Peace Corps PST: Finding my footing
Lumelang Bo'Mme le Bo'Ntate!
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!
I wake up, do chores, eat breakfast, attend training, eat lunch + throw frisbee, attend more training, head home to change, go on a hike with others, return home, bathe in a basin, play with kids, help cook dinner, eat, sleep, and repeat until early December.
That's the single-sentence version of the first routine I'm settling into in Peace Corps Lesotho Pre-Service Training (PST). It's wholly consuming and continuously tiring but also creates an environment for limitless learning and enjoyment. I'm never sure which part will be the highlight of my day; Sometimes the pre-sunset hike is mythically beautiful, but other days playing with my young brother and the neighbors is the peak daily experience. And other days its just laughing with my cohort or getting into bed after an endless day.
With all that is mounded on your plate during PST, there are many things I'm not doing right now, simply because I run out of waking minutes. Like running, which I miss, but simply have no energy or time for. But, mostly the things I cannot do are things I'm happy are gone; Like social media. There is always something to do, or some reason to be present HERE instead of getting lost in thought.
Life is very immediate here; I have to cook food to eat, boil and filter water to drink, walk everywhere, attend 8-10 hours of training, and keep my body and home clean. Plus, washing clothes by hand, which is rather therapeutic and honestly leads to a cleaner shirt. It's all quite brilliant.
The only material thing I miss right now is cold food; no electric = no fridge = no cold meals. I could absolutely smash a bowl of ice cream or a cold glass of water. But the food is so good that it's easy to overlook the temperature.
My Sesotho is starting to take shape, since the intensity and total immersion continues to hold strong. My digital flashcard deck has skyrocketed from 300 to 1000 flashcards since my last post (a week ago). I have between 1-4 hours of language training per day, which basically means every week it feels equivalent to a semester of high school Spanish (in terms of progress). We are already writing full paragraphs about ourselves, our education and work history, why we are in Lesotho, our interests, and more.
I am also now able to make the various clicking sounds for words which require them. It's wild how quickly the brain can learn a language through osmosis and daily practice. Plus, our instructors and top notch Basotho who wrote us a 300 page Sesotho book that is SPECIFIC to health volunteers in Lesotho (the education volunteers have a different book with modified vocab/examples). Their care for us reins supreme.
The fact that I'll be here for two whole years still hasn't really cemented in my mind. I guess that's because my whole life has been largely spent within a 50 mile radius of where I grew up. So living well outside that for two years straight just doesn't compute yet. It's a unique feeling which cocktails excitement with melancholy.
I'm at a loss for what more to talk about, because there is so much to mention that it's hard to find the angle of attack. So, PLEASE send me any questions you have (either in the comments on this post or send them to my parents and they can relay them to me). I'm an open book in need of ideas to write about.
I did get one question previously, which was: Do the kids know what Star Wars and Spiderman is on their t-shirts? This was referencing one of the photos.
The answer is yes! Global pop culture is well known here, especially among the teenagers. Smartphone/social media/TikTok access is relatively high here, which enables all that cross-cultural exchange. This question reminds me of a moment early in training, when I was talking to a local teen with excellent English. We talked about favorite artists (Jay-Z, Adelle, Kendrick, Rihanna), favorite actors (Kevin Hart, The Rock, Mark Walhberg), and about US news/politics (Trump, Tariffs, 1st Amendment). My ~10 year old brother knows Baby Shark. Some culture remains constant throughout the world, it seems.
But there is a tide of Basotho culture which does not have the same reach globally, and that I am richly invested in learning more about. Such as the Famo music genre, the Lesotho National Anthem, the cultural games/traditions, and the district football clubs. Always something new to learn here.
Please submit any and all questions!
Kea leboha! (Thank you, Kay-ah Lay-bow-ha)
Khotso! Pula! Nala!
Peace! Rain! Prosperity!
(Lesotho proverb)
(Hhot-sow, Poo-lah, Na-lah)
Here is an example paragraph of me introducing myself in Sesotho, with translation and voice recording.
Mabitso a ka ke Connor kapa Bohlokoa. Haeso ke Amerika, Pennsylvania. Empa, hona joale ke lula Lesotho. Pele fihla Lesotho, ke kene Temple University, eaba ke ithutala khoebo le likhomphuta. Ke lutse lilemo tse 'ne, ho tloha 2021 ho ea 2025, hobane ke ile ka hloka ho qeta degree ea ka. Ke mona hobane ke moithaopi oa bophelo oa Peace Corps Lesotho. Ke tla sebetsa cliniking, hape ke tla ruta bana le bacha ka bophelo bo botle, phepo, le litaba tsa thobalano. Ke tla sebesta Lesotho lilemo tse peli. Kea leboha.
My names are Connor or Bohlokoa. I am from America, Pennsylvania. But, right now I live in Lesotho. Before I arrived in Lesotho, I attended Temple University, and I learned business and computers. I lived there for four years, from 2021 to 2025, because I needed to finish my degree. I'm here because I'm a Peace Corps Lesotho health volunteer. I will be working in a clinic, and also I will teach youth healthy living, nutrition, and health issues. I will work in Lesotho for two years. Thank you.
Photos:
Photo session with my brother and neighborhood kids