Ready, Set, Grow!

wire push car

It’s fascinating to watch children experiencing this world. Play is truly child’s work. Children in Lesotho create toys out of items considered rubbish in more developed regions. Devoid of prefabricated toys, the world of play fosters a mind-boggling amount of inventiveness. Balls are made of plastic bags or rubber bands; tires and rims are rolled along with sticks; intricate wire cars bump along the road. Items that the developed world would resign to the trash bin are transformed into toys in the most imaginative ways!

Often we see older children out and about, playing in their villages, but rarely do we witness much play in the early childhood years. Yet that is the period when play is so vital for adequate child development.

'M'e Nthabeleng providing caregiver
education during a safe home reunification

In an effort to promote integrated early childhood development, TTL has been working with caregivers to encourage play and interaction beginning at birth. In addition to performing a monthly developmental assessment of each child, the Outreach team provides individualized counseling to caregivers based on the child’s age and abilities. Caregivers learn appropriate play to promote physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Over the past few months, we have worked to create tools to assist caregivers as they help the children under their care grow. With the new TTL child development cards, comprised of both pictures and words in Sesotho, caregivers will have a clear and handy reference tool. The Outreach team looks forward to utilizing these cards to help caregivers foster the growth of our clients and other children in the household. Together we can work to help these children develop to their fullest potential.

A caregiver reviews her early childhood
development tool

'M'e Kokonyana reviewing how caregivers
can support child development

Twins In, Twins Out

If good things come in pairs, are two sets of twins a pair of pairs and twice as good?

This week in the Safe Home, we said goodbye to Tlallo and Ntlalleng, who have been with us since October 2013. When this brother-sister set arrived, they were suffering from acute malnutrition and very delayed in reaching developmental milestones. After three months, they are sitting, laughing, working up to a crawl, and noticeably chubbier!

Tlallo sitting with one of the Bo'me

Ntlalleng testing out the new Bumbo

Compare their astounding progress, now at 9 months old, with a different set of twins. Teboho and Liteboho are 17 months old, but about half the size of their counterparts.

Such comparisons are common in the Safe Home. The staff working day and night to care for these most vulnerable babies pay close attention to the specific needs of each child. Little by little, the Tebohos and Litebohos grow to be like Tlallo and Ntlalleng – heavier, healthier, happier and back on track for a stronger childhood.

We will be the first to admit: it is bittersweet to see our healthy babies go, especially when several reunify with their families at once. However, we are proud of the strides our first twins made and are eager to see the same results with this second pair.

You are sure to see photos of their time in the Safe Home, so stay tuned for twice as much fun!

A Season of Giving

The holidays in Lesotho are warm and rainy, providing lots of opportunities for spending time outdoors with friends and neighbors. This time of year is also characterized by frequent generosity to the more vulnerable members of one’s community. At TTL, we care for many of the children that fall in this category. 

With the loving care provided by TTL Safe Home caregivers, babies gain healthy weight and let their personalities shine!

In this season of giving we are grateful for the support we have received from around the world and within Mokhotlong itself and want to take the time to truly thank those who have donated financially or in kind. 

From our neighbors in town, the surprise donations we received just before the holidays are greatly appreciated and we put them to use right away to continue providing high quality care to the babies in the Safe Home and in the highlands of Lesotho.

The visitors who have stopped by to drop off baby clothing, spend time in the playroom, or ask questions about TTL's mission have also been welcome additions to our workdays. And of course we are grateful for support at any time! Every little bit helps to improve the quality of life for the children supported by TTL in their earliest years.

To those who have generously supported TTL, we sincerely thank you and hope to have your continued support in coming years. We are optimistic as we move into 2014 and look forward to sharing with you the many stories of our work in Lesotho.

Happy Holidays!

From the staff and children here in Mokhotlong, we wish you a happy holiday season!  Here's a smattering of photos from our holiday celebration on Friday.

TTL gets a new Fellow

Hello! I am Becky Dale, the newest TTL Fellow here in the stunning mountains of Lesotho.

Sani Pass overlooking the Drakensberg Mountains

I have just arrived from the much flatter (and much warmer!) West African country of Ghana where I spent six months working to improve the quality of primary education in the Volta Region. That position was a departure from my previous work and studies that have focused on central African history, conflict, and development. Needless to say, I am once again about to experience a very different story during my time in Lesotho.

The next year will be a great learning opportunity, and I am both eager to get started and humbled by my ignorance. Yet life in Lesotho will not wait for me to catch up; the work at TTL must continue each day.

I am excited to be joining the staff of TTL, spending time with the babies and their families, and meeting the visitors who make the trek to Mokhotlong. For those unable to visit our Kingdom in the Sky, I look forward to sharing plenty of stories and memorable experiences along the way!

- Becky