
- Train counterpart and interested work-study students
how to process books, circulation, and general library
procedures.
- Initiate a Teen to Tot program in conjunction with
the local pre-school.
- Establish branch libraries at the four local primary
schools.
- Build and decorate books storage boxes.
- Develop system of circulating and maintaining primary
collections.
- Plan monthly visits to schools to encourage reading
and literacy.
- As there seems to be an interest in poetry amongst
students and youth of the area, I would like to form a
poetry writing circle. In conjunction with this I would
like to collect life stories of individuals written in
Sesotho and translated into English thus improving their
English and my Sesotho.
- Send Basotho counterpart for High School library skills
training offered by Lesotho National Library Services
in Maseru.
- Establish an international letter-writing club encouraging
a group of students to correspond monthly with peers in
UK and USA.
- It is our projection that over the next 18 months we
will need the following materials and supplies. These will
be one-time expenditures.
- Library supplies to catalog, process, and circulate
approximately 3000 volumes.
- Library furniture
- 4 student tables
- 16 student chairs
- Teacher desk and chair
- Work table with 2 chairs
- Card catalog table Group study table
- Building materials for storage cabinet and shelving
to be built by work-study students under supervision
of staff.
- Materials to build and decorate book storage boxes
for the primary schools.
- Means to transport books from MHS to primary schools.
(via donkey!!)
- Funds to purchase local and Sesotho language books.
- Per diem bus fare and lunch for Basotho counterpart’s
formal training.
I estimate the total cost of establishing a sustainable
library system consisting of a main library at Malealea
High School and four primary school branches by July of
2006 to be approximately 15,000 Rand.
Date: 21-January-2005 To: Malealea Development Trust
From: Phil Eisemann RE: Malealea High School Projects
On Monday the 2005 school term will open at the Malealea
High School. We are excited about the new term both for
things accomplished and things planned. In this memo I will
address four projects of particular interest: the work/study
scholarship program, general improvements to the facility,
the wind/solar electrical system and the May visit of students
and staff from the Royston School.
Twenty students will enter Form A supported by the
Royston School and other donors. Students, nominated by
the headmistresses of the primary schools, sat for an examination
on January 6, 2005. A committee including the headmaster
of Malealea High School selected from the 29 who sat the
examination. The selection was based on need, desire, and
academic accomplishment in that order of priority. Students
awarded scholarships are required to perform services for
the school and community in exchange for education. Each
student is required to work 200 hours per year. The school
fees are 1000 Moluti per annum, students are receiving the
minimum wage of 5 Moluti per hour. This work is designed
to be an important part of the learning experience and is
divided into three segments: housekeeping, integrated learning,
and work experience.
Housekeeping and general maintenance of the facility
have been sadly lacking. Each student will provide 40 hours
per year of general maintenance services. One student will
be assigned to each of the classrooms and the library for
a period on one week every fifth week. They will be responsible
to daily sweep and mop the floor, wash the chalk board,
clean the windows, and remove the trash. The work will be
inspected by a member of the staff and when satisfactory
will be signed off as one hour. A fifth student will be
responsible for cleaning the grounds around the school buildings.
It is hoped that student responsibility will spread and
better care will be taken with the facilities.
The integrated learning
portion of the program will use the work experience to reinforce
classroom lessons. Each student will have an exercise book
in which they will record, in English, each task. After
20 hours of work this book will be submitted to the staff
for inspection. All entries will be in complete sentences
with correct spelling. When tasks involve mathematics the
calculations will be included. Examples are the area of
a floor or wall painted or cleaned, the amount of materials
used, or the time required to do a job. In addition, special
sessions will be held to discuss issues like HIV/AIDS, educational
opportunities, and community responsibility.
The work portion of the program will be varied to utilize
the interest and talents of the students giving them the
widest range of experience. Work around the school will
include; plastering and painting the classroom building,
working on the electrical system, work in the gardens, work
in the library, maintenance of school grounds, and general
facility improvements. Community projects include; repairs
and maintenance of primary school facilities, work in the
local clinic, donga reclamation, work in daycare centers,
community film nights, environmental improvements, and primary
tutoring. The possibilities are endless. Work will be done
after school, on Saturdays, and on school holidays. During
the summer break before the 2005 term three students worked
to cover school fees. Both the attitude and work was excellent.
