On Tour

The stories are coming together and the calendar is filling up, check out Stories of Hope on Tour!

Nov 9-ELORA- Light House Restaurant
Dec 8 -GUELPH - Guelph Community Foundation -The Joint Cafe
Jan 20-CAMBRIDGE-Fresh Stories at Monogram Coffee Roasters
Feb 20-HAMILTON-Hamilton Story Circle - Anshe Shalom Temple
April 1 -TORONTO-Toronto Storytelling Festival

Guelph

"Late last night so far away, I dreamed myself a dream,
Well, I dreamed I was so alone, isn't it nice to be home again?"
-James Taylor


      


I am back in Guelph. I have been here for almost two weeks. It is weird that I have already been home as long as I was in Lesotho. Time here certainly moves a lot quicker than it does there. I am not sad to be home: I like it here. This is my home. I am not sad to have left there. But I sure am thankful I got to go.

This is likely how I will end  this blog, and I was really hoping to finish strong. I wanted to write something powerful and profound, reflecting on what I had learned and how my new found knowledge can help others, but I am struggling to write anything all. I am okay with that. The truth is, I am struggling to understand what I experienced there and struggling with what to do with it all. If you have read this blog you already know the idea was for me to simply experience things there. I went to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste what life is like for for orphans who have lost their parents to AIDS, and what life is like for those who are caring for them. Then I was to come home and tell those stories. I guess I am somewhere in the middle right now. I certainly had a wide variety of experiences, and now as I settle back into teaching, parenting, laundry, banking, and vacuuming, I am waiting for the stories to start showing up.

International travel

One of the hassles with international travel is 6 hour layovers.

The good thing about  6 hour layovers is lunch beside the canal in Amsterdam. I am sorry that these are beginning to read like Facebook posts.

Necessary?

On the flight out of Johannesburg the TV set on the back of the seat in front of me (right in front of me!) had it's own remote. Seriously. When you pointed it towards the screen you had to kind of pull back to make it work.  Things like this make me miss that bicycle at Tlhakuli.

 

Not Him

It looks like the last time I posted this it got lost in cyber space, so here it goes again. This one's a bit out of order, but worth telling. During our safari adventure our guide told us some staggering facts about hippos. The river we were on was brackish, and is the only place on the planet that Bull sharks, crocs and hippos all live. He said you could swim there, but it would only be once and it would not be for long. This could be the most dangerous place on earth! He told us that their massive mouths open 150 degrees, they kill close to 3000 people a year, almost twice as many as lions, and they can run up to 55 km's per hour. Can you imagine a 2500 lb. beast chasing you at that speed!? He said if you ever startle a hippo, corner a hippo, or get in between a hippo and the water you don't have a chance. No chance. That night once we had returned from the safari we were walking from our hotel into town for dinner and one walked right in front of us. A hippo. It was terrifying. I have never been that close to any living thing that big or that dangerous before (obviously!). It was the size of a car. It came plodding out of the shadows about 20 yards in front of us, crossed the Main Street and disappeared up a side road. We stood frozen in fear. Waiting to hear screams of horror, or car horns, or something. Nothing. Not knowing what else to do, we carried on downtown for dinner.
I had pasta.
 Our guide had told us that one or two of them come in to town from time to time and that they eat from some of the gardens. Apparently they are used to the humans and the humans are used to them. We were told if you see one just keep your distance and you'll be fine. But I never thought I would ever actually see one.  My favourite part of the story was the next morning when I told the woman working at the hotel about it. Our conversation went like this; 
Me: I saw a hippo in town last night.
Her: Yah (as in Yah, so what?).
 Me: I was terrified.
 Her: (giggling) Why?
 Me: They are massive and they kill people.
 Her: Not him.

