.JPG)
It is true that
things can change in an instant. Out of nowhere yesterday afternoon, the TTL
campus in Mokhotlong was hit hard by an intense storm that produced
golfball-size hail, massive winds and rain, and floods. The quiet creek running
alongside campus turned into a raging river taking trees and everything else in
its path. Heavy rains, lightning and thunder carried on for over an hour and a
half. Flood waters poured into campus, uprooting and devastating all of our
crops. Braving the elements to run to a different building resulted in
navigating knee-high currents moving not just mud but rocks, bones, crops, and
garbage. Literally all we could do was watch as Mother Nature went
rogue. 
We were all very
fortunate to be safe and despite the fact the flood waters reached such a
height that they flooded the Safe Home, we were able to get the babies to
safety. After looking around campus in the daylight, we realised the depth of
the damage done by the storm. TTL staff, Fellows, and visitors all came
together with spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows to relocate our pathways and
walks. It took over 6 hours for the job to be complete, with many more days of
work on campus left to do. Most upsetting is our beautiful garden, which has
been completely washed away by the rain. The garden that provided fresh food
for the children in the Safe Home has now disappeared and won't be salvageable
before the fall arrives. 
We are thinking
about all of our community clients and partners now as they too struggle to
cope with the aftermath of the storm. Food security is a chronic issue here in
Lesotho, and TTL has attempted to lessen the burden by providing our client
families with seed packages for their own sustainable gardens. We realise with
heavy hearts that like our garden on campus, the gardens of many families in
and around Mokhotlong will have washed away. Now more than ever, the work of
TTL is essential for those who are most vulnerable.
PLEASE, if you can, please help our clients to get back on their feet and see them through until the next harvest. Donate here if you are from North America, and here if you are from the rest of the world, so that TTL can buy canned vegetables and meat to see them through this incredibly devastating and difficult time.
Thank you.
