The Daily

Many people have asked me about what living here is like on a regular day in Lesotho. It is definitely very different but life goes much slower here so I have had time to rest, do things that I’ve been “getting around to” for the past few years, and do all the things that just take longer to do here. The following are some of the most drastic lifestyle changes for me:

Housing: I live in a rondavel. A rondavel is a circular shaped hut made of concrete and stones with a wood and straw thatched roof. Circular walls are terrible for interior decorating, but it’s very practical. During the summer, rondavels keep in the cool air and during the winter, they keep in the heat. It is summer here and there have been heat waves, but with no A/C, electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing, my rondavel is still very comfortable.

My rondavel in particular is just fitting for me. It is at least 4 times as large as my place during training so it feels very spacious. And I have a patio. It’s centrally located in the village – I am a minutes walk from the 2 small shops where I can buy flour, bread, and other basics. And I am a 10 minutes walk away from my school. My host family has a pretty large garden that provides privacy.

My Rondavel

Bathing: It’s cultural to bathe in the mornings – sometimes I bathe in the mornings, sometimes at night. This consists of heating water on the stove, then pouring it in a bucket where I can soap and rinse.

My Bathing Station

Water: There is no running water. There is a tap that is next to my house, but it’s been broken basically since I moved here, so I need to pump the water manually. It is really hard to pump water – such a good arm workout, and even harder to carry it all. This is all the water for drinking, cooking, bathing, doing dishes, laundry, and anything else I need water for. Luckily, my family has helped me.
All of the water that I drink needs to be boiled for at least 3 minutes, then filtered. It’s kind of a process, but actually the easiest chore since I can do other things at the same time.

Laundry: One of my least favorite chores is laundry. I have to pour water into 2 buckets, one for washing and the other for rinsing. After both washing and rinsing, I ring out the clothes so suds don’t get into the rinse bucket and so the clothes will dry out faster. Then I hang it outside to dry (except socks and underwear). I am extremely slow.

Bathroom: I have a latrine about 20-30 meters from my house. We are not supposed to go outside in the dark so we have a pee bucket that we can use. My family has a fence around the property, so it’s safe to go out at night, but the fear of having a gigantic spider or any bug land on me freaks me out.

I never thought I would say this….. but this is my latrine

Overall, it’s been pretty easy for me to adapt. I think because I can make good food and my bed is comfy and warm. I guess I’ll have to see what happens over the next two years, but I am happy about my site placement so far.