Lesotho
Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any discipline and a strong desire to teach English
• Peace Corps Lesotho seeks individuals with the following additional skills:
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree and/or experience in:
• Pre-school, Early Childhood, Middle School, or Elementary Education
• Elementary Education state certification
• One or more school year classroom teaching experience at the Early Childhood, Middle School, or Elementary level
• English, foreign language or literacy tutoring experience with elementary school students
• Tutoring experience in basic numerical skills with elementary school students
• A strong desire to teach literacy and basic numeracy skills
• Public speaking and presentation skills
• Ability to model, coach, and mentor fellow teachers
• Classroom management creating educational materials
Volunteer host communities vary from rural areas to small towns. Volunteers live and work in either district capitals (Camp towns) or rural villages. Camp towns house government offices and serve as the main business hub for the district. During the 9 weeks of Pre-Service Training, Volunteers stay with host families.
Volunteers walk approximately 0.5 - 2 miles before reaching their work location or where they can access public transportation. Volunteers use public transportation to shop in camp towns for supplies and when traveling to activities in different parts of the district. Through the monthly living allowance, Volunteers cover their transportation costs.
The majority of Volunteers live in a family compound; on rare occasions some live in teacher housing on or near the school campus. The houses may be one- or two- roomed, thatched, or corrugated iron (tin) roofed buildings made of stone, brick, or cement blocks. Volunteers should expect to use an outdoor pit latrine and fetch water from a standpipe in their home compound or from a village pump, and use candles, lanterns, and solar lights for light. Volunteer houses with electricity and running water are rare.
Cell coverage varies throughout the country, with some Volunteer communities having excellent coverage and others requiring a walk of up to half a mile to make or receive calls. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a laptop which not only increases options for internet access, but also enables Volunteers to complete required assignments off-line and upload them later.
Most entertainment and recreation will be that which you create yourself; hanging out with friends, playing sports, exercising, hiking, etc. Lesotho does not have a bustling nightlife or many organized recreational activities. Most Volunteers shop in their village or closest camp town, which has larger shops that carry basic supplies. Some camp towns have supermarkets that offer a variety of produce, meats, and other goods.
You will soon become familiar with traditional Basotho food that consists of a stiff maize meal (corn meal) porridge called “papa”, well-cooked greens (spinach, Swiss chard, or cabbage) called “moroho”, and a meat dish (mutton, beef, or chicken) called “nama”. Fruit and vegetables are available in many parts of the country but can be expensive and are limited dependent upon the season. Patience, flexibility, and tolerance on your part will be very important.
Lesotho has distinct seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. It is below freezing in winter and often snows heavily in the highlands. Volunteer communities vary from rural areas to remote areas to small towns which are referred to as camp towns. Camp towns house government offices and serve as the main business hub for the district. It is essential to bring warm clothing (which can be layered). Volunteers are provided with a propane heater for use and heating allowance during the winter (April-September) by the Peace Corps.
Due to the high HIV prevalence rates, Volunteers’ fellow teachers, neighbors, and students could be affected by HIV. Some are HIV-positive, while others may be orphaned and/or caring for family members living with HIV. To help manage a social and work environment where support is needed by those affected by HIV, Peace Corps trains Volunteers on healthy and appropriate coping mechanisms and expects Volunteers to be positive role models for those with whom they work and live.
While people in Lesotho may be generally tolerant, values and mores concerning sexual orientation and gender identity may be different from those in some parts of the U.S. Volunteers will need to be mindful of cultural use their judgment to determine the best way to approach sexual orientation and gender identity in their communities and host countries. Staff and currently serving Volunteers will address this topic during Pre-Service Training (PST) and identify support mechanisms for incoming Trainees.
None
Education
Yes
Lesotho
24
Yes
PCV
No
As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in Education, Health, Economic Development, Agriculture, Environment and Youth Development. Through their Peace Corps experiences, Volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a lifelong commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans of all ages have served in 142 countries worldwide.
