Lesotho, a land with a big smile enclosed in too narrow borders to release its strong energy. For me this is the sentence that best describes my experience in this beautiful country. I’m an architect, I’m from Italy and it was my first time in Africa.
The choice to fly to Lesotho and be part of the in loco fellowship came very spontaneously thanks to a dear architect friend, Luca Astorri, for whom Africa is his second home. I didn’t ask questions, I didn’t know what to expect, I trusted him and the joy on his face while speaking about it. It was enough for me to buy the ticket.
Clarissa Orsini with rise’s Founder, Daniela Gusman and Program Director, Luca Astorri
Once arrived, I was welcomed with open arms by a world completely unknown to me. It was not easy at all to have the courage to let myself free to fall in this great and profound embrace. After the first moment of dizziness the emotions overwhelmed me, everything was impregnated of joy and suffering in the same moment, I didn’t know how to behave.
Ha Sekantsi, Community Meeting
It is necessary to get rid of many mental patterns and preconceptions in
order to be in tune with this country and make a tangible contribution. It
wasn’t easy at first but the guys from the fellowship were wonderful in helping
me with this process. Being in contact with them I realized that it is not
important where you come from and how you are used to doing things, there is
always something new to learn and there is always a different way to teach
others, there is no right or wrong approach. The only thing that matters is that you have
to be open to challenges and not be scared, this is the only universal language
and for me it was the only language to communicate with them and feel part of
something much bigger then myself. It seems simple and for me it was, but only
thanks to the people I met who have always transmitted love and understanding
towards me. The first few weeks were just about this: teaching and learning.
As an architect I taught them what they needed to know at that time, we followed them step-by-step to convey the important notions and procedures to the world of work. As wonderful human beings they taught me the practicality of life, the ability to always (almost) smile, despite the surrounding conditions.
They are participating in this
fellowship because they have great faith in the world and they want to make it
better with their contribution for themselves, their families and their
country. When they speak about something, they never do so in the singular
form, the speech always includes their loved ones and their community in which
they welcomed me and they made me feel part of it and I will never stop to
thank them for all of this.
in loco fellows 2019 and Clarissa
I feel really grateful to all this.I came back to Italy with a great joy that accompanies me every day. Even in difficult times, thinking back to Lesotho reorders priorities and makes fatigue much more bearable. It is a country that has also given me incredible landscape memories but without the people who live there it would not be the same.
Foundations at IDAL Centre
I left from there with the certainty that I would come back and I would
like to come back soon to be really useful for whatever is needed. One of the
most important lessons I have learned is that, every now and then it is good to
leave the emotions aside and bring yourself into the capacity of being practical,
pragmatic, doing what is needed where and when it is needed without asking too
many questions, and making yourself completely available.
For too long a time, I believed that success in the construction industry in the tiny Kingdom of Lesotho had been reserved for prominent professionals who have grown with stature in the country. That employment didn’t include all but those individuals for whom the society has great reverence. To an extent, there is truth to that; experience definitely sets precedence in a sense of surety, especially when we consider the amount of knowledge one should have when creating something as complex as a house. Even so, this is only a part of a large whole.
I got introduced to rise
through one of the lecture series they run at my school. What caught my
attention about these series, along with the film debate sessions, was the
creation of an interactive space for people of predominately students and
recent graduates of different disciplines within the built environment. This
habitat was a rare yet an exciting setting to be part of, and a much needed one
at that.
Kole taking a selfie with some of the other in loco fellows
My interest in the organization of rise grew amicably with each interaction, whether it be social
media, or community donation drives. Then finally, I came upon an advertisement
of a job application for the next cohort. I was religiously following the
cohort progression of the GLC Centre by then, and I did not want to miss out on
the amazing opportunity to become part of their pilot program, in loco. Without
hesitation, I took a leap of faith, and after a couple of, what seemed all too
long, weeks, I became part of the 2019 cohort fellowship.
Kole sitting on scaffolding with Retsepile – another Architecture fellow
In this venture I have learnt so many skills and trades that I had not thought I would have known in such a short space of time. The profound opportunity to amass a network of skillsets from young and eager individuals has truly been a mind changing experience. By going against the norm where people assume that in order to create a well built structure you have to be very experienced, but that’s not really the case because we are young graduates with not much experience, but we are erecting an iconic building in the country. I have been able to consistently challenge myself while harnessing plenty of techniques including carpentry, social media marketing, as well as my architectural designing craft.
