DUMELANG BO NTATE LE 'M'E (hello gentlemen and ladies)
We are team OYAP from Mafeteng, the second largest city in Lesotho and of course the best one! We are a team of 5 volunteers, 1 UK and 4 National with a Basotho (someone from Lesotho) team leader.
We began placement over a month ago and have been facilitating sessions pretty much twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These sessions vary between primary schools, nurseries and community sessions.
We aim to tackle community problems that we see around us, such as alcohol abuse, by delivering simple messages through games and sports. Now to meet the best team in Lesotho!
Team Leader: Keke
Team 1: Sech and DK
Team 2: Tim and Matampy
We are team OYAP from Mafeteng, the second largest city in Lesotho and of course the best one! We are a team of 5 volunteers, 1 UK and 4 National with a Basotho (someone from Lesotho) team leader.
We began placement over a month ago and have been facilitating sessions pretty much twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These sessions vary between primary schools, nurseries and community sessions.
We aim to tackle community problems that we see around us, such as alcohol abuse, by delivering simple messages through games and sports. Now to meet the best team in Lesotho!
Team Leader: Keke
Team 1: Sech and DK
Team 2: Tim and Matampy
My name is Kekeletso Makhetha and I am 24 years old. I have been on the ICS program for up to 8 months now as an in-country team leader on the side of OYAP in Mafeteng. My experience has been amazing so far! I have blended well with the community and now it feels like my birth place... Being here has changed my perspective about development and youth empowerment through sport. I am now able to empower youth through the skills that I have gained during my time on ICS. I am a very ambitious person and I believe that failure is not an option and I have also learnt that the greatest gift you can give someone is your time
Hi guys, my name is Motlatsi Moraune but popularly known as Matampy. I am also a volunteer of OYAP who is placed in Mafeteng running the programs for ICS.
I have been facilitating programs at Motse-Mocha, Leratong Primary school, Lerato Primary school, Angela's Nursery school and Ha Ramohapi Nursery. Well it is great to work with children and also making a change in their lives, a positive on of course!
I have been facilitating programs at Motse-Mocha, Leratong Primary school, Lerato Primary school, Angela's Nursery school and Ha Ramohapi Nursery. Well it is great to work with children and also making a change in their lives, a positive on of course!
Hey there! My full name is Timothy Thomas Griffiths and I have been given the sesotho name of Katleho Mohapi from my host family, who are just ridiculously kind and awesome by the way! I am 19 years old and from Stockton-on-Tees in Teesside, England. I do sessions in the same places as Matampy as he is my partner
Putting everything that I have done here and my experiences into words is a very difficult task as I don't think the words will do justice how spectacular an experience I have had so far here. The trials and tribulations have all been unforgettable experience for me.
I stay in Motse-Mocha with the Mohapi family and they have been the greatest host family anyone could ask for. The only way I know how to pay them back is by helping my siblings with their homework, especially maths!
I love Mafeteng and I am filled with a great sense of foreboding when I recall that one day will be my last day here. The people are super friendly and welcoming and are always wanting to talk to me, especially if I am walking around with my Bantu football shirt (Bantu is local team who just won the league, BANTU! BANTU PEY PEY ZABALABALAAA!).
The sessions here have been an absolute joy of mine and although at first I asked the same question that all volunteers do at some point: 'What am I doing here, am I even making any impact or difference, there must be something else I can do' I began to realise the small differences I was making to the kids here. Every one I have spoke to wants to visit England but probably never will, us UK volunteers are the closest many will come to that dream and so I feel a great responsibility to share with them all I can and help them in any way possible. Even if my impact is just to help them learn some new English at least it may inspire them to learn more!
I am a goalkeeper and a coach back at home and so I try to utilize these skills where i can to bring football into sessions as every session the first thing the kids want out is the footballs to play with. I tackle many issues I see here in Mafeteng especially alcohol abuse and I feel that these sessions are all the kids have to do as the number one excuse I have heard for the abuse of alcohol is 'there is nothing else to do'.
I came to Lesotho with one goal in my mind: 'If i can change the life of at least one person while I am here for the better it will all be worth it' even despite the aerosinisitus I suffered the first few days I was here.