Hlotse, Leribe, Lesotho

 

I am leaving today, so I suppose this is my last entry, at least from here. Perhaps I will write a few from home as I reflect over the next several days (weeks?). It is hard to leave here.  This has been an incredible experience. However it would also be hard to stay. This is a difficult place. I realize I am no expert, I have only been here two weeks, but because of the nature of my stay I feel I have connected. The problems here are serious, the AIDS pandemic is very real and very dire. People are dying, families are being torn apart, children are being orphaned. It is hard to know how or when this country will heal. It will take a massive shift in policy, perception, and practice in order to make a change. However this crisis does not define the Basotho. They are in the middle of a crisis, but they are not defined by the crisis, they are  more than the crisis. They are a creative, beautiful, resourceful, generous, resilient people. We met a woman yesterday who runs the programs at Sentebale, a centre that runs camps for vulnerable youth in Lesotho with a focus on HIV (Sentabale). She told us a great story about her great grandfather who was a brave warrior that fought for freedom and independence. She told us about how proud she was of him, of her people, and of her country. It was easy to make the connection that she is a modern day warrior fighting for a new type of freedom. I look forward to the day that someone tells her story.

Another Introduction

Another person you need to know if you are interested in this adventure and the work being done here is Samuel. He is the AFM Social Worker who currently overseas the social, emotional, and developmental needs of the orphans. He is young, energetic, enthusiastic, and motivated. He is exactly what you'd want in this position. Having worked in residential settings for many years prior to teaching and for over half of my teaching career (so far), Samuel and I had many good conversations over the last two weeks. In my opinion, these kids are in very good hands.

Samuel and Liteboho were in Guelph this past fall. They have become colleagues as well as friends with the Bracelet of Hope folks. As a result they had us for dinner tonight for a send off on our last night here. Since being in Guelph they have also had a baby! Statistically speaking, I could make Lesotho sound like a sad and desperate place. It's not. It's issues and challenges are real and are serious. However it is also a country where people go to work, make friends, get together for meals, and where young couples have beautiful babies.

More on Mountains

For those of you who have been following, you will be glad to know that I finally got a good picture of a mountain! However I took it on my camera, not on this device, and so I have no way of getting it on this blog, or at least I don't know how to get it on this blog. I am still surprised that I was  able to even maintain this blog. I suppose it is worth saying that I couldn't have done it without the loan of some technology (thanks Trav!) and without my 'nephew' Daniel walking me through it (thanks Daniel!). 

Candice, Andy, and MeMahlompho

I apologize, I should have done this earlier. Allow me to introduce the team I have been with during the last two weeks. Candice is the Director of Business Development and Fundraising and all that sort of thing at the Bracelet of Hope office in Guelph. She has been with them for a year now but has been involved in charitable work, fund raising and social justice initiatives for some time. This visit was an opportunity for her to see the work that is being done first hand as well as meet with established community connections and potential partners. Candice asks really good questions and Bracelet of Hope is lucky to have her. Give her a call some time at the office, she loves to talk about what she does. Andy is the former Executive Director and is now the Program Director here in Lesotho. He advocates, coordinates, facilitates, and does just about everything that needs doing here in country. He is a liaison between the home office and the social work partners here. These last two weeks he has also been our tour guide, driver, and booking agent. He would tell you he is a grumpy old man, and he would do his best to make you believe it. But if you are ever fortunate enough to hear him talk about the orphans here, or see him interact with them, you'd realize he is as good as it gets. He is a dedicated champion of this charity and is the absolute right guy in the right job. MeMahlompho is Andy's partner. Though she is not technically a part of Bracelet of Hope, she is as dedicated to the children's well being as he is. This is her home, these are her people, and she takes the health and welfare of the orphans very seriously. We ate with Me almost every night, we used the internet at their place when we were in a pinch, and she joined us on our adventure to South Africa. It was an honour to have her with us through out our time here. But more importantly it was a real blessing to have a Besotho to interpret, explain, and make sense of the culture.  

Tlhakuli

We were back on the foster home tour today. At this point the foster homes are the primary focus of Bracelet of Hope and our visits have been a major part of our time here. Tlhakuli is another home way up a mountain side: A precarious walk straight up a mountain. It is situated in a stunning setting, more beautiful mountains, probably the nicest view yet. The children were once again, warm, welcoming and a ton of fun. But what struck me today was their indomitable spirits. You can't stop these kids. They have been dealt a very unfortunate hand, but it has barely slowed them down. They have lived through horrific situations I simply don't understand. But you can't stop them. They have had to learn how to survive trauma, neglect, abuse, abandonment, disease and death all at young, young ages. But you just can't stop them. You can't stop them from being kids, from wanting to laugh and to play. You can't stop them from growing, or learning, or making the best of their situation. You certainly can't stop them from having fun. Even a bicycle with no chain, brakes or tires can't stop them from biking around the top of the mountain. You simply can not stop them. 

