On Saturday, November 16 2013 I attended a meeting at St Michael's Primary School for the students in class 6. It is nearing the end of the school year here in Lesotho.
BRAA focuses on youth in in Standard 7 at St Michael's Primary. With the end of the school drawing near, they invited the students from standard 6 to come to a meeting to show them what is in store for them in 2014.
We arrived at the school just as the morning's driving rain ended. Given the weather, we were not sure what to expect in terms of numbers. But out of a possible group of 45, we found more than a dozen kids waiting for us on the porch of one of the school buildings. By the time we got started there were more than 20.
We unloaded our stuff and got one of the nuns, Sister Mary Theresa, to let us into the assigned classroom.
BRAA founder and chairperson, Hlompho Motsoasele, gave a brief welcoming talk to the kids, explaining the plans for this group in 2014 and encouraging everyone to feel welcome. Over the next year BRAA plans a series of monthly meetings that will include presentations on topics like HIV/AIDS, peer pressure, and goal setting intermixed with some fun and games, and also some work on assorted agricultural projects that will teach the kids about farming and caring for animals.
The kids are amazing.
St Michael's Primary is a poor school in a poor community. The kids are starved for attention and revel in having a group of young men, primarily from the National University just down the road, come in and spend some time with them. They are all so well behaved, eager and enthusiastic.
I look forward to seeing what changes they will go through over the course of the coming year.