Kole learning by doing
The cohort has taught me that with the removal of a miniature mindset persona of having the experienced gain all the power, it invites a conversation that indulges with not just the freshly eager to work graduates, but also that these creative minds can also learn to create opportunities for themselves and others as well. Entrepreneurship is vital in our communities, and rise has helped me to learn how to harness that power to invoke a positive shift in a life of more than many.
My believes grown from rise can be combined in three words: challenge, change, cohesion.
This time last year it was just an idea. Today, that experience inspired an ambition and a change in my career.
Was it already…? This time, a year
ago?
I still remember various thoughts popping
up during my last day in Lesotho; “Why am I going back? Can’t I stay for
longer? How can I have more of this?”
I am sure, we all have been in the same
waters; the feeling of being satisfied and not wanting to be pinched back out
of the dream.
… And you’re probably wondering, what am I talking
about? Why? What? How?
Here it goes…
This time last year, I had just arrived in Lesotho, a landlocked kingdom surrounded by South Africa. It happened after I was invited by my professor and put into contact with Daniela Gusman, a Maltese citizen and co-founder of RISE International. This opportunity of living, working and learning, whilst being part of a well-needed community construction project came right after completing my studies here in malta with a Masters in Structural Engineering, and, well, I couldn’t refuse it.
Exploring the Kingdom of Lesotho’s mountains
WHY? – Why did I choose to go?
Working directly with the benefitting community, RISE International incubates ideas and manages projects with sustainable niches that can provide jobs for the vulnerable locals and hence starts to rotate the wheel from the life of poverty. Through funds and various helping hands, Daniela offers the locals essential resources, such as business skills, mentorship and start-up funding, which otherwise would be impossible to reach the community. This system, that RISE holds, intends to reduce poverty by helping a community stand on its feet. In fact, the project that I had the opportunity to be part of, involved the infrastructure of a new orphanage for God’s Love Centre in a suburb village of Lesotho.
God’s Love Centre Residence for Adolescent Orphans under construction
GLC has seen a large number of children
benefitting from its service and thus as numbers kept on growing, a sustainable
project by RISE was just like a silver lining; one which not only provided a
roof and shelter, but also job opportunities and learning systems to always
improve the capacity building of the users. The invitation by RISE for
international students in architecture was indeed the idea to connect similar professionals
and train each other through the in loco program – training by doing. This
gives one the best performance stage to learn by sharing various aspects of our
career, both hands-on and through the connections made throughout the project.
More over, I had to meet the team behind the project, the workers themselves
who are actually newly graduates like myself from Lesotho. This project will
serve as a spring board experience for their future professional career.
Adrian with GLC youth helping to convert a container into their computer lab
WHAT? – What have I experienced? Mornings in mid July started with slow crackling sounds of our joints after the frosty, chilly nights which got better as we put our hands to work. I still smile at the flashbacks of us opening the frozen steel container and every piece of material that was left outside powdered with white frost. This was totally neutralised throughout the day as the sun starts shining and so the locals start moving, all sharing a joke, a smile or an experience with a “stranger”. It is not easy for an African citizen to showcase his knowledge in front of a white European.The smiles definitely help to break the ice and after that I really appreciated each and every moment when fellows approached me and taught me something new, “Not like that… try this – we do it this way!”
Madane Bataung, an in loco fellow with Adrian Cassar
The two weeks on the construction site led me to achieve new skills which I had never ever experienced. It opened my views on new techniques practiced in other countries. Part of the construction involved also vernacular building skills using mud bricks. This was a highlight of the experience. After years of research and learning on such skills, finally I had the opportunity of practicing them and also learning the manufacturing process when we visited a mud brick factory. Two professional architects Luca Astorri from Milan and Pedro Clarke from Portugal mentored the whole process of design and construction. This was a great asset not only for the success of the project but also the growth of each fellow member and thus myself. “Persist in doing something great and not just good!” was a statement regularly shouted out by Luca. And indeed it makes a lot of sense. Being slightly egoistal, it not only makes sense because the product ends up being more of a value but to you yourself, the artist behind the job, will feel much more satisfied when something is done great and not just good! I remember a simple but very impactful example, the brick laying technique. Everyone assumed that the bricks will be put in a stretcher bond pattern as is normally done, until we were challenged by the architects to be different and create something great, not for the sake of being different but for the empowerment that that decision can roll on. Indeed the final design was great – more work but worth the effort, more time but worth the display, more expense but worth the interest!