 

Church

We went to church this morning at the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) in Butha Buthe. The larger AFM in Lesotho has a Social Development Department that filters the majority of funding that comes from Bracelet of Hope (BoH). It is an interesting arrangement. BoH provides funds for programming and the primary costs of the foster homes and AFM hires the Social Worker and the foster parents. BoH also has a 'program director' here in country to communicate, advise, oversee, coordinate, advocate, and anything else that needs doing here. Basically it is a three headed monster, and based on my experience seeing it all happen the last 10 days, it is a fairly effective one. Obviously communicating from Guelph to Lesotho, including times differences, language barriers, and cultural norms, makes things difficult from time to time, however good work is being done. Lives are being changed. Hope is being experienced.

The church service was incredible. First of all, it was 4 hours long and apparently that is the norm. The music was amazing. Actually, the music was fairly average, just a drummer and a pianist, but the singing was amazing.  There were no less then 10 singers at any one time gathered around 3 mics, while 4 or 5 of them took turns singing solos or leading the congregation. The singing also inspired a ton of dancing, marching, laughing, shouting, hooting and hollering. I realize this is not a great picture but it is the best one I got, I guess I was too caught up in the celebration. By the time we got to the sermon we had already been there for 90 mins! It was an impassioned sermon based on a verse in Malachi and focused on the value of family, whether biological, spiritual, or social. Then there was another hour of singing and praying. It was exhausting. Also, today was the end their 'family week' and so there was a big lunch served after the service. Because we were considered special guests we sat with the pastor and his wife and were served first. Nice perk of being a foreigner here!

Safari

There is a Jimmy Buffett song with the line, "Don't try to describe a KISS concert if you've never seen one". I think the same goes for safaris. We took a break from our visits and meetings in Lesotho and drove to South Africa with Andy and MeMahlompho for a one day adventure. The morning was spent bouncing around in a Jeep through stunning, lush, hilly, grassy park land inside a 96,000 hectare park. We saw elephants, rhinos, impalas, wildebeests, giraffes, wart hogs, zebras, Cape buffalo and a baboon! Wow. If you can imagine doing that, then you can imagine exactly what it is like. Before today I couldn't have imagined it.  

This afternoon was a hippo and croc tour on a barge in a river. Hippos have long been a symbol of affection between my wife and I (not exactly sure why) and as a result they have been a favourite animal of mine for a long time. Also, the main character in the book (and film) 'The African Queen' inspired the name of our first born and that story takes place on a barge, in a river in Africa. So for me to float down an African river seeing hippos up close and personal was an extraordinary experience. We saw two crocodiles but they were both stone still in the mud on the shore.    

The funny thing is, I thought this might make me feel guilty, having this sort of adventure while the children in the foster homes back in Lesotho carried on with their everyday stuff. It didn't. Nor did it bother me that so many people can enjoy this sort of thing while these orphans may never have the chance. As a matter of fact I felt just the opposite. It made me realize how fortunate they are to live near so much beauty and adventure. I was excited to think that this is their home, they get to grow up here, this is their inheritance. As they continue to grow, to heal and to strive because of the incredible work being done through Bracelet of Hope, who knows what they might get to see and do.

Haiku

Mountain photograph. Still trying to capture one. Perhaps tomorrow.

   

Unique and Necessary

 

It is incredible how many funeral service businesses there are here in Lesotho. It seems there is one everywhere I go. It is a unique and necessary industry here because of the number of HIV/AIDS related deaths.  If it seems inappropriate to post this beautiful picture with this tragic entry, that's because it is. These are the lives that are affected by this unique and necessary situation.

Makhoroana

Certain songs, flavours, colours, or smells become your favourites. It is hard to say why. I feel that way about the home in Makhoroana. I loved the setting it was in. We hiked way up a mountain behind the home with Thabang the chicken farmer. He is the son of the former foster mom, and he is an absolute star. I loved the the layout of the house. We spent most of the afternoon on the front stoop telling stories, laughing, and visiting with neighbours. Everything about this visit was absolutely delightful. Then the soccer game broke out. We played with a ball they had made out of old bags. The nets were made from bricks from the neighbours construction. The dry red dirt created a knee high cloud of dust that took 24 hours to scrub of my shins. It was just one of those magical moments. I couldn't have planned it any better and I will likely never experience anything like it again.  Not that it matters, but I did score the go ahead goal in what turned out to be a victory for our side.

