Spotlight on Lesotho

I have now been in Lesotho for a week and during this time, I have learned a few basic and interesting facts:

The nation's flag, adopted in 1987, has diagonal stripes of white, blue, and green.
White is symbolic for peace ( khotso ), blue for rain ( pula ), and green for plenty ( nala ).

• The Kingdom of Lesotho (~11,720 sq miles - about the size of Maryland) was formerly known as Basutoland prior to its independence from the UK in 1966. 
• Population: 2 million (as of 2010)
• Capital: Maseru
• The currency is Maloti, which is interchangeable with the South African Rand (approximately 7 Rand = $1 USD).
• The time zone is 7 hours ahead of Central U.S. 
• Predominant Religion is Christianity (majority Roman Catholic, as evidenced by the fact that there are villages named "Nazareth" and "Bethlehem" and a main road named after Pope John Paul II)

• Lesotho is a kingdom, first established by King Moshoeshoe I. His son is the current monarch, (King Letsie III) but does not hold any legislative or executive authority; instead, this is headed by a prime minister (Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili) with a parliamentary constitutional government structure.
• Culture: Most people living in Lesotho identify themselves as "Basotho". The primary languages are Sesotho and English. The name Lesotho is actually translated into “people who speak Sesotho.” The literacy rate is actually among the highest in developing countries (85%), with females achieving higher rates than males.



Some delicious "Fat Cakes," now part of our weekly tradition. Fried, slightly sweet dough...Mmmm!

• Food: The staples of Basotho food include cornmeal porridge ("pap-pap"), accompanied by pea sauce or green vegetables. On special occasions, chicken is added, and during celebrations, cows are slaughtered and feasted upon. Several stands along the road also sell "fat cakes" or flavored, colorful maize treats for children for a few cents. 
• Geography: The regions are divided into “lowlands” and “highlands” but even the “lowlands” are all above 4.500 feet above sea level, making Lesotho the country with the highest altitude in the world (which also creates cooler temperatures throughout the year as compared to the rest of the continent, reaching well below freezing during winter). 
• Seasons include:
• Summer (December - February)
• Fall (March – May)
• Winter (June – August)
• Spring (September-November)

The Basotho hat, a conical woven hat with a distinctive topknot, is a symbol of Lesotho's unification.
It depicts a mountaintop, which is visible from the fortress and tomb of Moshoeshoe I  near Maseru.
Both men and women invariably wear the wool Basotho blanket as a cloak, regardless of the season. The careful selection of color and pattern allows for individual expression

• Economy: The main industries in the country involve diamond mining and water exportation (to South Africa) as well textile and agricultural exports.  However, 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. A contributing factor to this problem is that the main workforce (18-35year olds) is plagued by an HIV / AIDS epidemic that has not only decreased productivity, but has also left behind an increasing number of orphans or abandoned children. Infant mortality rates have been quoted between 5-8% annually.
• Though HIV was identified in the early 1980’s it was not until 2005 that anti-retroviral therapy became widely available in Lesotho. Since then, the implementation of HIV / AIDS prevention and treatment campaigns have dramatically decreased the amount of associated deaths.
• However, Lesotho remains the country with the 3^rd highest HIV/ AIDS prevalence worldwide, with approximately 24% of the country affected. This is reflected in the almost 0% net annual population growth and average life expectancy of 40-50 years.
• International organizations involved locally include: UNICEF, The Elizabeth Glazer Foundation, The Clinton Foundation, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Baylor College of Medicine / Texas Children’s Hospital and a few others, but the availability of medications, health professionals, and community clinics is still extremely scarce. The ratio of physicians to patients is approximately 5 to 100,000.
• There remains much work to be done…
• For more info, visit: 
• http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Lesotho.html
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lt.html
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1063291.stm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesotho