“It’s a very, very poor country. Most children attend school, but the government doesn’t have a lot of funds. The funds are put towards HIV/AIDS, drought, malnutrition, and a variety of issues they deal with. The high schools have a few books, but there’s nothing in my district where people can go and access them freely.”
Peace Corps volunteer Elizabeth Pugh recently sent letters and photos to her mother to bolster the book campaign in Lesotho
Send us your books
By Alice Louise Wagoner/Staff Writer
Oct 4, 2005, 08:31 am
In the midst of death, malnutrition, and drought, African children in the country of Lesotho plead for books.
Peace Corps volunteer Elizabeth Pugh, a 2000 Alamogordo High School graduate, recently sent letters and photos to her mother to bolster the book campaign.
Elizabeth in Africa
Her mother, Mary Yanalcanlin, brought a folder to the Daily News containing letters from Pugh, community leaders, children and educators in the village of Quthing. They had submitted their letters to Pugh, who typed and included them with her own, she said by phone Monday. The time was 10:30 a.m. in Alamogordo, and 6:30 p.m. in Quthing, which is located in southern Africa.
“It’s really, really hard to get books here,” Pugh said.
“It’s a very, very poor country. Most children attend school, but the government doesn’t have a lot of funds. The funds are put towards HIV/AIDS, drought, malnutrition, and a variety of issues they deal with. The high schools have a few books, but there’s nothing in my district where people can go and access them freely.”
Pugh began working with a local education official to build a library. They have some materials, and are seeking funds and books.
“I’ve been asking different communities, my hometown community, I’ve contacted my sisters in Phoenix. My boyfriend’s parents in Tucson are collecting books,” she said.
The needs
She’s asking for fiction and non-fiction books, magazines and journals spanning a wide age group.
Pugh has worked a year with the Peace Corps, and was initially placed in the food and nutrition coordination office. As a facilitator, she brought in speakers to talk to the bo-me (women) about HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and using food as medicine.
Pugh learned through an anthropology nutrition class in the country and other training that foods such as garlic, lemon and onions help boost the immune system.
“After the presentation, I would cook a dinner using the local, available resources,” she said.
The normal diet in Lesotho consists of papa, ground cornmeal which is boiled until it reaches a thick consistency like mashed potato. The dish also includes a green spinach-like vegetable.
Not only did Pugh work with village women on nutrition, she also became involved in teaching preschool and primary children. It was familiar territory.
“I was working at my mother’s child care back home,” Pugh said. “I love children and that’s what came naturally to me. That’s how I became involved.”
That’s also how she discovered the Quthing children’s hunger for books. They borrowed hers.
Working with the students made her take notice of Mzontjane Phike. He wants to become an engineer, but funds are scarce. Pugh is requesting financial support for him as well.
The realities of life in Lesotho has proven challenging and frustrating for the anthropology major.
“It’s a lot of hardships,” she said. “There are days when I love it here. It’s a lot of ups and down, becoming a part of the culture when we’re here.”
The Peace Corps method is to integrate its volunteers into the community. She lives among them and was given the name Neo, which means Gift. She is addressed as Ausi Neo (Miss Gift) in the village, and Ma Neo (Mother Gift) by the students.
Taking for granted
Physical comforts like running water and electricity don’t exist. She gets her water from a river, and light comes from a candle and a paraffin lamp, which consists of a wick in a little jar of kerosene.
“Right now I’m sitting in my room, and I have two paraffin lamps and a candle to read by,” she said.
Physical needs can be provided, but it’s the emotional battle which she continually wages in the face of so many people dying as a result of HIV.
“Every Saturday there’s a funeral,” she said. “This weekend we had three. It’s so commonplace, people don’t think there’s any difference now. It obviously has an effect on the people.”
Pugh said she’s having to guard her own emotions, so that to remain upbeat involves some effort.
“I write a lot of letters. I do a lot of fiction writing or writing for fun. I get a lot exercise, so that’s really good. I make sure I talk to other people, other Peace Corps members, my boyfriend back home,” she said.
She’ll be returning in July 2006 with plans to pursue a master’s degree in education in Montessori at Loyola Marymount in Maryland.
That’s a world apart from Quthing. Right now, some eager children and their parents are depending on her bringing in some books for a Quthing library.
Stories
Mary Yanalcanlin, Pugh’s mother, will collect and ship the donated books. She can be reached at 437-8685, or P.O. Box 314, Alamogordo, NM 88311. Funds for shipping the books are also needed — approximately $1 will cover the cost of a pound of books.
To donate to Mzontjiane Phike’s education, send checks with Phike’s name on them to:
Holy Trinity High School
E. Pelane, Headmaster
P. O. Box 397
Quthing 700
Letter from a student
Dear Sir/Madam
It is with immense bubbles of jubilation that I jot you this short letter asking you to help with a library.
We are the group of students who have formed the village English club from Ha Ratema village. We want to increase our level of speaking English and to be able to write English.
The types of books we like are the novels, and dramas, if our request is accepted.
Yours sincerely,
Bolibe Relebohile
Letter from teacher
I am Makatiso Molake. I am Mosotho in nationality. I am a woman aged 23 years. I am hired as a teacher temporarily, at above mentioned school (Holy Trinity Primary School). I am eager for our district, Quthing, in Lesotho to have a public library because it will assist us for references and for further information as I wish to further my studies. Different books will help us to know how other people are surviving in their countries and we will practice them if they are beneficial to us.