 

Names

I am struggling with what to do about names. On one hand I don't want to use the names of my new friends in this blog. I don't want their names to be known simply as orphans in needs. However because I know that they are so much more than that, I want to honour them by using their names. I am still working through this one.

Mohalalitoe

After our sleep over we visited the home at Mohalalitoe. By the afternoon, after being woken at 4 am by the roosters and being caught in the heat of the day, I was exhausted. I didn't think I had it in me to make another visit. However opportunities like this don't come around too often, and when you find yourself in a room full of beautiful children who are so thrilled with what we (Bracelet of Hope) have helped provide, is it remarkably easy to get rejuvenated. I know blogs like like this get repetitive and cliche, so I will keep this one short, however this is worth telling. One of the girls here told me that she liked to draw. Because my own daughter likes to draw, I asked if she would like to draw a picture of my daughter, and I told her that my daughter would be thrilled to draw one of her and send it once I got home. Another girl loved this idea and so the two of them took my daughters grade eight grad photo from my wallet and created these masterpieces!  

Laundry

A few years ago my wife took a photo of the laundry line at the family cabin in North Western Ontario. It is a great picture of towels, t-shirts, and swim trunks blowing in the wind. Whenever I see laundry on lines now, in back yards, on apartment balconies, even behind industrial spaces, it always makes me feel like I have something in common with the folks who have hung it. I know what that's like. I can relate. I have seen some beautiful laundry lines here in Lesotho. I have taken many pictures of them as well. I am afraid they are kind of like the mountains, photos just don't do them justice, or maybe it is just my photos. I am sure my wife could do much better.

Lerobane

 

I woke up in time to go to first mass at the Anglican Church here at the convent. I know the pastor referred to Jeremiah. Other than that I am not sure exactly what happened, but I liked it. That format was somewhat familiar, the most familiar thing I have experienced here so far.  I also went for a 10k run this morning; part of it was up Anne-Marie's mountain (if you know anything about Bracelet of Hope it should be no surprise that there is a mountain here they refer to as hers; if not it is time you did!). This afternoon we visited the foster home in Lerobane. It is an incredible place. We parked by a river, had to cross the river stone by stone and hike about 3 kms straight up the side of a mountain to get there. About halfway up we waited on the bulls that blocked the path. A young boy from the local farm finally showed up and boldly ushered them off the road. We finished our hike and got to the home. It is a simple brick house: a boys room, a girls room, a parents room and an open space that is a kitchen and eating area.  There is no running water or electricity. A simple house. A simple life. Eight kids live there with two foster parents (a couple). Eight beautiful kids. The stories they come from are sad, very sad. They are the kind of stories we don't like to hear and that are difficult to re-tell. However the story they find themselves in currently is a good one, it is full of education, support, care and opportunities. We brought oranges, pencils and a dollar store soccer ball. As a result we were received like royalty. We had a wonderful time singing, playing and trying to say each other's names. The whole thing leaves me a little speechless. I could go on and on about how happy they are despite having so little. I could question my own excess and ask again what it is about having less that makes you appreciate more? I could ask a lot of questions and write a lot of things that would likely induce guilt. Instead I will just say this; today I saw what we came for. 

Mountains

I can't stop taking pictures of mountains. I also can't seem to get a good one. They are absolutely beautiful. I suppose like sunsets, rainbows, and personalities, an image just never quite captures it. I will probably keep trying.