I feel I have completed this goal with just my family alone and from the response I get from the youths in the street I am sure there are others whom I have benefited in this brilliant community.
Lesotho and Mafeteng will always have a place in my heart!
Putting everything that I have done here and my experiences into words is a very difficult task as I don't think the words will do justice how spectacular an experience I have had so far here. The trials and tribulations have all been unforgettable experience for me.
I stay in Motse-Mocha with the Mohapi family and they have been the greatest host family anyone could ask for. The only way I know how to pay them back is by helping my siblings with their homework, especially maths!
I love Mafeteng and I am filled with a great sense of foreboding when I recall that one day will be my last day here. The people are super friendly and welcoming and are always wanting to talk to me, especially if I am walking around with my Bantu football shirt (Bantu is local team who just won the league, BANTU! BANTU PEY PEY ZABALABALAAA!).
The sessions here have been an absolute joy of mine and although at first I asked the same question that all volunteers do at some point: 'What am I doing here, am I even making any impact or difference, there must be something else I can do' I began to realise the small differences I was making to the kids here. Every one I have spoke to wants to visit England but probably never will, us UK volunteers are the closest many will come to that dream and so I feel a great responsibility to share with them all I can and help them in any way possible. Even if my impact is just to help them learn some new English at least it may inspire them to learn more!
I am a goalkeeper and a coach back at home and so I try to utilize these skills where i can to bring football into sessions as every session the first thing the kids want out is the footballs to play with. I tackle many issues I see here in Mafeteng especially alcohol abuse and I feel that these sessions are all the kids have to do as the number one excuse I have heard for the abuse of alcohol is 'there is nothing else to do'.
I came to Lesotho with one goal in my mind: 'If i can change the life of at least one person while I am here for the better it will all be worth it' even despite the aerosinisitus I suffered the first few days I was here.
I feel I have completed this goal with just my family alone and from the response I get from the youths in the street I am sure there are others whom I have benefited in this brilliant community.
Lesotho and Mafeteng will always have a place in my heart!
My name is Sechaba Ntsooa, they call me Sech. I am an OYAP Volunteer Mafeteng Central and I am running ICS programs using sports as the vehicle of delivery.
We (Sech & DK) run sessions at Ha-Ramohapi ECCD Centre, Phahameng community Lerato Primary school and Mastered Seed. I enjoy working with the kids a lot because I am making a change in their lives and also in mine.
I am a person who is positive about every aspect of life. There are so many things I would like to do, see and experience. I like to think; I like to dream; I like the land an nature, I like the people and to laugh
I also want to be a great psychologist, like William James, who could read people's minds.
We (Sech & DK) run sessions at Ha-Ramohapi ECCD Centre, Phahameng community Lerato Primary school and Mastered Seed. I enjoy working with the kids a lot because I am making a change in their lives and also in mine.
I am a person who is positive about every aspect of life. There are so many things I would like to do, see and experience. I like to think; I like to dream; I like the land an nature, I like the people and to laugh
I also want to be a great psychologist, like William James, who could read people's minds.
My name is Liako Morenammele from Mafeteng Central. I am an OYAP volunteer in the lovely city of Mafeteng. I have been in OYAP years back as a Girls On The Move participant. Now I am volunteering again this year for ten weeks
Sechaba and I are working hand in hand with great pleasure. Running sessions in Mafeteng Central Schools and communities which are Mastered Seed, Phaps community, Lerato school and Ha Ramohapi nursery. We are facilitating the programs here
I am a creative person who loves being in contact with people. I love people. I am proud of myself. I love learning and gaining experience. I love sharing ideas
Sechaba and I are working hand in hand with great pleasure. Running sessions in Mafeteng Central Schools and communities which are Mastered Seed, Phaps community, Lerato school and Ha Ramohapi nursery. We are facilitating the programs here
I am a creative person who loves being in contact with people. I love people. I am proud of myself. I love learning and gaining experience. I love sharing ideas
The schools are now closing for the winter and so our programs are about to drastically change. We will be focusing almost entirely on community sessions to keep volunteers involved and keep OYAP and ICS alive in the minds of the youth here. So it is a big farewell we say to all the school sessions and nursery sessions which have filled our days with meaning and joy. Now a new chapter begins for all the volunteers here in these few remaining weeks: The winter program