Redefining Remote – Chelsea and Kyle Pease, Lesotho 14-16
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | Stitcher | RSS
Photos from Chelsea and Kyle’s Story
Chelsea and Kyle Pease’s Peace Corps Story
Where and when did you serve? What did you do?
We served together as a married couple in Lesotho, Africa from 2014-2016, both as education volunteers. We lived in Motete, a village in the mountains about six hours from the nearest camptown. We spent our time working with our schools, experiencing traditional culture, traveling around the mountains on foot to villages without road access (we were the first foreigners people had seen), and also various projects with our community including HIV/AIDS/health education, grants and project management for PV system, several classrooms, science lab, girls hostel, kitchen, toilets, upgrade to high school, social equality efforts for local culture, mapping of cultural landmarks, endangered species awareness and protection, land protection efforts, herd boy night school. HIV/AIDS Education, remote school outreach, and swimming lessons.
What is one of your favorite Peace Corps memories?
Kyle: Arriving to a village after a long day out in the mountains, getting permission from the chief to stay with his village while traveling in the mountains, and exchanging stories and pictures with the villagers in a smoky hut late into the night.
Chelsea: I have endless wonderful memories. We loved are time so much in Lesotho we went back to visit less than a year after we left. One memory that I will always cherish is from one of our last days in our village before our service ended. We had developed a close relationship with a family in a nearby village and we spent a lot of our time at their house. During our final days spent in our village we had a special surprise for them. We had bought marshmallows in town, something no one had ever seen before. Nearly twenty people packed into a tiny hut around a fire and giggled with delight as everyone tried a roasted marshmallow. Sticky fingers and happy grins were abundant.
What is one of your least favorite Peace Corps memories?
K: chronic Giardia x 1.5 yrs.
C: As many Peace Corps volunteers can relate, being hot and sweaty on public transport with all of the windows closed, for several hours. Going to town from our village was an all day affair, we were always pressed up against people from all angles with goods from town piled to the ceiling on our laps for six or more hours.
What do you miss about Peace Corps?
K: real community, simple down to earth culture, relaxed and caring people
C: Relaxed community feel. No rush with anyone, you can stop by anyone’s house and they will cook food for you and you’re encouraged to hang out there all day. It’s also amazing that you can travel anywhere in the highlands of Lesotho and don’t have to worry about “private property” like we have in the states. You are never trespassing.
What is something you learned in the Peace Corps?
K: understanding time.
C: The importance of taking the time to chat with people.
Do you have a favorite quote or local saying?
K: Ho Monate!
C: Everyone’s heard “hakuna mathata” which actually is pretty close to Sesotho “ha kena mathata” meaning I have no problem. I also love “motho ke motho ka batho” translating directly as “a person is a person of people”. The meaning being: “I am because we are”, which is called “ubuntu” in zulu. A philosophy that I try to live by.
Together for Motete
Afterword
1. Just want to make sure this part doesn’t get misinterpreted: When we were discussing the herdboys and marital abduction (chobeliso), we aimed to provide a context for why such an antiquated practice is still occurring in modern day. I realize it may have sounded like we were defending those who participate in the practice, which we do not intend to do. While having boys in school and improving their social skills is crucial, we’ve also spent a significant amount of effort discussing healthy relationships and promoting girls empowerment. Our students and fellow teachers have all participated in lengthy open discussions regarding measures to be taken to prevent problems from occurring, and what to do if they do occur to themselves or someone else. As cell phones become more available, we’ve made sure all students have the police phone number written down in their notebooks in several places. We’ve discussed directly with the police ways in which abuse can be reported and the special programs (CGPU) they have for these situations. We could probably spend an entire podcast just on that topic.

Enjoy this episode? Then be sure to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcast and help others discover this show.