We are optimistic about this program.
Working with the three students covering school
fees major improvements were made to the facility. An unused
room was redecorated into a library. Half of the bookshelves
were built and we expect to finish the rest within a month.
A second room, in atrocious condition, was reconditioned
and is now a usable classroom. Someone in the past decided
to weld windows shut rather than repair them. All of the
windows across the back of one building were unusable; one
room was completely sealed. Windows were cut open and the
necessary repairs made. All broken and cracked glass was
replaced. Eleven desks were constructed from a stack of
damaged desks in one of the unused rooms. These are now
being used in the Form A classroom. The roofs of both classroom
buildings were rusting. The rust was removed with wire brushes
and paint applied. In four of the five rooms the tile floors
were so badly damaged as to be beyond repair. There were
large holes in the concrete under the tile. In these rooms
the tile was removed, the floor patched and painted. Since
construction paint was never applied to the exposed ends
of the roof trusses. They were in the early stages of deterioration,
all were painted and sealed. The spouting was removed, painted,
and rehung. Students are painting a mural on the gable end
of one building and murals are planned for the front and
gable ends of the other buildings. There is a marked difference
in the appearance of the facilities. It is hoped these improvements
will raise the status of the school in the eyes of the community
and the students.
Under the current plan by July of 2006 the facility should
be in a state where only routine maintenance will be required.
The following improvements are planned working with the
work/study scholarship students in that time frame.
- Plaster and paint deteriorating exterior of older classroom
building. Materials required: concrete, sand, 60 liters
exterior acrylic paint. Cost- M 1178
- Patch and seal concrete deck in front of classroom
buildings. Materials required: concrete, sand, silicon
sealer. Cost- M 683
- Repair, strip, and wax two remaining tile floors. Materials
required: 12 tiles, mastic cement, 3 liters of wax stripper,
10 liters of floor wax. Cost- M 397
- Paint exterior of Hall building. Materials required:
40 liters of exterior acrylic paint, 5 liters of high gloss
red paint (window frames), 40 liters roof paint. Cost-
M 2598
- Paint interior of Hall building: Materials required:
60 liters acrylic paint Cost- M1764
- Second coat painted floors. Materials required: 35
liters high gloss floor paint. Cost- M1497
- Install soft ceiling in 3 classrooms. Materials required:
175 square meters of jute sacking, 440 meters 4mm steel
wire, 1 ½ k 6cm tacks. Cost- M 3794
- Build new watchman’s house and front gate structure
(currently the night watchman is using the powerhouse.
This is unsafe and totally unsatisfactory) Cost- M 2517
- Begin construction of library and Media Center. Cost-
M 5444
A careful study has been made of the system and after consideration
and consultation it has been decided that all of the distribution
wiring must be replaced. Parts can be salvaged but the wiring
was so poorly executed it is causing damage to the system.
Indeed, the inverter stopped working and is currently in
Johannesburg for repairs. A possible cause of the damage
was a nearby lightening strike. The towers for the solar
panels have been set and the panels will be installed in
the first week of February 2005. These will not be connected
to the batteries until the inverter is returned. The wind
turbine is working well and currently is keeping up the
charge in the batteries. Although in theory the system should
generate 4KWH per day it is almost impossible to predict
how this will serve when utilized by a system. Therefore,
it is important that the distribution system be installed
in phases and each phase carefully tested. As the system
shows itself capable of supplying each phase an additional
phase will be added. During the month of February 2005 we
plan to set poles and extend wiring to the school office
and the water pump. When we are assured the solar panels
and wind turbine can meet this load we will wire the classrooms
and the laboratory. The final phase will be the eight staff
houses. Below is a list of required materials.
