photo of person from Lesotho the maluti mountains
lesotho
 
THEMES IN THIS TESTIMONY
Agriculture  
Environment  
Gender  
Land  
Resettlement  
Social Change  
Social Relationships  

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Mathabo

(LESOTHO 18)

Sex

female

Age

48

Occupation

farmer

Location

Molika-liko

Date

November 1997

summary

Lots of one-sentence answers; the narrator says she wasn’t prepared for the interview and found it hard to remember everything. She talks a lot about moving, and is resigned to it, and feels they have no choice. She is worried about whether there will be any agriculture where they are going and whether they are being lied to. She says she doesn’t know if there is any animal theft going on. It is unclear as to whether there is anyone else present during the interview. Although this is not a particularly enlightening interview, there are some good sections. She often defers to her husband’s experience and knowledge.

detailed breakdown

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Section 1  Family details; meeting her husband.
Section 2  Six children – two have died. Talks about her children.
Section Section 3-4  Husband is a herder. Attending school; games played with schoolfriends. Fear of going to new village when first married. Welcome from in-laws. Duties of a wife – grinding flour, cooking etc.
Section Section 5-6  Fears about moving: “Now even us we were feeling like we are getting lost, especially things like fields we did not know as to where we shall find them because we live on agriculture in the fields.” Chose new area because of agriculture, but not certain if the promised housing and fields will be provided: “I do not know if I am being told lies or it is the truth I shall find a field.” Effect of what is happening: “this thing touches us badly, it is like we could not talk about it.
Section Section 7-8  Food crops – when get a good harvest sell the surplus, last year sold half and kept half. Does not know if she will have this opportunity again. Her husband chose relocation site, describes herself (and women?) as like “children”. Husband worked in the mines, she doesn’t have a “job”. Children and schooling.
Section 9  More on how will miss agriculture. No major difficulties with her present life
Section 10-11  Fears about separation from friends and neighbours, and how they will be received in the new village. Thinks they may face prejudice: “They are going to say these people come down from the mountains.” Short visits to Maseru.
Section 12  Cannot predict what will happen when they arrive in the new village or how the chief will be, would like to keep agricultural way of life and have peaceful relations. Left school and got married, description of learning wifely duties.
Section 13  Changes in tasks carried out by women. Feel discouraged about making any changes or improving things as they know they are moving.
Section Section 14-16  Lack of self-help associations. Does not have any feelings about the graves, will leave it to her husband as they are his parents, although she thinks they should take them away from the water.