Local mud brick making company
Working in a team of 15 fellows, sharing responsibility between the team, and managing the site work on a daily basis was an invaluable experience both to my career and personality. After this opportunity I was now just dreaming for a shift in my career.
GLC Commemorative Plaque
HOW? – How did it help my career?
I never wrote down all the positive
outcomes from this experience, but I am sure it will be a long list. However, being
flexible and leaving room for discussion and hence improvements is definitely a
lesson to cherish and perform in my career. When working in different cultures,
one cannot impose his knowledge and usual settings. This in return, leaves
space for creativity and interesting new outcomes. Imagine what you can achieve
after you listen, digest and discuss, rather than just imposing what you
thought is right.
The interest in such projects and in
Humanitarian Architecture has been developing in me throughout the last couple
of years. Through my dissertation research in my final year of studying, I
brushed over the subject of shelters, deploying tents and covers for when
emergency aid is most needed. This topic of research is what led my Professor
to invite me to the Lesotho project. I believe that I found another profound
reason for architecture. Necessities within communities give a project a sense
of responsibility but also great opportunities for creativity, functionality
and success.
Thinking about it … it never stopped, I was
never actually finished. After coming back to our little island of Malta, I had
to actually force myself into other activities. But! This never stopped me from
dreaming, and thinking about what’s next.
Why/What/How is next?
Recently I was accepted by Universitat
Internacional de Catalunya to study for a unique Master program in the field of
International Cooperation with the main focus on Sustainable Emergency
Architecture. This jolt is what I am aiming to be the key to my next couple of
experiences in my career; being able to share my knowledge with vulnerable
communities. The course cultivates the topics of international cooperation on
humanitarian aid actions, including not only developing countries but also
migration, natural disasters and city resilience.
Throughout 2019, a group of 12 adoloscents have moved from the old GLC orphanage to this new building taking a sigh of fresh breath as they train themselves in becoming independent beings before they leave the orphanage at the age of 18. The old building, became too hectic, due to the high increase in orphans, and thus the idea of RISE International was to utilise the second building for the older children and create a place where the users themselves can be the owners. Through sustainable, income generating activities on the same site, such as the IT facility housed in a shipping container and the vegetable garden on the back gives the users not only responsibility in maintaining the place but also satisfaction and holistic growth.
in loco fellows and international students
Converted Container
Computer Lab and Grocery Store: Income Generating Activities for GLC
GLC Residential Centre for Vulnerable Adolescent Youth
My womanhood and age in a male dominated industry has always been a sharp piercing thorn in my side, for unlike most of my male counterparts who had pre-exposure to the built environment in their upbringing, for me it was the dawn of a new world.
In June I was scanning my Facebook newsfeed and I saw a poster about the fellowship. What struck me as odd was the call for recent graduates for too many times the prominence is on experience. After carefully nit-picking the poster, I decided to take a shot in the dark with marginal hope it would lead to a call for an interview on a random Wednesday afternoon.
Fast-forward a few weeks later, I’m accepted into the fellowship and I make a conscious decision for a radical mind-set shift. With this new conviction, I was and still am, open to learning new things, asking questions and never shying away from research. This rejuvenated outlook gave way for acquisition of immense knowledge in carpentry, researching, concrete mixing and social media marketing.
Moreover, it has translated into an understanding that the built environment is a boys’ club thus if I can’t beat them, I have to join them. And in amalgamation with them, what has shone through is the need to speak up and be assertive as a woman and school them and us (women in construction) into a culture that accepts and celebrates each other’s differences, promotes collaborative effort and championing for each other. In this regard, no gender will fall victim to having an inferiority complex.