(All prices quoted by ElektroVroomen of Bloemfontein
in South African Rand)
425m 10 1/p AIRDAC SNE 8487.00
3-RBCON03 Ready Board “C” 2x2oacb 353.00
per 1059.00
18-Cable Hanger for 25 mm Bundle 31.25 per 641.25
8- RBCON 03 Ready Board with 1/p KWH meter 662.27 per
5298.16
8- Interior wiring packages for homes 324.63 per 2597.04
1-Wiring package for Office 462.34 per 462.34
Total 18,544.79
In May of this year the 30 students
and three staff from the Royston School in the UK are planning
to visit for one week. We have already begun to plan and
anticipate both a productive and enjoyable experience. The
Royston students will be divided into three groups each
supervised by a member of their staff. To each of these
groups will be added 7 students from the Malealea High School
and a member of our staff. We are planning three work projects:
building gardens in a local community, painting and repairs
at Malealea Primary School, facility and donga work at the
Malealea High School. A tight is proposed. Under this schedule
the groups will work four hours in the morning, possibly
from 08:00 to 12:00. An hour will be allotted for lunch.
After lunch an afternoon fun activity will be planned. These
will include a games day (football, volleyball, Sesotho
games, any games the Royston people bring along), an afternoon
of entertainment (singing, skits, other endeavors), explore
the villages (students will break into groups and explore
the local areas), a combie ride to Ha Sisso for a visit
with the Chief (you have not lived until you have ridden
in a combie). On the middle day of the visit there will
be no work so the Royston Students and their teachers can
visit the places of interest here in the Malealea Valley.
Some possible choices are the Botsoala Falls, the Bushman
paintings, or the Litsokeleng Gorge.
Of course, all of these plans are at a very embryonic
stage. We would welcome any suggestions from members of
the Board or students and staff making the trip from Royston.
We will try to assure maximum intermingling with the students
and staff of the Malealea High School and as much of the
“African Experience as we can give in the set period.
Date: 12-April-2005 To: Malealea Development Trust
From: Phil Eisemann RE: w ork/Study Scholarships and
Integrated Learning
As the Malealea Development Trust plans to award 21 three
year work/study scholarships beginning with the 2005 school
year it is appropriate that planning be done. This memo
presents a rational for work/study scholarships, suggests
administration procedures for the work portion, and proposes
a means by which the work/study program can be made an integral
part of education.
A. possible
residual of the colonial period is a general disassociation
of manual labor with education. It is my observation that
the majority of students and their teachers view physical
labor as beneath the dignity of an “educated”
person. The United States was in a very similar situation
when slavery was abolished. It is only within the last 40
years that a concerted effort has been made to make vocational
training an integral part of education. I refer you to Booker
T. Washington, Howard Gardner, and Joe L. Kinchlow. Indeed,
an influential segment of the community in the United States
is vigorously opposed to continuation of these initiatives.
I believe it is critical schools offer students with creativity
and dexterity an opportunity to develop skills in a wide
range of productive endeavors.
Offering students an opportunity to earn their own education
is one manner in which they can be introduced to talents
of which they may have been unaware. To be effective these
types of programs must be carefully planned. The psychological
cliché “The process is more important than
the product” is critical. It is the aim of the program
to provide the student with a positive introduction to productivity
and craftsmanship. At the conclusion of each project the
student should be able to tell friends and family, “I
did that”. At the end of the program the student should
say, “I can do that”:
The attitude
of the school administration and most particularly the individual
supervising the students is critical to the success of the
program. If the students perceive they are being given “make
work” tasks the program will be counterproductive.
In every case the student must understand the purpose of
the project, its role in the improvement of the community,
and see results. This requires careful planning and constant
attention to the status of the participants.
Four areas of potential projects come to mind:
- SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS: We are currently in this phase.
The buildings at the Malealea High School have fallen into
general disrepair. Extensive repair and improvements to
the existing structures should be completed by August 2006.
If, however, the work/study scholarship program is to continue
in January of 2007 there will be 60 students working for
their education. New projects will have to be devised.
I suggest continuation of the stone pavements, construction
of an incinerator, construction of a sheltered student
gathering area, and building of a gateway at the entrance
of the school which would include a guard house. The possibilities
are limited only by available resources and creativity
and ability of the administrator.