Lithoteng

We drove back to Maseru to visit our second home today. It is on the outskirts of the city in a village called Lithoteng. We spent 24 hours at this visit. This was the one that was meant to give us a clear picture, sort of a 'Day in the Life' with the orphans. We met with the foster mom and Samuel the social worker and offered to make dinner for everyone (foster mom, 11 kids, the two of us and a bit of extra as some neighbours often show up; they did). We met the children as they arrived home from school. We had brought pencils, stickers, a picture book and a soccer ball (because the one yesterday was such a hit!). We made a huge meal of rice, beef and salad with the children, played games and sang songs into the night, Then we all did chores and then we went to bed. Sleeping in a room full of boys in bunk beds made me feel like I was at camp again. We did our best to make each laugh and eventually dozed off only to be woken by roosters at 4 am! This morning we had a traditional Lesotho porridge for breakfast and walked the kids to school. It was hard to say goodbye; it is remarkable how close you can feel to people after only 24 hours, especially people you may never see again. If that sounds like a fun day, it was. If it sounds like a good time, it was. However let's not forget why these children are in this home; let's not forget the horrific, heartbreaking scenarios that have created the need for these homes. This is a troubled country. The AIDS pandemic is devastating. It is safe to say these children have no future whatsoever without the work being done by organizations like Bracelet of Hope. As a white man, I stand out here. Strangers want to stop and talk on the streets. It is often awkward telling them what we are doing and why I am here. It seems as though we might be stepping over a boundary or crossing a line, as though we don't belong and should leave it alone. But that is not the case. Everyone I have met has thanked me. Everyone I have talked to has let me know how much they appreciate what we are doing for their children, for their people, for their future. The last 24 hours was a good time, it was a fun day. But it was a whole lot more than that as well.

So far so good

This is my office for the next two weeks, cool eh? I spent my first day checking out town and visiting some craft centres that Bracelet of Hope supports. There is incredible work being done here. I will visit my first foster home tomorrow. Needless to say, I am very excited. Internet access is somewhat limited but I hope to have pictures and information up sooner than later. Thanks for checking us out!

I made it!

After 40 hours in transit I am finally in Lesotho and have the passport stamp to prove it! The drive from Maseru to Hlotse was stunning. The landscape is otherworldly; we are surrounded by ragged mountains, flat plateau rocks and winding river valleys. The vegetation, the dirt, the cows, chickens, bulls, the clothes, homes; even the clarity of the sky is different here. It is a remarkable feeling to find yourself in such a far and distant land. I have already heard some wonderful stories and that was just from Andy on the drive from the airport. I am exhausted. I have only slept sparingly, probably a total of 4 hours over the last two days. I am disoriented, worn out and sore, but the first three hours here have been incredible.  

 

Oh Canada

I just met a Californian who told me he wears a Canadian flag pin when he travels! I am feeling especially proud to be Canadian right now. I am sure it is partially the leftover buzz from team Canada's success at the Rio games, partially from the Tragically Hip show last Saturday (haven't stopped humming "Ahead By a Century" for 4 days!), partially the time I spent the last two weeks at my in-laws cabin. But it is also travelling. I don't think I wear my maple leaf proudly enough day to day when I am at home. I think I take for granted how wonderful our 'Home and Native Land' is. But flying over oceans, listening to airplane instructions in Dutch and knowing the next time I touch down will be in South Africa, has me feeling all warm and fuzzy to be a Canadian. That's not a bad way to start an adventure! I am currently waiting at the Amsterdam airport for our next KLM flight to Joburg. The flight here was completely hassle free. I know it is not the greatest photo in the world, but check out the box they served our breakfasts in. It doesn't get much better than that!

On my way!

I was dropped at the airport yesterday (thanks for the ride Syl!). It is for real now; I am really on my way to Lesotho to collect, tell, hear and trade stories! I was talking to my friend Jeff before I left and told him I was a bit anxious about being able to find the right stories. He said, "Don't worry, it is already a good story".                                                                                                                                          That's an excellent point.

Good Words

One of the things I love most about Guelph is the number of incredible artists, musicians and writers this city continues to nurture and support. One of my favourite writers here in town is journalist, poet and painter Rob O'Flanagan. I am a big fan of his newspaper work and his commitment to telling good stories. This morning we met for a coffee and an interview. At Planet Bean (another of my favourite things about Guelph). I am not sure when it will be up but you can find it at Guelph Today.
Thank you Rob for your time, your support and for your incredible words!

Expectations

I have no idea what to pack as I have no idea what to expect.
I have been told I will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the place and of the people, but equally as overwhelmed by the suffering and the pain I will see and experience. I have been told I will have my heart broken and my guts ripped out, but also be changed irreversibly by bearing witness to the boundless joy they live with.
How do you pack for that?