The most phenomenal thing that rise has done is to provide a platform to learn, hone current skills and without fail, advocate for a teachable spirit which due to constant exposure to captains of industry is a must-have. Befittingly, this spirit is what enables one to learn from fellow fellows as we are a team that stems from diverse professions. And due to this, I am no longer just a water and environmental engineering graduate, but one with carpentry, social media marketing, communication, negotiation skills and so much more.
One way to understand how the real world operates after completing tertiary level, is not only through other people’s preconceived ideas and notions, but also by actually being with them and learning the skills and knowledge from those who went before you.
It was October 2017 after perusing through rise brochure about the construction of God’s Love Centre Orphanage. They were looking for recent graduates to be on the fellowship. I then asked myself, “how would my Architecture Associate Degree, my skills and my education be of benefit to this cause?” The thought that my education was going to change a life, motivated me to decide not to sit back but to use my unique abilities to pursue being a fellow as they seemed to call it.
It was a great privilege to be part of the in-loco fellowship as I gained skills and confidence of building what I have designed. I also benefited from the guest lecture series by networking with industry captains, how cool is that!
It seemed like an up-hill struggle at some points during the pilot in loco fellowship program due to the fact that I never had any experience in construction-related work. However, during the process I realised that in order to triumph and achieve maximum learning, I must apply discipline and consistency even during the uphill moments. I also realised that our deepest strengths are not enhanced when we are apart, but only when we come together in ways that we uniquely can.
Oh! By the way, our Boss (I know she’s going to hate this) (Daniela Gusman), made the uphill easier by taking us out to different places such as Semonkong as an appreciation to the prominent work that we in loco fellows were doing on construction site.
Besides the outings, the rise team is really doing a great job in making a difference in the lives of GLC children and to Basotho graduates in the built environment. Through this program; which instills in us the mindset to be job creators and not job seekers, a lot of us are in the process of starting businesses and rise has helped us get mentors, so that we can launch our businesses with an open mind.
Towards the end of August 2017, that is when I heard about in loco. I didn’t even have to think twice about applying for it but there was a challenge for me, one of the main requirements was that the participants should have “construction related” experience. I almost gave up but the fact that the project was about improving the lives of the underprivileged kept me motivated to pursue the application process.
I remember Pedro Clarke, one of the in loco architects and rise team, asking me why I applied for the program seeing that I am the only person in the interviews without a construction related background. I knew I needed make rise understand why I needed to be part of the team regardless of my inexperience in the field.
My passion for community involvement towards development, improving the less fortunate communities have always been my driving force. Not forgetting the most important motivator to me; my personal experience.
I had an opportunity to be provided a better life and education by a similar facility “SOS Children’s Village Maseru”. That is where the love and motivation to help others came from. Not only did SOS contribute so much towards my development over thirteen years; they also encouraged me to do the same for other vulnerable people around me. I guess the love and care that I got from SOS as a child is beyond measure and the nurturing that I received helped me grow to become an independent young adult. This is basically what I would love to see happening to God’s Love Centre (GLC) youth.
The program started in February 2018 with a Participatory Design Workshop (PDW). I was clueless about building and designing, but that did not matter because the experience was easy to follow and very interesting. It was exactly what I had done in school – community assessment. This is where we interacted with the kids and they were amazing. They were full of energy and excitement as they were given the opportunity to be the decision makers of how their buildings should look like.
Not only did we involve the GLC community; we also involved the community surrounding GLC. Our first visit to GLC was really emotional, seeing the real NEED that in loco will be providing solutions to. We knew we needed to work hard from day one, as fellows to fulfil the mission, and guess what, we are on the 10th month of the project running and things are looking pretty good.
I have been keen to learn from day one. I remember some of the fellows asking me if I ever imagined digging trenches, placing reinforcement and being a labourer on site. Honestly, I had never thought along those lines. However, it has been fun; especially with such a supportive team. Now seeing the building almost done just makes me so proud because I was part of team that started it.
In as much as I have learned so much in the construction side of things; as you can guess from my educational background, my role in the fellowship was not exactly construction related. I have been the link between the project and the GLC community and I have been highly involved in the capacity building of GLC. One of the things I did which I am so proud of is the Business Trainings for the youth of GLC.