- SCHOOL MAINTENANCE: The improvements to the existing
structures will be meaningless if through neglect the buildings
are allowed to return to a shabby condition. A schedule
of maintenance will keep the structures presentable and
allow for long and productive use. This maintenance can
be divided into two categories: housekeeping and facilities
maintenance. Housekeeping: In the next section I propose
an allocation of the work hours. It is suggested that each
student spend 40 hours doing housekeeping duties. This
figure is arrived at by taking five rooms times 150 school
days divided by 21 students and rounding off. Each student
will be expected on forty occasions to clean one room at
the close of the school day. This will include sweeping
and mopping the floor, arranging the desks, cleaning the
chalk boards, and cleaning the windows. The room will be
presented to the administrator for inspection. One hour
of credit will be awarded for a completed task regardless
of time spent. This will encourage students to pressure
peers to keep the rooms neat. The committee will note that
the number of hours spent housekeeping will decrease as
the number of students in the work/study program increases.
Facilities maintenance: These tasks will include periodic
interior and exterior painting, grounds maintenance, and
general repairs. These tasks should be assigned based on
skill and willingness. They should be counted as general
project hours.
- AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS: The Malealea High School has
approximately four hectors of arable land, two ready sources
of water, numerous fruit trees, a mandate from the Ministry
of Education to teach Agriculture, a huge supply of young
able workers, and a nearby market for fruit and vegetables.
At the moment most of the land is lying fallow and the
fruit is either eaten green or falls on the ground. With
a very small investment a water harvesting system could
be built on the classroom buildings providing a third source
of water. It has been suggested the Headmaster apply to
the Peace Corps or an NGO for a person to teach agriculture
and oversee the development of the school’s land
for the production of fruit and vegetables. This person
could also supervise the work portion of the scholarships.
The fruit and vegetables produced by the school could be
used to finance future scholarships. This would be an excellent
opportunity for students to use their hours while learning
agricultural skills and perpetuating the work/study program.
It is strongly recommended the Malealea Development Trust
exert every effort to provide the technical assistance
the headmaster requires to get this project started.
- COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: The condition of the facilities
at the four primary schools is no better, and in some cases
much worse, than the High School. Conditions at Litsokeleng
Primary are appalling. The large building at Makheteng
is in dreadful condition and the new building needs exterior
paint. Botsoela Primary’s buildings are relatively
new, however, one quarter of the structure is incomplete
and the rest is badly in need of maintenance. Malealea
Primary is in the best condition but it needs exterior
and interior paint and general maintenance. These alone
are many hours of available work. The community football
field needs weekly maintenance and the community hall will
need regular housekeeping and maintenance. There are more
hours than can be counted required to reclaim dungas in
the immediate area of the school. Work/study students could
assist in the libraries, clinics, and child care centers
of the community.
It will fall to the board of the Malealea Development
Trust to allocate the hours to be worked. The original suggestion
used 5 Moluti per hour as a base. School fees are 1000 Moluti.
Therefore, each work/study scholar would have to work 200
hours per year or 50 four hour days to satisfy their obligation.
Currently, there are two young men working under the auspices
of the Malealea School Board. One is working for his sister
who just finished Form A and will be passing to Form B.
The other will be starting in Form A for the 2005 term and
is working off his fees. These workers are receiving 36
Moluti per four hour day or 9 Moluti per hour. They are
being asked to work off 1250 Moluti which included a 250
Moluti “book fee”. It will take 36 four hour
days for them to complete their obligation. It will be necessary
to rectify this discrepancy.
For the sake of this memo the 5 Moluti per hour pay scale
is used. It is proposed the hours be allotted as follows:
- 40 hours housekeeping duties
- 20 hours integrated learning
- 140 general work hours
This schedule will vary by the number of
students, as mentioned above, and the hourly rate set. This
ratio is suggested because the four hour day is the most
productive with high school students. This schedule would
allow fulfillment of general work hours in 35 days. There
are 35 potential work days in both the summer and winter
school breaks. This does not include weekends. It would
be possible for most of eh 60 possible work/study scholars
to work off their hours during school vacations, weekends,
and holidays. After school opportunities will also be offered.
