A day of 2 halves

First half - yesterday morning
We arrived at the Irish Embassy,in Maseru, at 9am to meet the Irish Ambassador Mr Gerry Gervin and his wife Mrs Anna Gervin, who is the Patron of Lesotho Mountain Crafts. We then drove, in convoy, to the Limkokwing University to meet, we thought, the fashion and design students and staff with a view to encouraging these students to undertake placements with the members of Lesotho Mountain Crafts. Our welcome included a red carpet lined with students, live music and drumming, a photographer, an introduction to nearly all staff and a walk into a hall full of 60+ students and staff! We were rather overwhelmed especially when we realised that Pippa, Anne and I were down on the programme to deliver the Keynote speech. We managed that, I think, listened to staff speeches and it was particularly good to hear one student reciting his own poem in Sesotho and the University choir singing acapella. The programme was concluded with a speech from the Ambassador. We then viewed student work and felt like royalty again as photos were taken! After this were were given a finger buffet lunch and then a farewell gift from the university before walking the red carpet again and being accompanied to our car!
The photos show Pippa speaking at the podium, Anne and I giving our 'keynotes speech', group photos with us, the students and staff and the Ambassador and his wife and finally us receiving our gifts. It was an extraordinary morning!

Post-script to yesterday!

I forgot to mention that we visited two more artisan groups on our way home yesterday. Leribe Crafts who dye and produce woven products - scarves, throws and wall hangings. The other group - Positively Enpowered Artisans make beaded jewellery and have now started to make beads from Seshoeshoe fabric to compliment bought in beads.members from both of these groups will attend our colour and design workshops next week.

Katse Dam

Up at 5am today and we are now 2 hours ahead of you all as they don't change the clocks here. So you were all still zizzing away as we left Ficksburg at 5.45 to go into Lesotho and drive for over 3 hours into the mountains to the Katse Dam. It was really spectacular and sadly I can't post all the photos I'd like to. But we drove up and up reaching the Mafika Lisiu Pass at 3090 metres - the twisting steep road with hairpin bends made Berriedale Braes look like a picnic! The morning light and then the evening light on the mountains was wonderful and we passed lots of small villages and settlements with rondavels, children walking literally miles to school and back again, herd boys with their flocks, strips of land being ploughed by oxen on nearly vertical hill slopes and the occasional road worker in the middle of nowhere brushing the road! The queue of children waiting to go into the dam is one class! And the lady weavers are wearing traditional Lesoho hats while weaving baskets for sale. It was an amazing experience and much thanks to Pippa for driving us!

Planning day!

Yesterday was a planning day which was just as well as we had another electric storm with torrential rain. It eased up and as we needed some exercise we decided to walk to the fabric shop in Ficksburg. This was fine until we got there - the storm came back, with lightening and thunder crashing overhead and gallons of water pouring out of the sky. We got rather wet on the way home!! Later we lost power, which didn't come back on until this morning!

Visit to Clarens

Today Anne and I drove to Clarens (South Africa) - it's a small arty town with lots of craft shops, cafés and galleries situated round a grassy square. We had a lovely day looking around in sunshine and warmth. The drive is spectacular with amazing mountains sculpted by wind and weather and the light on the way back was fantastic!

Day off!

Lovely warm day - A short walk round the golf course followed by a drive to Ladybrand and lunch in a great cafe called Living Life. Some pics below to show the quirky nature of the place which includes a gallery, gift shops and very luxurious accommodation! We'd like to stay there please!!

Today - more leather!

We made individual visits to the two leather workers - both are based in Maseru! Firstly to the workshop of Fusi who is training his daughter. He is producing some good sandals, shoes, belts and smaller items like mobile phone cases. He also does repairs and his small, busy workshop is well laid out and in the market district. Photos show us in and around the workshop with Fusi and his daughter. He has agreed that changing the name of his business to 'Fusi' is much more modern and snappy!!
In the afternoon we revisited the workshop of Mme Mataboho and had fun trying on hats, all of which they had made today, ordered by the Department of Culture to go to China!! You'll see I'm wearing a particularly fetching number and honestly it's not a tag sticking out of the side! The other participants on the hat front are Anne and Pippa together and Clare (Board of Director for Action Lesotho)
Both Fusi and Mme Mataboho are being funded to go on a two week intensive course, learning new skills in leatherwork, in Cape Town. They leave tomorrow - the course looks fantastic and we're looking forward to seeing what they produce and how it can help develop their products. Another really good day!

Thunder & Lightening

Well Mme Pule (Morag) and Mme Puleing (Anne) have been hard at work again resulting in an amazing storm - thunder, sheet lightening and torrential rain! We sat in the dark, last night, watching the garden lighting up, momentarily brighter than daylight! Very awesome and much needed rain for the asparagus, cherries and maize planting.

A day of contrasts!

Maseru - market and mall!
More hats!
Heat and hail!

Great 2 days working with 2 leather workers!

Yesterday we went to Mme Mateboho's workshop - Rose Leather Works - other craft workers were invited to attend and we looked at and discussed products produced in her workshop. We then asked them all to think about how they could develop new leather products that could include other techniques materials such as weave, Seshoeshoe fabric, and horn. This kind of design discussion is a new concept to them but they took part with real enthusiasm and came up with some good ideas - all very encouraging.
The photos show us all outside in the sun, the two groups in deep discussion and Mme Mateboho's employee making sheepskin slippers