We have established six business groups and two of them are about to be launched; an Internet café and Tuck-shop. The other business groups are already running and being improved upon with the help of professional mentors who we identified for them. For example, the Pre-school was already running at GLC, they want to join it together with a day-care facility and their mentor is helping the group to improve it.
Now that we are coming to the end of the fellowship, it is going to be sad to part ways. Relationships were established both with GLC and the fellows; however this is not going to be a goodbye rather a see-you-soon moment. I am going to miss GLC and the kids especially the sessions we had, but we have just started the program “I AM WHO?” that will go beyond January and that will grant me the opportunity to spend time with them. As for the fellows and the rest of the team, we will meet along the business lane because we are definitely going to need one another.
The fellowship has been fun, informative, and full of networking opportunities and definitely there has been great career improvement for me.
Here is some fascinating reading from Dr Sean Maliehe (PhD), a postdoctoral research fellow in the Human Economy Programme, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria.
Dr Maliehe works on the economic history of Lesotho and on the development of mobile money in southern Africa (Lesotho and South Africa).
He gave a fascinating lecture in Maseru on Entrepreneurship in Lesotho, only his third time presenting the subject in his native country.
Click on links below for each paper:
Potential Colonial Commerce
An obscured narrative in the political economy of colonial commerce in Lesotho 1870 – 1966
I had just received a call from the Head of Programs from my former beloved school Lerotholi Polytechnic asking me to apply for some fellowship called In loco. I wasn’t interested until the Dean of the School of the Built Environment called, encouraging me to apply. I remember browsing on my small phone to check the fellowship out. By then, I had not decided what I wanted to do with my life in over 2 years. “This is a good initiative” I exclaimed, making my mind up to join Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise (rise). I had previously organized some charity events in the past but this kind of community work that brings together entrepreneurship, construction, design and social welfare was new and thrilling.
September – November 2017:
I had a life changing decision to make; take a job with one of the biggest architectural firms in Lesotho or accept a position as an in loco fellow. After a lot of careful reflection, I decided to accept the in loco fellowship. I had initially felt a bit discouraged after being informed that the program would be postponed for three months, but i quickly regained my enthusiasm because I knew that this program would help me give back and grow professionally as an Architectural Technician.
February -April 2018:
The project kicked off on a high note. I got to meet 19 amazing fellows who were just as eager to learn and contribute as I was, which really inspired me to work even harder. The planning phase of the project was hectic for me with all the planning, presentations and revisions. It was exciting to create something that we would be building with the help of international students later in the year. I must have made quite an impression, because amongst all the fellows, I was awarded the project manager role first, along with another fellow, Katleho.
The rubber met the road during this time: all of our planning came to fruition, resulting in us managing the face of the program, the social media campaign, the lecture series, the film screenings, the donations and liaising with stakeholders. This was tiring and new. I think I almost reached breaking point while we were preparing for the groundbreaking ceremony. Eventually, we gained momentum and it turned to be amazing. It taught me how to plan and run a project and write press releases. I had never written a press release before, nor even plan an event where the Minister would be invited.
I remember my first film screening, it was not hard, as I have stood before thousands of people to address different issues. However what was new was conducting a discussion about Architecture in conjunction with our country, I was nervous but when I looked at the back of the hall I saw Daniela, director of rise smiling back at me and nodding her head, this gave me courage more than one could ever understand.
May-July 2018:
The construction phase began, as we had all been eagerly awaiting. My site foreman role was exciting. I had always wanted to work in the construction industry. Being a hands-on person, I knew my new role would help me understand my designs better as I grew in experience. This role did not go as well as I had anticipated. During this time, I remember having a session with the project coordinator and the director about my fluctuating performance and I knew they were right. Despite having had a shaky start, I managed to improve on my work output and led the team to meeting milestones.
August-September 2018:
I am confident that I can design and build a building from paper to ground up. This project delivered more than I could ever imagine on experiential learning. In August, we had various international students’ workshops which lasted for about a month. Martina, a friend I made during the workshops, was fun and full of life. She was an architecture student from Florida, USA. She had a million-dollar smile and she worked really hard on the project. These workshops brought exposure to our program and our country, they motivated me to further my studies and to do more. I was given another role, Health and Safety Officer, which broadened my horizons. I was shocked at all the hazards that were on our construction site and how important it was to address them before they cause harm to the fellows. I wasn’t a qualified Health and Safety officer but after reading the file that our mentor Willem compiled, I was confident to wear my green helmet. This role was far better than my previous role, it was new and challenging. It was in this role that I discovered my interest in learning or rather having a qualification in Health and Safety.