It is recommended that the work policy be
set at once. The Malealea Development Trust should inform
the work/study scholars in writing exactly what is expected.
A document of commitment should be signed by all parties
at the time the scholarships are awarded.
It is probable that the majority of the students completing
the work/study scholarship program will not go to university.
A greater number will go directly to work or attend technical
schools. The skills they learn while working in the work/study
program may form the basis for their life career. In any
case it is important that the lessons learned while employed
be reinforced. This will be done during the 20 hours of
integrated learning. Each student will be required to keep
a daily log in which they will describe, in English, exactly
what they did during that period of work. This will include
the math as well as the description. For example, when painting
a wall they will be asked to calculate the number of square
feet they painted and note how many liters of paint were
required to do the job. A part of the housekeeping task
will be a description of the room and an exact accounting
of the time required to do the task. The housekeeping will
include reporting any damage done to the room so the maintenance
crew can make the repairs. These records will be written
up on the student’s own time. The books will be submitted
to the administrator every 20 hours. When they have been
read and corrected the student will be credited with one
hour. Again, if the student is careful and prepares the
log well it may take less than an hour. If, on the other
hand, a lot of correction and rewriting has to be done it
could take far longer than an hour.
It is the aim of this program to allow the
student to see the practical uses of what they are learning
in the classroom. Teaching of skills is a benefit of the
work/study program. The application of academic skills is
the purpose of the integration.
We in the Malealea Valley anxiously anticipate the visit
of the students and faculty of the Royston and City schools.
It is our aim to provide the opportunity for an experience
far beyond that of tourist. By participating in community
development projects you will know the real Africa and do
something to make it a better place. You will be working
with Basotho students and adults and you will leave the
Malealea Valley with memories and bonds to last a life time.
The students
and supervisors will be divided among six projects. We are
presenting them at this time so wherever possible students
can be assigned to the project of their choice.
The Malealea High School Library: MaryAnn Eisemann is
a United States Peace Corps volunteer whose assignment is
to establish a library at the Malealea High School. More
than 3000 volumes have been contributed by people in the
United States and the United Kingdom. With the Malealea
Workers she has been cataloguing and shelving. This project
is limited to six. Three will be from the visiting students
and three from the Malealea Workers.
Malealea High School : The Malealea Workers have already
redone the inside of the old classroom building and the
outside of the new building. During your stay we plan to
paint the exterior of the old classroom building. All of
the masonry work has been done and the building is ready
for paint. Local artists painted a mural and figures on
the walls of the new classroom building. If any of the visiting
students has artistic talents they are encouraged to bring
brushes. We have paints. We will entertain any proposals
for figures or a mural on the walls of the old classroom
building.
Malealea Primary School : The Malealea Primary School
is adjacent to the High School. This school is badly in
need of maintenance. Panes of glass must be replaced. Window
and door frames need paint. The interior of all of the classrooms
need painting. This is a big project and we hope you can
make a big dent in the work.
: This school is closer to the Malealea
Lodge. It is the largest primary school in the area. The
Malealea Development Trust built a new three room classroom
building. This is in need of exterior painting and the roof
joice need paint. The older and larger building which houses
the first four standards is very old and badly in need of
patching. This will be primarily a masonry job. All of the
windows need to be sealed and there are large holes and
cracks in the walls.
Malealea Pre-school: About 100 meters from the Malealea
High School is the Malealea Pre-School. This is a small
and struggling enterprise. The Malealea Development Trust
is supporting this pre-school as well as another nearer
the Lodge. We plan to build some playground equipment for
the school. Also we will to paint exposed wood and the unfinished
concrete block walls.
This is
a community water conservation and gardening project. We
will work with the community members to prepare their plots
for the new planting.
:
-
Royston and City students arrive approx17:00 hrs. Rooms
are assigned and everybody settles in.
