The Gates of Paradise

The Gates of Paradise

After leaving the tarmac the gravel road twists and turns on its way up the steep hillside. As it reaches the top it narrows between rock faces on either side. Beyond the horizon is empty space - or at least it so seems as one slowly advances to the pass. At 2001 metres the vehicle comes to a halt. We scramble out of the car to take in a breathtaking view. We are at the 'Gates of Paradise' - so the sign says. Peering over the top of the pass we see a road winding downward into a spectacular valley ringed with mountains. As we twist and turn our way down the hill we are progressing slowly to Malealea Lodge - one of the fairest mountain retreats in all of Lesotho. Terraced fields stretch as far as the eye can see. While there are some signs of erosion it is nothing like the Maphutseng Valley we have just visited. At Maphutseng MCC is supporting an effort by Bountiful Grains Trust to encourage farmers to adopt conservation farming methodologies in an effort to improve productivity and stop the very destructive erosion of once fertile fields. We have just visited the project together with the MCC Reps for Lesotho and are on our way back to our accommodation.

Malealea Lodge and environs

We are travelling in Lesotho with friends from Saskatoon. Earlier we visited the site of a potential new project supporting orphans and vulnerable children (OVC's) on the Berea plateau. This project is intending to provide pre-school facilities to OVC's so their older siblings (these are child headed households) can go to school. In addition it will provide respite to the many grandmothers who are looking after their grandchildren whose parents have died of aids.

 

Herd boys tending the sheep

Lesotho is a mountain kindgom surrounded by South Africa. It is only 30,355 sq km's in size and has its lowest point at about 1400 meters (4,593 ft) making it the highest independent state in the world. 80% of the country lies above 1800 metres (5,906 ft). It's population is just over 2 million people. 40% of the populations lives below the international poverty line of $1.25/day. It has also been severly impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to UNICEF the prevalence rate among adults is 23.6%. There are approximately 130,000 children orphaned as a direct result of the pandemic.  It is for these reasons that MCC continues to work in Lesotho and partner with local organizations that work to mitigage these conditions and to support local capacity building.

 

In between visits to MCC project sites and partners we are taking a breather with our friends by staying at Malealea. Each evening a local choir and band plays for whoever is interested. It is a fund raising venture. The extensive pony trekking options are all managed by local farmers who take visitors on 1-5 day treks through the mountains. It is another way to inject financial revenue into the community and improve the lives of the people living in this valley. In spite of all the odds they face the people have hope and are working towards the betterment of their community and their lives. Maybe someday the 'gates of paradise' will be just that!