Aurora, Conflict Studies and Human Rights
Virtual Internship Country: Lesotho
Canadian NGO: Alternatives
Local NGO: Lesotho Association of Teachers
While the internship was daunting in the beginning, I am now comfortable in my role within the organization and am enjoying it to the point where I may continue occasional work. My contact at the host organization has been very helpful and gracious, and has been happy to share with me many details about Lesotho- ranging from political conditions to the impact of covid-19.
My many meetings and conversations with Letsatsi (LAT chairperson) have provided me with opportunities to ask many questions. This has helped me to gain a fuller understanding of my role within the LAT as well as to understand the motivations behind the organization. This has then helped me to understand the challenges and struggles that the people of Lesotho face while trying to develop their country. It allowed me to make significant comparisons between my own life experiences and those living in the developing world. The purpose of my role within the LAT is to work to offer quality education for the youth of Lesotho, so that they have a chance to escape the constant cycle of poverty that predominantly plagues the rural areas.
As an emergency supply teacher for a school based in the Greater Toronto Area, I have gained an educator's perspective on the school curriculum as well as the opportunities/benefits given to Ontario teachers. Most times I am in the school, I am working in the needs moderate/needs severe class where there is a 1:1 ratio of students to educators. As I develop relationships with these children, I continue to think about those students in Lesotho who are in a classroom with a hundred others, with a few teachers scattered throughout the school room. It is difficult to reconcile my experiences with the fact that there is absolutely no support for students with exceptionalities in Lesotho- all youth should have access to quality education and be given the chance to build social connections and gain a basic understanding of different facets of life.
I believe that my work as a supply teacher has motivated me to create different projects that speak to the inequity between the education system in Lesotho and Canada. It has allowed me to gain some field experience, as I have been able to apply my knowledge and understanding to different projects and proposals with the LAT. Up until this point, my work has consisted of funding proposals, creating projects, and reaching out to potential support partners. As I mentioned in my previous blog posting, my biggest struggle continues to be finding individuals and organizations willing to provide the LAT with any kind of support. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is less funding available and people are generally much more concerned and focused on their own wellbeing. While it is completely understandable that people and organizations are focusing more so on themselves at this time, it has made my task much more difficult. I have found a similar pattern when looking for funding opportunities and grant applications- there are more restrictions on opportunities, the criteria is more limited, and most organizations are moving from a global scope to a more nationalistic approach. In other words, grants that would previously have been available to NGO’s in Lesotho are no longer an option.
Nonetheless, I continue to work towards developing connections and projects with the LAT. As we continue to work towards ensuring a better future for those in Lesotho, I believe we will see more progress. As the main obstacles the LAT faced with are funding and cultural conditions, any kind of development is significant in making an impact within Lesotho. In regards to cultural conditions, things like gender equality cannot happen overnight and are rather the result of long-term dedication. Protecting minority groups within the education system of Lesotho is a top priority. Therefore, even when my internship term with the University of Ottawa has ended, I plan on continuing to work towards better conditions for the youth and educators in Lesotho, with the hope that they will have a prosperous future.