–
Royston and City students and faculty meet with Malealea
Works and staff in the hall at the Lodge at 09:00 hrs. Introductions
are made and job assignments settled. Each team leader will
take his team to the job site and walk them through the
work to be done. Tools and supplies will be inventoried
and any needs noted. All teams will meet at the Malealea
Lodge Hall no later than 12:30 hrs for lunch. At lunch we
will be joined by members of the Malealea High School staff.
After lunch crews will introduce their members and explain
what they are going to be doing for the rest of the week.
The remainder of the day is free time. Supervisors will
meet to discuss any work situation.
All
crews will report to their job sites by 09:00 hrs. Work
will be planned so crews can arrive at the Malealea Lodge
hall for lunch at 12:30 hrs. After lunch there will be a
double elimination volleyball tournament with teams formed
from work groups.
- All
crews will report to their job sites by 09:00 hrs. A Sesotho
meal will be served in the Hall at 12:30 hrs. After the
meal all workers will join in learning and playing Sesotho
games. Supervisors will meet to plan for Friday’s
work.
–
There will be no work today. It is suggested the Royston
and City students take a pony trek to the Falls and the
Cave paintings. This is the opportunity to see the country.
–
All crews will report to job sites by 09:00 hrs. Lunch will
be served at 12:30 hrs. After lunch there will be singing,
dancing, reading and joking. Anyone with a talent is invited
to display it.
- All
crews report for last day of work at 09:00 hrs. Lunch will
be served at 12:30 hrs in the Hall. After lunch there will
be a wrap up session in which each crew will be asked to
explain what they did and how well they did it.
- This
is a day off. It is suggested Royston and City school students
attend at least a part of one of the church services in
the area. It is another look at the culture and an opportunity
to hear some wonderful singing.
–
Royston and City Students and faculty leave Malealea Lodge.
Some suggestions:
Clothing: It will be winter in the Malealea Valley and
all of the crews will be working outside or in unheated
buildings. Most of the work will be dirty or involve paint.
It is strongly suggested that all workers bring warm old
cloths for working on the sites. Dress in layers. It is
better to bring several thick shirts or sweaters than one
heavy coat. As you work you will get warm and with this
method you can take off layers. To those of us from the
north of the northern hemisphere Lesotho’s winters
are quite mild. It is not necessary to be prepared for the
worst you are used to. I advise checking local Lesotho weather
on the internet and clothing yourself accordingly.
Logistics: The only transportation available is by foot.
You are going to do a lot of walking. At the same time you
are going to be working in the same shoes. It is advised
that you bring a comfortable and old pair of trainers for
the work part of the project. Rain is rare in June so mud
will not be an issue. As with the cloths dirt and paint
will be an issue. It would be best if you brought a pair
of trainers you did not plan to take with on your return
to England.
Job Assignments: It is requested that each student and
faculty member select a first, second, and third choice
of project. This will give the staff here an opportunity
to place all persons in their job of choice. When this is
not possible placement will be random. These choices should
be e-mailed to the Malealea Lodge as soon as possible. If
there are students who would like to undertake the mural
project we would appreciate air mailing a color sketch to
Phil Eisemann, c/o Malealea Lodge, P.O. Box 263, Motsekuoa,
194 Lesotho. To assure delivery please enclose a copy of
the above choice list in this envelope. With the local mail
system it is best to be redundant.
Restrictions: On all job sites and during passage to
and from the Malealea Lodge smoking and the consumption
of alcohol is strictly forbidden. Any person who feels they
cannot pass a four hour period without the use of tobacco
or alcohol is invited to exclude themselves from the project.
Suggestions: We welcome any suggestions or comments regarding
this agenda. This is a proposal rather than a set agenda.
Please address suggestions or comments to Phil Eisemann
at the address above and by e-mail to the Malealea Lodge.
We look forward to an enjoyable, safe, productive and
memorable week. Please help us to achieve this aim by offering
any suggestions which you deem relevant.
Do Good;
J. Phillip Eisemann
United States Peace Corps Volunteer
Assigned to the Malealea Development Trust.
As a geography teacher I have taught all about eco-tourism
– the idea that tourist money helps local people and
environments.