HOPE :The Tune Without The Words

I am trying to come up with a solid definition of what hope actually is before I go. These should help.

The Dictionary says:
"Hope (a verb), To want something to happen or to be true and think it could be happen or be true."

The Psalmist says:
"Be strong and take heart, all you who have hope in the Lord."

The poet says:
"Hope is the thing with feathers-
That perches in the soul-
And sings the tune without the words-
And never stops-at all-

And sweetest-in the gale-is heard-
And sore must be the storm-
That could abash the little Bird-
That kept so many warm-

I've heard it in the chilliest land-
And on the strangest Sea-
Yet-never-in extremity-
It asked a crumb of me.

The comedian says:
"Hope is not 'The thing with feathers'. The thing with feathers turns out to be my nephew. I must take him to a specialist in Zurich."

One week!

Wow, one week. In one week I am going to Lesotho to collect, tell and trade stories. This is one of those opportunities that is a little overwhelming. I hope I do it right. Thanks to Eigenworks, Rockscape Design, the Guelph Community Foundation and Timbres Community Church for joining in and making this happen. I hope I do it right.

Why storytelling?

I have been asked a few times what exactly I will be doing and how I will be using (telling and collecting) stories while I am in Lesotho. In a face to face conversation it is easy to talk about the power and beauty of a story well told, and what I intend to do, however, I struggle putting it into a paragraph just so. For the sake of this blog I will use the following quote instead. I think it does a wonderful job of providing the answer to: "Why stories?"

"Stories open doors to areas or aspects of life that we didn't know were there, or had quit noticing out of over familiarity, or supposed were out of bounds to us. They then welcome us in. Stories are verbal acts of hospitality".
Eugene Petersen

Also...

The other thank yous I should make before this gets too far along are to the four individuals who are responsible for making this happen. First of all, the incomparable Dr. Anne-Marie who started this whole thing and without whom there would be no Bracelet of Hope. Thanks for continuing to stoke the fire.
To Andy, who is so committed to the cause that he moved to Lesotho! What an incredible blessing to have him there doing all that he does. If Anne-Marie is the heart and soul of Bracelet of Hope, Andy is the hands and feet. I look forward to your guidance Andy.
To Candice, who will be my travelling companion and who's role at the home office in Guelph gives her the inside scoop and as a result has made the whole process (ahead of time) so much easier.

Finally, my wife Sylvia, who is not a part of this organization or the trip, but continues to encourage and support my ideas and dreams. Thank you all.                                      

Thanks in advance

 I want to be clear about something before I get much deeper into this. Organizations like Bracelet of Hope use the money they raise to help improve and potentially save lives. In order to get a Storyteller over there to collect stories you need some very generous supporters. I was given the Alice Kane Storytelling Award this year from Storytelling Toronto. That award was less about me and more about the amazing group of  story artists all over Southern Ontario that are a part of that community and committed to support projects like this. Check them out at Storytelling Toronto. Also, I received an incredible amount of support from ETFO (I have also partnered with some very generous businesses and community groups, but I will save that for another day). So on behalf of all the orphans in foster homes that might never get a chance to say so...Thanks!

Stories of Hope

I have been given an incredible opportunity this summer to visit Lesotho to collect stories for Bracelet of Hope. Lesotho is a country completely surrounded by South Africa. It is often referred to as 'The Mountain Kingdom'. It is rich in beauty, history and culture. Unfortunately it is also in the middle of an AIDS pandemic. Bracelet of Hope is an organization that is dedicated to fighting that pandemic through medical clinics, foster homes and business opportunities. I am going to Lesotho to immerse myself in the work of Bracelet of Hope. I will be visiting clinics, churches, foster homes and community centres. I will be involved in the ongoing work of Bracelet of Hope and doing my best to participate in the day to day lives of the people I meet. I want to experience the the joys, the struggles, the journeys, the trials, the success, and the hope that is happening in this beautiful place. It is my plan to return home and tell these stories in order to help raise awareness and support for this incredible work. I will be posting updates leading up to my trip, during my time in Lesotho, and upon my return. If you are interested, please join me on this adventure by following this blog, checking out Bracelet of Hope (link here: Bracelet of Hope), and most importantly exploring Lesotho for yourself.