Lesotho

I had the chance to take a day trip into Lesotho, a small, landlocked country within the northeast region of South Africa. It was an interesting contrast to the familiar context of South Africa. We visited the small, rural village of Mafika Lisiu, a remote region if the country that does not see many visitors.

The beautifully brown hills were dotted with pink flowered trees and small, round huts. The scenery was breathtaking and the land was awesomely untouched. It was refreshing to be in such a simple place, until the abject poverty there was revealed.

Lesotho is a largely agricultural nation, consisting of small villages that pretty much live off the land. What seems to be a simple place is really one that reflects its economy. There is not enough money for modern advertising, so if someone has a business, he uses a different colored flag to note the type of item for sale: white for beer, yellow for pineapple beer and green for vegetables. Lesotho’s economy is also largely dependent on South Africa, as it exports much of its water there.

The first school building was not built in this particular village until the 1950s, and even now the school is small with few resources. It was very different compared to what I have experienced in a rural South African school. Much of the country is illiterate to the point that they have trouble providing for themselves and their families.

While I was certainly struck by the poverty and lack of education, I found the unique culture to be the most intriguing aspect of my visit.

The people of Lesotho have round houses because they believe evil spirits lurk in corners. If an animal walks into a round house, one will not kill it because it may be one of his or her ancestors. This rule does not, however, apply to buildings with corners – the only such buildings are churches. About 80 percent of the country practices a form of Christianity mixed with local, traditional beliefs – a product of a place with some Western influence yet relatively undeveloped rural villages.

The local cuisine is simple yet tasty. I was able to try mealie pap, which is made from maize, with spinach and with curried cabbage. While that was delicious, I did not enjoy the homemade maize beer.

Lesotho is also home to ancient San rock art, of which I was able to see a little bit. The San people drew pictures of what animals were in the area, so that the next group passing through knew what was available for hunting. I found it particularly interesting that they drew animals as larger than themselves in order to show respect. Unfortunately, Lesotho does not have any laws that protect ancient art, so much of it has been ruined.

What always amazes me about impoverished places, though, is how happy and spirited their inhabitants seem to be. While I know they struggle with economic woes, they don’t let this affect their daily attitude. We visited a remote part of Lesotho that doesn’t see many visitors, and the villagers could not have been friendlier or more welcoming.