On a visit to southern Africa in 2000 I encountered what
must be one of the best examples of eco-tourism anywhere
in the world. Nestling within the tiny community of Malealea
in “The Kingdom in The Sky”, which is Lesotho,
is Malealea Lodge. Run by Lesotho nationals, Di and Mick
Jones, Malealea Lodge offers homely cooking, comfortable
accommodation and guided excursions into the environs of
the area.
Where this differs from most operations is that the profit
from such activities is ploughed into the local community
with amazing effect.
I am well travelled, having taken school visits to five
continents including some disturbingly poor areas such as
Kashmir and Bolivia, but this visit to a 3000 strong community
in Malealea fired my imagination.
At Royston High School, with the assistance of some fantastically
supportive colleagues, I have been able to do some amazing
things on environmental issues.
Recycling lots of different things not only taught an
important environmental message, it also raised cash! When
I suggested to the environment group that this cash should
be sent to Malealea to help build some new classrooms, they
were all in agreement.
With the cash, we sent out letters of introduction. The
letters we got back were stunning and began to open eyes.
In addition to recycling I have pioneered the use of
wind and solar power in the school grounds. Royston has
its own wind turbine and solar panels, which power a micro-
river system.
The notion of taking this technology to Lesotho through
a school environmental expedition began to emerge.
Hundreds of hours later after, and after incredible community
support, the Royston High School Malealea Expedition set
off to Cape Town.
Dragoman – overland travel experts – very
generously looked after us and made our journey through
South Africa up into the mountains of Lesotho (and back
again), an amazing, trouble – free experience of a
lifetime.
Sixteen pupils aged 15 years old, accompanied by four
school staff a doctor and a nurse flew to Cape Town and
journeyed overland to the mountain community of Malealea
in Lesotho. Overland travel experts Dragoman assisted the
group and provided transport, drivers and a wealth of local
knowledge all at cost price!
Our journey into Cape Town and through South Africa was
extremely thought provoking but when we entered “The
Kingdom in the Sky”, which is Lesotho, things took
on an all –together more personal feel.
After a very warm reception at Malealea Lodge we quickly
visited the High School to check on the installation of
the wind turbine and solar panels.
With the work on the renewable power system going to
plan we set about discovering our surroundings.
A walk to Botsoela falls assisted us in gaining our bearings
but it was the work alongside our Basotho friends that meant
the most to us.
I was acutely aware of the soil erosion problem afflicting
the area and was very keen to plant trees when we came out.
Molomo, a government forester who helped us source both
forest trees and fruit trees, ably assisted us in this respect.
An orchard was planted in the grounds of Malealea High
School and hundreds of fast growing forest trees were planted
to provide soil stability and a source of fuel wood.
We were hugely privileged to work alongside the Tsinyane
Learning Circle. This is a community action learning group,
which really is on the move! Community worker Gillian Attwood
has fired them up and they are thoroughly empowered and
determined to change their lot. Having identified that a
lack of water is the major obstacle for them, they set about
excavating a small reservoir a task that our expedition
engaged on for two days.
This was to prove one of the most enriching experiences
of our expedition. Working alongside three generations of
highly industrious, effusive and enthusiastic community
members brought out the very best in human nature.
Our doctor and nurse spent an afternoon in Malealea clinic
where they observed the amazing Mahkhalisho at work. Through
conversation with Mahkhalisho they identified what equipment
would be practical for us to send out and a post expedition
fund raising initiative made this so.
After a brief but uplifting visit to Makatheng Primary
School we went to the official opening of the High School
electrification system. With representation from the British
High Commission present The Chief of Malealea and myself
flicked the switch and the lights came on and the computer
buzzed into life.
A photograph of the Mayor and Mayoress of Barnsley Mr
Bill and Pat Newman and a shield with the Barnsley coat
of arms was presented to the Chief of the village, M’e
Makhauta Mahao, and the head teacher of the school.
A mandatory game of football was undertaken with Lesotho
one nil victors! A rematch is sure to follow this June!
The journey undertaken was not only in terms of miles
covered. The eyes and minds of those involved had been opened
wide.
The challenge that now faced us was how to convey those
emotions to people back home in our own community.