September 2018:
As I sit here with teary eyes, I have a few days before my fellowship ends. I am leaving this new home and this family that I have come to cherish so much. What keeps me strong, is the strength I have gained from rise, the construction project and God’s Love Centre orphanage. I am leaving all smiles bursting with renewed optimism and full of blessings from GLC. I leave a better person than I came in, with a better definition of myself. I am taking home the love and the team work that I acquired here. When I came into this program I wanted to achieve 3 major things which were construction, entrepreneurship and improving the lives of those at the orphanage. My team and I were able to achieve this and even more.
I have always been an extrovert and an optimist since I can remember, I have a huge personality at least that’s what I’m told. I am very confident and a leader by birth and firmly believe I can do anything as a woman like a lioness in the jungle. I am grateful for my directors and coaches who love me enough to always tell me when I am wrong and catch me when I fall.
Before I joined the fellowship, I had a secret fear that I’m not fit enough to be a professional architect and building contractor. For that reason, I had a tendency to be reluctant about sharing my designs on social media and not to take construction projects that came my way. Even when other people praised my work and capabilities, I convinced myself that they were just being nice. The in loco fellowship, however, transformed the way I see myself.
I’m Ramokoatsi Kobo, born on 17/03/1994 at Pitseng in Leribe District, Lesotho. I completed my high school in 2011 at Molapo High before I enrolled with Limkokwing University of Creative Technology pursuing Architecture technology from 2013-2017 ; I’m an Associate degree holder.
I joined JJN Design Studio based in South Africa in 2016, and got myself a chance to collaborate in Lesotho Tourism and Handicrafts architecture competition. The year after I joined Progressive Design Studio immediately after my graduation and that is where I found out about rise’s in loco fellowship program and applied.
The first two months of the fellowship I was introduced to how to make an elevator pitch and network, I equipped myself with tools needed on how to sell myself and ideas in 30 seconds. The skills learnt are all important but the one that stuck most in my head is BE PREPARED AND DO YOUR HOME WORK.
I broadened my understanding and the new way of gathering design briefs from clients through the concept called Participatory Design. It is an approach to design attempting to involve all the stakeholders in the design to ensure that results meet their needs and are usable. We used this approach to design a new habitat for the children of God’s Love Centre orphanage.
BUSINESS TRAININGS
One of the biggest contributions of this fellowship to my career was the business training sessions. After a couple of weeks we pitched business ideas in front of each other to find an interested person to partner with. I found my alter-ego who studied construction management. We formed a joint venture in construction and we have been mentored by our business coaches from day one with research and business planning. The idea of the business training sessions in a fellowship is to broaden our understanding in the business world, to become sustainable entrepreneurs and launch our businesses at the end of fellowship.
OTHER TRAININGS
There is a difference between paint and quality paint, “yes there is”. I got a chance to be a trainee at Thetsane Paint Centre which is the distributer of PROMINENT PAINT – the brand that adheres to international best practices and actively promotes the drive towards environmental sustainability. Through this training I’m now able to select paint based on the influences made by micro/macro climate; I know the fundamentals of surface preparation and calculations of DTF. I recommend the use of Prominent Paint Products!
I’m bold enough to say that if an accident happens in the workplace or anywhere, I can be a helpful first aider by preserving and promoting recovery to the casualty. The fellowship provided an opportunity for me to attend a First Aid Course offered by Oshem C at Montech Institute. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.
PEER TO PEER OUTCOME
What I most appreciated about my experience in the fellowship is being engaged with a group of international students who were passionate about the in loco project and truly shared generously their ideas, knowledge and time.
As the site architect, this helps me to hone my critical thinking skills to better understand how problems rooted from the design can be solved on a construction site. This role also helped me build my skills in public speaking and advocacy.
I’m not the same person thanks to this fellowship.
