Happy to be homeward bound and very satisfied with my trip

So I am sat at Lesotho International Airport, which is delightfully small and easy to navigate, staff are laid back and relaxed as there are only about 6 flights coming through each day. That said my bag just got tagged for Tunisia – I was able to spot this as I had not even checked in but my bag was tagged and off around the carousel towards the plane – maybe there is something to not so friendly but efficient airport staff! It is a beautifully clear day, not a cloud in sight at present and so my hope is that the flight will be a smooth one, that said is it very hot today around 28c already (at 10am) and so there could be some heat thermals coming off the mountains to navigate but I will be able to view splendid Lesotho from the aeroplane even if I am bouncing along! I then have 8 hours in Jo’berg before my connecting flight so lots of time to get some of the pages and pages of data entered.
The last two weeks have been busy but fruitful. As I am interested in capturing a detailed analysis of the youth co-operatives I am looking at, these last 2 weeks have been crucial in getting data with depth. It is like I have been building up to this point – first selecting the co-ops to work with, then doing initial visits and interviews and starting to build relationships with interview participants. In my last interviews, they now know me and I know them and their co-operative – I can therefore ask better questions and I think they feel more comfortable to answer. Alongside this busy last 2 weeks I have been nursing some flu and a then a cold, maybe my body telling me it is time to go home! I think it was mainly brought on by the fact that there has been more rain here and when it rains it really rains with cracking thunder storms – which I love as long as I am not flying! I have got drenched a few times and had to wade through the floods that flow down the sides of the roads. The issue is that when it rains it gets really cold and I think this brought the cold on! Anyways plenty of time to get better when I get back, although I hear I will have to wrap up – I have several layers of clothes in my bag ready to put on when I arrive.
One of my key activities in the last 2 weeks has been to research some of the co-operatives in Maseru. Up til now I have been concentrating on those co-ops outside of Maseru. Maseru is where most of the youth co-ops are located and many are made up of university graduates. They really range in activities from tourism and travel, catering, savings and credit and professional consultancy to name a few. Many of these are now only doing limited activities as they started the co-ops while at school and are now scattered and doing jobs but all say how important the co-op experience was to what they are doing now:
Preparing youth for world of work. “Before one becomes a professional you can get a chance to get acquainted with things in co-op movement, learn business things that you cannot learn in schools. It helps us ‘enter the world of business’. It has helped me get my job as a computer technician.” (Extract from an individual interview with a member (27 years old) of a youth co-operative)
My final activity yesterday was to prepare a report on my research and present this to the Commissioner for the Department for Co-operatives. This was quite a big job to do – as it meant trawling back through the data and trying to summarise the many things that I have learnt. However it was a really good task for me to and helped me get to know the data and also start to organise things in my mind. It was also the least I could for the Department to repay them for their kind support while I have been here. I thought some quotations I included in that report from the data would be nice to also share with you:
Impacts of being in a co-operative – “They get a loan for paying school fees. They get food as they produce food together – the school gave water and the space for a garden – they eat from this and then sell the surplus. They develop a sense of solidarity – if they see one not having clothes they then donate some. It also helps them to be linked with people outside - other youth in the country, youth from overseas and they get a chance to go to the youth forum.” (Extract from an individual interview with a teacher who supports a student co-operative)
Personal Development - “The best thing I have learnt is how to live and work with other people. Some people are bullies and not patient. I have learnt this by mistakes and then tomorrow I know not to do it again. I have also learnt how to communicate with others – when to go with one person and at times go with your own opinion. I have learnt to negotiate. I now see relationships with members working in a peaceful way but before there were quarrels, now willing to say let bygones be bygones. Shows me that I know I can get on with people, as I can let things go and forget yesterday.” (Extract from an individual interview with a member (27 years old) of a youth co-operative)
Head Teacher’s opinion of how students change through being in a co-op “Discipline; one could be aloof before, could be selfish and not having a sense of sharing. They develop a personal discipline to chat to each other and think of one another. They are competent; they believe in what they are and accept their situation. They do not feel ashamed – they know their income levels and their orphan status and accept this and realise that stealing not an option for them. They find ways of helping each other and learn how to live with their problems. Girls might think they have no cash, go out and have sex for money. Learning not to do this is the discipline part of it. They need to not see this as an option. They develop a sense of self-esteem – they trust in themselves and others – they learn to co-operate with others. They have a sense of good relations and friendships. They bear with other people’s problems and try to understand them.” (Extract from an individual interview with a Head Teacher of a school where there is a student co-operative)
One of the central things that I have learnt is that co-operatives can provide youth with a very positive experience – they develop and change, becoming more responsible for their lives and spending their time usefully rather than on risky behaviours like unhealthy relationships or drugs. They develop business and technical skills. They get to earn some extra income (not always a lot but a bit to help with books and school fees and much needed access to credit). But the extent to which youth experience this depends on whole host of factors – how active they are as a member, how active their co-operative is, their educational levels, whether they hold a leadership position in the co-op, what external support they receive – especially in the form of education and training, how much they know and understand about co-ops. That said the opportunities for development and to earn a livelihood are so limited especially in the rural areas – that any opportunity for this, despite the level of development they get, is a much appreciated opportunity.
As I say Goodbye to Lesotho I feel privileged to have been able to visit the country and get to spend 7 weeks here, time to get to know people and places and have ‘some feel’ for the country – same for Uganda. It has been hard being away from home but at the end of it a very worthwhile experience and one I would not swop. I have met some great people and really enjoyed hearing young people’s stories about their co-ops and being in a position to now tell them. I have really enjoyed being here and find it easy to be here and get around and do the research – mainly due to the support of the Department for Co-operatives. I feel I have got to know the youth co-operatives and have enough information to be able to share some very interesting ideas and stories with people back at home and further afield. The question now is how to put it together with the data from Uganda!