All were encouraged (and at times hounded) to write down
our emotions on the expedition and where possible write
this up as poems. With the help of Barnsley Rotary Club
and The Print Unit of Barnsley Council we were able to produce
a small poetry book detailing our thoughts and emotions.
A civic reception was held in Barnsley Town Hall for the
expedition members and their families, but perhaps the most
telling and poignant moment came when the now 16 year old
pupils stood up in front of their peers and told them exactly
what it was all about and how much this experience had meant
to them.
In the autumn of 2003 I saw a very attractive job advertised
in the national press in a large school in Sheffield.
The post would be a significant promotion and very important
to my career but I was not prepared to move if the new school
would not embrace the link with Malealea. As it turned out
The Head teacher and the selection panel welcomed this idea
with open arms and I moved to The City School in Sheffield
in January 2004 as Assistant Head teacher.
The Royston community were very keen to continue the
link with Malealea, and The City School community were keen
on being informed of what was possible.
It was a very obvious decision to take that I should
lead a joint school expedition to Malealea and that is indeed
what has been planned for May/June of this year.
The Expedition will be 40 strong, comprising 18 pupils
from The City School, 13 pupils from Royston, 6 teachers
and 3 doctors.
The aim of the link is obviously very wide reaching and
the Expedition will go along way to develop relationships,
understanding and friendships.
The Expedition will also have specific objectives.
We clearly wish to follow up on the work started in 2003
with Malealea High School. We intend to bring or buy en
route computers and TV video equipment for use in classes.
We want to undertake a number of common DIY projects such
as painting and renovating classrooms in The High School
and in two of the local primary schools. We wish to work
along side community members in preparing their plots for
planting and to discover in true eco-tourist fashion the
delights of this stunning environment! Our doctors would
also like to work with Makhalisho the clinic nurse to explore
ways in which we could work collaboratively to provide greater
medical assistance for the community. We wish to explore
with the community arts group the possibilities of marketing
and selling some of their produce in the UK, not least to
us when we are there!!!
Through fund raising in our two UK communities we have
committed ourselves to support 15 students to attend Malealea
High School for the next three years. With the Malealea
Development Trust and the excellent US Peace Corp personnel
we are extending the electricity supply more extensively
throughout The High School and into the teacher’s
homes. We hope the advent of telecommunications in the Malealea
Valley will open up a new world for us in communicating
with our friends across the world. Video and email not to
mention telephone contact will make life so much easier
and more immediate.
It seems a very obvious extension of our link thus far
to extend our involvement to teacher placements (in both
directions) and eventually to bringing pupils from Malealea
to South Yorkshire.
The City School in Sheffield is pursuing the specialist
status in Business and Enterprise and this it is undertaking
with a highly ethical stance. It makes very good sense to
work closely with our friends in Malealea to bring a very
pure form of fair trade to the UK market and in doing so
increase opportunities within our link community. The link
with Royston is more firmly established for obvious reasons
and I feel sure the community would be receptive to arts
and crafts from Lesotho.
Soil erosion and a sustainable source of fuel wood is also
a concern and we have an on-going appeal to sponsor trees.
We should also like to fund more fuel-efficient stoves.
I have also been working with a number of professionals
on the issue of water within the Malealea Valley. EWB and
RedR namely Engineers Without Borders and Registered Engineers
for Disaster Relief have provided me with a detailed list
of questions and we will endeavour to answer these in June.
There seems a very good chance that an engineering placement
could be secured for Malealea through these contacts.
In conclusion Di and Mick Jones have got a lot to answer
for!!!
Our work with Malealea has been brought to the attention
of a very wide range of people from The Royal Geographical
Society to the UK Government. Indeed just last week we got
a personally signed letter from Gordon Brown which is now
proudly displayed on our School website www.city.sheffield.sch.uk
then follow Malealea link.
Communication is vital and face-to-face meetings irreplaceable.
We will learn so much from our visit in June and go forward
invigorated to work with our Basotho partners.
Ken Dunn April 2005
|
WOULD
YOU LIKE TO SPONSOR A CHILD?
