Lesotho – St. Barnabas and John Mount High School

St. Barnabas and John Mount High School, Maseru, Lesotho

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Mpolokemg Thamae
MY COUNTRY A country is an area of land that is controlled by its own government. My countrys Government is governed by the Prime Minister. Lesotho is a landlocked country it has no direct access to the sea it is an area of about 30 350km2. There are four physical resources in Lesotho

MOUNTAINS,FOOTHILLS,LOWLANDS AND SENQU RIVER VALLY The land is very important to farmers.

LESOTHO’LAND An arable land land for producing crops is very limited in our country because most of the land is covered by mountains of about 78 percent. The arable land is only found in western lowlands, in the base of the mountains FOOTHILLS ,and in the SENQU RIVER VALLEY MOUNTAINS.

LESOTHO’PRODUCTION Even though Lesotho has small land, Basotho still produce quality crops. Some crops have grown naturally in Lesotho INDIGENOUS VEGETATIONS while some are brought into the country from outside Lesotho EXOTIC VEGETATIONS Basotho produce vegetable crops to protect their bodies against illness and disease, to help in healthy and growth.

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS ARE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Vitamin A consists of; tomatoes, peaches, guavas, pumpkin, carrots, peppers, spinach, cabbage and other green vegetables. Vitamin B consists of; mushrooms, peanuts, potatoes, green vegetables, pulses and others. Vitamin C consists of; oranges, strawberries, pineapples, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes and potatoes. Iron consists of; spinach, cabbage, pumpkin, pulses, tomatoes and other vegetables. Calcium consists of; green vegetables, tomatoes and haricot beans. Phosphorus consists of; oranges, cabbage and potatoes. VEGETABLES ALSO PROVIDE US WITH SMALL AMOUNTS OF VITAMIN E and K and MINERAL SULPHUR FRUITS ARE AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF FRUIT ACIDS SUCH AS TARTARIC AND CITRIC ACIDS.THESE ACIDS HELP

PREVENT THE CONSTIPATION Even though the production of Lesotho is quality, the climate also contributes to low agricultural productivity. In summer, Lesotho experiences severe very bad drought, unreliable rainfall and heavy storms, all of which often destroys both crops and animals. In winter there can be heavy snowfalls and freezing temperatures, particularly in the mountains.

Matena Chao

HOMES Lesotho is divided into foothills, lowlands, mountainous and highlands. In foothills houses are built up with stones, mud and for roofing we use straw, poplar poles and grass that grow mostly on the mountains. This type of house is MOKHORO

In the foothills most people use bio fuel energy and for heating such as cow dung, firewood and maize stalks. The standard of living is low but oxygen they get much better than in lowlands urban areas . People in foothills are not educated so they are employed but get low salaries such as shepherds and home maid. In the lowlands urban areas houses are built up with bricks, cement and for roofing we use timber and aluminum roofs. The houses are decorated with flowers such as rose and others. It’s very comfortable in urban areas because there are many services such as schools universities , industries, hotels, lodges and many clinics and hospitals.

Even though urban areas are developed but there are some various disadvantages: they are: High population growing rate people who migrate from rural areas to urban areas increase the already high population . Lack of job when people move from rural areas to urban, they go there for seeking jobs but they are scarcely so this results people engaging themselves in, informal sectors. Pollution: types of pollution are: land pollution, when littering is thrown every, air pollution: industries produce smoke that smoke pollute air that we breath.

THE TYPICAL FOOD Basotho eat food like SEKETSA, NYEKOE AND QHUBU . But nowadays they buy seeds and grow them for consumption and production. CABBAGE it is grown in Lesotho simply because it needs cool climate and it needs plenty of water but it sets head on.

Thao Ratalane

MY COUNTRY
MY COUNTRY HAS A NAME CALLED LESOTHO.IT IS A RESPCTFUL COUNTRY.MANY PEOPLE LIKE IT,ESPECIALLY THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.THEY COME HERE TO LESOTHO JUST TO LOOK AT ITS BEAUTY.THEY EVEN TAKE OUR MOUNTAINS PHOTOS.THEY LIKE OUR TRADITIONAL.IT HAS FOUR PHYSICAL RESOURCES,AND TEN DISTRICT.MANY PEOPLE OF LESOTHO GROW MANY FLOWERS TO DECORATE THEIR COUNTRY THAT’S WHY MANY PEOPLE LIKE

MY VILLAGE

IN MY VILLAGE,MANY PEOPLE GROUP THEMSELVES TO MAKE SOCIAL GROUPS SUCH AS MPATE SHELENG , PATANANG LIPHIRING IN ENGLISH IS BURIAL SERVICES.THE PUPPORSE OF THIS SOCIAL GROUPS IS TO HELP OPHANS,PEOPLE WHO HAVE FUNERALS,THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE CLOTHES,FOOD , PARENTS AND OTHERS.

