The Setting: A brief description of Lesotho

        Where have you come from and where are you going? 
        (Socrates) Plato, The Phaedrus

Every story has setting. The actions of men and women, both real and fictional, do not occur in a vacuum but are bound by both time and place. In Global Studies terminology, we are shaped by our ‘politics of location.’  Simply put, our beliefs, ideas and actions—that is to say ‘our stories’—are not separate from our communities and societies but are unavoidably shaped by them.

The aim of this blog is to record stories from Thaba Tseka. However, with the above in mind it is important to begin with an important DISCLAIMER: The fact that the majority of my life has been spent in “western” settings will unavoidably shape the stories recorded. Moreover, I am not Basotho and as such I cannot claim to speak on behalf the Basotho living in Lesotho. However, what I can do is share my own experiences with Basotho children, youth, and grandmothers and hope that this provides some small insight into daily life here.

Returning to the idea of setting I want to being by tell you a bit about Lesotho’s location, history, and culture in the hopes that this will provide a helpful framework for the stories recorded in this space over the coming year.

The Location:

Lesotho is a small, independent, land-locked country, located in the middle of South Africa.  The majority of the country is mountainous, which is why Lesotho is sometimes referred to as “Kingdom in the Sky.”  In the area I am working, Thaba Tseka, it gets so cold that there is snow in the winter.

Culture:

Lesotho is a culturally homogenous country. The Basotho are the indigenous people who live there, and the majority are Catholic Christians.  The traditional dress of the Basotho people are blankets which they wrap around themselves to stay warm.

Brief History: 

Lesotho was formerly called Basutoland and was unified under the Basotho King, Moshoeshoe I, in the early 1800s.  The Dutch (Boers) who had settled in the Cape Colony of South Africa tried to make land claims on Basutoland that resulted in conflicts in both 1858 and 1865. This led King Moshoeshoe I to appeal to the British for help, and ultimately Basutoland became a British Protectorate under Queen Victoria. In 1966, Basutoland became fully independent from Britain and was officially named the Kingdom of Lesotho.

During apartheid South Africa, Lesotho served as home base for many humanitarian organizations. Since Lesotho was independent and did not follow any kind of apartheid policy, humanitarian agencies would set up their offices in Lesotho and then travel to South Africa to do their work.

Lesotho Today:

Today Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy. The current king is Lestsie III and the current prime minister is Thomas Thabane.

The country itself is poor and has the third highest level of HIV/AIDS  in the world. Its small size and relatively low international economic importance mean that it is a country that is often forgotten by media outlets and in international politics.

Lesotho’s National Flag

Personal Remarks: 

I hope that this post has given you a small glimpse of where I will be living and working over the next twelve months.

I will be flying to Johannesburg, South Africa on August 19^th (today) and will be spending some time in Leribe (also called Hlotse) before making the trek up to Thaba Tseka.  When both time and Internet connection allow, I will share the stories I hear and write about the people I meet in this space.

I am so grateful that I am not on this year long journey alone, but am blessed enough to share it with all of you.