Update through 6/16/10 - This is a summary since my "Details on Leaving..." posted May 17. I’m with a great group of new CHED’s (Community Health & Economic Development). 28 of us total. (27 Trainees & 1 transfer volunteer extending his service for a year from the Gambia.) 11 men, 17 women. 2 married couples in that group & 5 over the age of 30. Other than us over 30 group I’ve checked & pretty much everyone else is 23 or 24. All are from the States except Benja (red plaid like shirt) who grew up all over Africa. 
Here is our picture taken when we arrived in Maseru, Lesotho.

Here is our first sight upon arriving by plane at Maseru, Lesotho from Johanasburg (sp?) South Africa. Yes, we are still in Africa, lol! Welcome to "The Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho:" I've so far only been in this "lowlands" area of the country - still at 3,000 feet above sea level though....
 

Here is the Training Center in Maseru, Lesotho, Africa,  where we spent only 2 nights. Then directly to our respective 3  villages.
Maseru PC Training Center
Training Center yard
View of downtown Maseru from the training center.
Hanging out at the Training Center
Our teachers/trainers, who will also go to village with us - some will live in village with us for the 10 weeks.
Training Center Dorm kitchen - bedrooms and bathroom flank this kitchen. 4 bedrooms total w/ bunk beds and one bathroom on each side.  Yes, running water & electricity in Masero.  We do boil our water though - see big steamer on the counter top. Sitting room is in front of this kitchen - partial photo below:
 

After the above 2 days I’m next at a village near Mesero who’s name we are not supposed to give out. I had no trouble with all my wheeling suitcases fortunately. They wheeled quite well over the dirt paths as pulled by the children in my family...I was left with nothing to carry to the new home!  Below is where we were deposited in the village from yes, white vans as Bryan suggested would be carrying all our "gear." This is also where we also came to class each day. It's a tin roof with holes we found out when it started raining. Plenty of buckets laying around though:
Village meeting center which we used for our daily classes in our 10 week training.  We were met by singing & dancing women (our new mothers) welcoming us & scattered children - sorry - no picture of that! I left my camera in Maseru in the safe the first week in village....don't ask why...

I’m with the Majara family (surname). My village 1st name is Kathleho (prounounced "Kaklayho"). My "mom" speaks excellent English as do her 2 eldest. She has 4 children total, 18 & 16 & 7 year old boys & 1 girl, 13. We tried to get the whole family together at one time for a photo but it didn't work out until it was too dark. Below is what I have:
Mom Maneo Majara (pronounce like a Spanish language.) and youngest son, Mokhachane in left photo.
Eldest daughter (my "sister") in brown sweatshirt, is Matoka, Mom & Son again & 2 cousins. Mom's sister lives next to us across from the pump....coming up.

Our home is very nice - I'm very surprised at the size & how much new construction exists.  My room is actually the kitchen but she moved that to another part of her house which has several bedrooms and a very nice "sitting room" with leather sofas. It's easy to move a kitchen when there is no electricity or running water... The floor remains painted concrete for easy sweeping & mopping & the roof is new and the ceiling is still open in the main part of the house - finished in my room though.  The house is wired for electricity - see white tube on outside - See below:
 
House with vegetable garden in front with water pump & field for donkey, pig & chicken coop. Door on left side leads to my room. (see door w/ young boy (an abuti.) The window left side is for the house sitting room. I have a window in back that cannot be seen:


Same vege garden - our house to left where stones are & the house by our tractor is the Majera clan mothers house. (My "mom's" mother-in-law.) 

My room 

 Above is the view from my door/yes, a straight walk to the pit latrine & same house in the background in both photos.

The Besotho (people of Lesotho) start learning English in school at age 6 and continue through graduation.  The elders may not have attended school so not all could be counted on to speak English.  School was only "free" for the last few years.  School is pretty much the same as us from 5 till 17 and then on to "university" if they can. School has only been free for a few years but books & uniforms are required which costs money. In my village it looks like everyone sends their children to school at this time so education levels may be looking up in the future if something can be done about the high death rate from Aids/Hiv.

Village school & playground with a PCV hanging with the kids on the weekend:


Career paths are minimal though unless they leave the Country, which many do since South Africa is so close, and unfortunately for the future of Lesotho. My "dad" for example has a university education in agriculture & was a farmer but he works now instead as a boss in the mines in So. Africa. Farming is subsistence only - providing just for the family. No getting rich there. Corn is the only crop I saw at my village. There is some industry here (Levi has a plant for example) but those are jobs for people living in the capitol of Maseru which is just over the border from South Africa.  Below are village pictures. It's winter so no flourishing corn fields at this time.



 
Other than a Farmer there are Herd Boys who are of all ages on through manhood who herd the cattle or sheep or goats. If they are lucky they have a horse for any long distance moving of the herd. The village also uses donkeys for short hauls. 
Younger & older Herd Boy below:

 I didn't have a camera when I saw these men riding their horses across the mountainside - this is a photo of a photo.  There was one horse in our village, black and I saw it's owner on weekends riding for fun it appeared as he was racing his horse alone without any cattle.  A fabulous sight.  The hat by the way takes its shape from the mountains of this country - see the photo at the beginning of this journal entry.

Below shows the importance of the corn crop - corn is used year round & the stalks are for firewood so carefully stacked. The corn cobs lie in piles, covered with a tarp, to be scraped & used throughout the winter.  Small puppy lying on this corn cob pile - how could that be comfortable?
      
 
Next are family and village animals:

Typical style of dog - this one our young pup and our donkey-very important for long hauls. I saw kids riding them bareback sitting often on the rear with packages held in front of them.

Our chicken coop (see our house in background & vege garden). Being one of the poorest countries in the world you'll see they make use of everything - nothing goes to waste. Our "junk" makes a lovely chicken coop roof.  And some friendly chickens & rooster in the coop: