Found an old blog from Lesotho

Well, can it really be considered "old" since it's only a month or so old?  Anyway, I KNEW I had written a blog the day I found out Rosemary had not passed Form C and below, is it.  I'll post more about my Belgium adventures later.  I'm back to writing in Word wherever I'm at be it a cafe, train station, train... you get the picture.  So I'll compile online when I can.  So here's an oldy but goody! ;)

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Take 2!

Tuesday, 11.01.2011

Seeing as how there is an asinine time difference, I woke up, the Oregon/Auburn game was underway, and I awoke to a score update, courtesy of Leah, to Ann.  I threw on all the yellow and green I could, down to my sports bra and gum boot socks, including the new snazzy shirt I purchased and headed out to work.  Deep into fence frame setting Ann came and said, “omg, it was so close! With 10 seconds left, game tied and Auburn on the ½ yard to goal and 4^th down they kicked a field goal and took the score, 22-19.”  I fell to the poo smelling mud and yelled “NOOOoOOOoOOoOoOoOoooo!”  Bummer #1 of the day.

Bummer #2 – Form C (basically like “sophomore” year in high school) results were released today and “kids” find out if they pass and moved onto the next grade.  My favorite girl, Rosemary, who is the most amazing worker and kind person I’ve met who has this striking face with a perma scowl, which adds greatly to her appeal, failed. 

Rosemary is an orphan, which is weird to say because she is 20 years old but was orphaned at 16.  Because both of her parents are dead, she is part of a government program called “man power” and they pay for school and room and board, unless they don’t pass their classes, and it doesn’t matter the circumstances.  Today, she was basically told she can’t return to Holy Names unless she can pay for herself and has to find a new place to live.  Her sister-in-law and she don’t get along AT ALL, her sister, who lives in Maseru, has a young son and her husband passed away last year so she can't help.  Everyone of authority at the school is about 90% sure she is HIV positive and was struck with repeated illness this year, which didn’t help with her studies.  I had NO idea she was potentially HIV positive (or at least just a very sick person) until I mentioned to Rome I was interested in helping her and the moment she told me I had to use every bit of wee energy I had left to fight back tears.  When I’m given a directive for the day, I know I can take on double the work because she is my right hand woman and can manage whatever project I give her with which ever people I provide for the job.  She not only gets it done, but perfect and with incredible speed.  Seeing her today, post results, broken in tears completely shattered my heart and I knew something else had to be going on… little did I know. 

Best part of my day:  Telling Sr. Catherine and Rosemary that I would sponsor her, tuition and room/board, for an additional year. (Manpower will reinstate her sponsorship if she passes this year).

The moment I told her, her tears didn’t stop but she hugged me and said, “I will work so so very hard.”  I told her, “I have not a single doubt in my mind you will, which is why I know you deserve another chance.”