MOUNTANS

THERE ARE LOTS OF MOUNTAINS IN MY COUNTRY.THEY EVEN HAVE NAMES SUCH AS THABA LITSEBE THE ONE WHICH HAS HEAD AND EARS, TNABANA NTLENYANE WHICH IS THE HIGHEST IN LESOTHO, THABA TEELE AND SO ON.MANY THINGS GROW THERE TO THE MOUNTAINS SUCH AS MEDICINES,TREES,VEGETABLES SUCH AS QHELA , LESHOABE , PAPASANE AND SO ON.

FRUIT TREES IN MY COUNTRY

THERE ARE LOTS OF TRUIT TRESS SUCH AS APPLE TREES ,APRICOT TREES , PEACH TREES , BANANA TREES ,AND SO ON.THESE TREES HELP US TO DECORATE OUR COUNTRY LESOTHO.THE COUNTRY OF LESOTHO IS ALWAYS CIEAN AND BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE OF THESE TREES.

THE TYPICAL FOOD IN OUR COUNTRY

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD IN OUR COUNTRY SUCH AS LIKHETS’O , POTELE , LEHALA , NYEKOE AND SO ON.THE ENGLISH PEOPLE COME HERE TO LESOTHO JUST TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR TRADITIONAL FOOD. WE GROW MANY PLANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR TRADITIONAL FOOD.

Thao Tsoere

THE TYPICAL CLOTHES

THE TYPICAL CLOTHES ARE BLANKETS WHICH ARE MADE OF WOOL, SOME OF BLANKETS ARE MADE FROM THE SKIN OF COWS, SHOES THAT ARE MADE OF THE SKIN OF ANIMALS, BELTS AND HATS ARE ALSO MADE FROM THE SKIN.

THE ANIMALS

SOME ANIMALS HELPS US BECAUSE WHEN THE NIGHT FALLS THEY MAKE SOUNDS.THESE ANIMALS ARE DOMESTIC ANIMALS AND SOME ARE WILD ANIMALS AND MOST OF THEM ARE BIRDS.

AS THEY ARE THE ANIMALS THEY NEED FOOD LIKE EVERY LIVING CREATURE.BIRDS WHICH ARE DOMESTIC, THEY SOMETIMES FEED ON LEGUMINOUS PLANTS SUCH AS MAIZE AND SORGHUM.SORGHUM IS LIKED BY MANY BIRDS WHICH ARE WILD AND DOMESTIC BECAUSE ARE EASILY SWALLOWED.

THESE BIRDS ARE IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE THEY PRODUCE EGGS MEAT AND FEAT HERS.BY THESE PRODUCTS WE CAN SELL THEM.WHILE OTHRS CAN BE USED TO MAKE DECORATIONS LIKE FEATHERS.

Ts’okolo Kinela

THE BUILDINGS IN MY CITY OR COUNTRY

There are many things in my country which are so important and useful to us as Basotho but I would like to talk about the buildings, clothes, trees and food that are found in Lesotho. When talking about houses there are many different kinds of houses namely MOKHORO, HEISI, MOTEBO, MOHLONGOA-FATS’E that are found in Lesotho and they are built up of materials such as stones, wood and soil. And each house has its name given from what is being built from.The houses that are built from wood are called Mohlongoa-fats’e while the houses that are built from stones and soil are called Mokhoro, Heisi and Motebo and they are very much warm in winter and we are proud of them because they are built from natural resources, so that Lesotho did not spend money for that. And other houses are build on the mountains where we transport our animals in winter to get better grazing land and that is called Motebo because it happens that in winter there is not enough grass at the nearest home areas.

THE CLOTHES THAT ARE FOUND IN LESOTHO

There are blankets in Lesotho which are made from the skin of the animals especially cows because they have very tough skin and those are MOKHAHLA, and the hats from cat skin that called KUOANE, which are used by Basotho when going to celebrate their traditional ceremony and when boys are going to school called initiation school [LEBOLLONG] where they are going to be tought about family planning and how they should take care of there family when they grow up into adulthood.And we also have clothes, shoes, leathers and blankets that are made from animal skin, mohair and wool that Basotho wear when celebrating their traditional cultures such as moshoeshoe ‘day. And the most important thing is about mohair and wool that are exported to other countries to be used to design very warm clothes.

ABOUT TREES THAT ARE FOUND IN LESOTHO

There are many different types of trees found in Lesotho. Generally trees are so important and useful in Lesotho, in such a way that they prevent soil erosion during heavy rain fall by breaking heavy rain drops with their branches so that the rain drops would not harm the environment and leave holes on the land. Their roots helps to trap soil particles that being carried by the running water and they also give a big help during wind erosion in such away that they break wind particles in the atmosphere so that it will not affect the houses and the small braches helps to hide the small particles of the stones that have been blown away by strong wind from making harm to the children. Trees also provide shade for the living organisms such as people and animals with their different types, in the same way they are acting as a habited for different living organisms like cutwams, birds and other animals and they furthermore provide wood that used for cooking purposes also when their branches are dry as a result of falling down, they provide soil fertility to the land and beautify the land. After the addition of humus the production of crops is going to be high because will be having a lot of essential nutrients to supply the growing crops.