Lesotho Community Project - April 2009 During the last three years the 4x4 Offroad Adventure Club has donated in excess of R100 000 to charity and it was on this note that we were invited to Lesotho to see the projects that had been completed using our donations. At the end of 2008 we made a decision that in 2009 we would not only donate money but would travel to Lesotho and make the difference ourselves and so we started planning. After talking to the Lesotho Mission coordinator through whom we had been donating money to the orphanage and after speaking to the orphanage director we decided to undertake the following projects: Build a new 10 x 8 m jungle gym . Repair another jungle gym and swings at a school. Varnish the existing smaller jungle gym at the orphanage. Build racks and desks for the boys at the orphanage. Purchase school shoes for all the children (80 pairs). Purchase stockings for the girls. Collect clothes (we took about 30 cubic meters of clothes). We took 100 sets of school stationary. Colouring in books and crayons. We took lots toys and soccer balls. We took treats. We took blankets. The ladies threaded beads with the kids and did some art projects. After sending out an email to the members we got immediate response and soon thereafter the team was organized: Team leader Greg His second visit to the orphanage Chef Clive and Nic Jungle Gym designer Karsten Professional carpenters Ricardo, Ricardo and Deon Carpenters and Painters Ian and Veronica, Andy and Veronica, Colette, Andy, Adriaan and Carol and David Carpenters and Painters Marius, Francois and Llewellen from Gauteng Art teacher Jeanette Karsten and Greg planned the new jungle gym and Karsten calculated the materials necessary. The wood, threaded rod and hardware was bought and then over Easter weekend Karsten started working. Karsten, Ricardo, Ricardo and Deon started assembling and Neville, Divan, Greg, Gloria, Clive and Linda started varnishing and by the end of the Easter weekend the main jungle gym was complete. After a few calls to John, we got the trailer, the nappies and the baby milk, we filled every vehicle to the brim, the trailers were packed and we departed from Worcester at 4am. The trip was uneventful with the exception of the rented trailer which started to fall apart after 200km of tar road. After a few stops for junk food we arrived at Wepener. John had arranged a deal for us and it was nice to stay in a bed for the last time. Dinner was great and soon thereafter everyone was asleep (after the 3am departure from Cape Town). The next morning was chilly, about 4 deg Celcius and we just knew that Lesotho would be even colder. After breakfast we picked up some last minute things and arrived at the border by 8.30am. The South African side was no problem and the Lesotho side was even easier and soon we were on our way to Mafeteng, Roma and Semonkong. The speed limits are insane, 50 kph near a village and 100 kph on the open road BUT with very few signs you guess the speed limits and hope for the best. No fines this time. The Vito was struggling with the big offroad trailer and we stopped and hitched the trailer onto Karsten's Landy. A while later we start a descent and see a bus down the side of the mountain...hmmm we found out later that the steering had broken, some people injured but no deaths. Great! At lunch time we arrive in Semonkong. Patrick and Tara are introduced to the team and we start erecting tents and most importantly Clive's kitchen. Clive own a factory making sauces for the catering industry but is also a qualified chef and he volunteered to create gastronomic delights. The food was amazing. We off load everything and realize that we have brought lots of clothing for the orphanage. After sorting half of the total into sizes, and boys and girls, we had the chairs and benches in the hall half full... this is what 15 cubic meters of clothes look like. The next morning was cold and we woke to - 4 deg, ice on everything, water frozen and after breakfast Karsten took control of the team and soon the jungle gym was taking shape. The team worked from 8am until 12.30pm without stopping, half an hour for lunch and then work until 4.30pm. The jungle gym was enormous and the orphans watched from the doorways of the hostels, obviously having been told not to get in the way until they were called. The next morning was - 2 deg. I went into Semonkong to buy cement, an extra pick and some wood. I met George, a good businessman who would not give any discount and obviously had learnt his English from American TV show as every now again he would drift into Rasta English with a Hey Maan! By Wednesday the Jungle Gym was complete and in the late afternoon we called the kids to play. Even the tough ones amongst us were a bit chocked up. The kids LOVED it and played until it was completely dark. The night was cold and once again we had some amazing food. As the master carpenters were finished their work on the jungle gym they went to Joshua School in the afternoon and fixed their swings and jungle gym, handed out books, crayons, soccer balls, blankets, clothes and some treats which were brought all the way from Gauteng by Marius, Llewellen and Francois. The rest of us painted the orphanage's old jungle gym. As soon as the repairs were done we detoured to the Maletsunyane Falls for some pics. After getting cel signal Greg received a weather report stating heavy snow was on it's way and as this was confirmed by Patrick. As we were finished and as we had a few 4x2 vehicles we decided to leave on Friday morning and miss the weather that never came. Thursday morning was really cold and we crept out of sleeping bags to meet a new day at minus 6 deg. As I looked towards the jungle gym at 6.30am the kids were already playing, in -6 deg! Clive made brekkies and the day was planned. Karsten and his team and the Gauteng team started building the lockers and desks in the boys dorm. We all helped a bit but seven people in these little rooms was just too much so we started packing up odds and ends. Friday dawned sunny and soon all the trailers were hitched and we said our goodbyes to the kids, Patrick and Tara and we were on our way. Even after strapping the trailer with ratchet straps it came back to haunt us. After 10km bits started to fall off, we stopped and tried more repairs, more bits fell off and after about 50km we took an angle grinder and cut the whole frame off the trailer. At last! Suddenly I realized that as we are a day early we do not have accomodation and it is a long weekend. I call Gloria and John and ask them to start surfing and find us somewhere to stay. John calls Errol and Sally and within the hour I get a call with a number. I call the guest house at Colesburg, yes, they have accommodation and the price is not too bad so off we go. Since we left a night early we have plenty of food left and Clive plans a steak braai - awesome. Saturday morning we depart early, a quick stop at Wimpy for breakfast and we travel south arriving home at 3pm. We had a very successful trip, changed some lives and had a ball. Next trip is September and this time we are planning to sort out the plumbing.