NHTC Campus and Queen Elizabeth II Laboratory

NHTC offers students a diploma in Medical laboratory Science. In their 2nd and 3rd years, the students go to Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Lab and Blood Transfusion Center to do their clinical internship. Here are pictures of the NHTC campus and the Laboratory/Blood Transfusion Center with both students and Medical Lboratory Technicians and Technologists! The lab was very impressive with all the equipment and quality assurance and quality control measures being used.

Trip to Mahalo Mountains and Dam

The faculty at NHTC arranged an outing to the Mahalo Mountains and Dam. We spent almost the whole day driving through mountains and around mountains and the views just got better and better and more breathtaking. I felt as though we were driving up the highway to heaven! Through all the mountains there were villages lots of animals, cows, goats, sheep wandering on the sides of the steep mountains. There was always at least one family member attending to the animals. But, about 7,000 - 8,000 feet up- I wasn't expecting sheep to be grazing! As if that wasn't exciting enough, we came to the Lodge and the Dam- I am attaching a few pictures knowing that they do not do justice to the majesty and awe we experienced that day. We picniced along the edge of the dam and did some minor climbing. The sky was azure blue with a few big white clouds floating by, the only sound was the water lapping at the edge of land. What a relaxing and peaceful day. And great companionship getting to know more about each other's cultures. We chatted most of the trip, and I was priviledged to see the village where one of my colleagues family is from!

National Health Training College (NHTC)

The NHTC offers 5 different fields of study for students interested in health care careers:

Medical Laboratory Science

Environmental Health

Social Work

Pharmacy

Nursing

Here are pictures taken around the campus. The Medical lab Science area is new with large classrooms and student labs. There are currently 6 faculty members and they are knowledgeable and great to work with. We all share dedication to our profession and a love of teaching (and of course being in the lab and performing experiements)

Traveling Tommy stays at the Protea Hotel in Jo'berg

The way flights are scheduuled, TT and I had to overnight in Jo'berg en route to Maseru, Lesotho. So our hotel is on the Airport grounds and their designers built the hotel to look like an airport terminal/hanger. There are giant crates all around, aerial maps on the floors, air bags hanging in the back fo the elevators and much more. Our rooms were very modern and here is TT talking with the 'towel doggie' that greeted us in the room! Chuck and I just returned from a cruise (CLEC convention) where we learned how to make towel animals so this dog was perfect!

2005 November - Lesotho launches programme to offer HIV tests to all citizens. Here is a picture of billboards around the city:

My Trip to the Pioneer Mall in Maseru, Lesotho

First, most stores/businesses are closed on Sunday. I did get to go to a grocery store and browse up and down the isles. Of course, I found several items to make my stay feel more like home (bottled water, orange juice, crackers, toothpaste, chocolate!). There ae many fast food places in the 'food court' serving a variety of junk foods- I choose to have an ice cream cone as most of the other people were also choosing! Here are a couple of pictures of the food court, of course, because that was what was open. The security police informed me (after) I had taken the pictures that I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the mall. oops

Pictures of Lesotho

Lesotho Flag

View of valley from my room balcony. Picture does not do the mountains justice- they are so majestic.

Off to Lesotho

This time I am off the provide a mentorship to faculty in Lesotho at the National Health Training Center (NHTC). NHTC is a college with abouty 400-500 students pursuing degrees in Medical Lab Science, Social Work, Pharmacy, and Nursing. There are about 60-70 students in the MLS program righ now. There are 6 faculty who I met last Thursday and to begin our time together they gave me a tour of their campus, classrooms, student labs, and the canteen!

Lesotho is a very small country completely surrounded by South Africa. It is not too far from the Indian Ocean and sits in a huge valley surrounded by mountains! March is the beginning of their summertime and so far the weather has been perfect- about 70 degrees F, a light breeze, and beautiful blue skies that make a perfect backdrop for the mountains. I am staying at the Lesotho Sun Hotel which sits atop a mountain and our room balconies overlook the valley below and the surrounding mountains.

Here are a few interesting facts about Lesotho:

1884 - Becomes a British colony after revolt against Cape Colonial rule. Paramount chiefs retain large degree of autonomy

1939-45 - World War II, with 20,000 Sotho serving in the British forces.British colony
Independence in 1966 - Independence as Kingdom of Lesotho, with Moshoeshoe II as king and Chief Leabua Jonathan (Basotho National Party) as prime minister

Namibia Days 2-5