Local school Principal, Olga Lyons, was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Port Fairy's meeting at the Stump Hotel on 20th October.
Members of the Rotary Club enjoyed an engaging presentation by St. Pat's School Principal, Olga Lyons, who spoke about her volunteering in Lesotho earlier in 2025. Olga was part of a group of educators who travelled to landlocked Lesotho to conduct "Teach the Teacher" training to local teachers in rural areas of Lesotho.
Olga thoroughly enjoyed her short, but stimulating experience in Lesotho, and will soon be on a follow-up visit. She spoke about the challenges that local teachers, and the children, encounter in educating the youth of the region. School is very important to the children and their families, so classes are well attended - even though some pupils have to walk for over 90 minutes to get to their school.
Whilst in Lesotho, Olga stayed at Maliba Lodge, which is the first and only 5-star ecolodge in Lesotho, Southern Africa and is located in the heart of the Lesotho Mountain Kingdom. The owners developed a Trust to support education, health and tourism development. Maliba Lodge takes pride in its community involvement, actively supporting and investing in education, health, and infrastructure.
Although many pupils go onto further education many, especially the boys, quit early to be a herdsman which is a prestigious vocation in the rural regions. Livestock, including cattle, sheep, and goats, are a cornerstone of Lesotho's economy and culture, primarily supporting rural livelihoods through sales of wool, mohair, and meat. Other livestock, like horses and donkeys, are used for transport, and the pig industry is growing for domestic consumption and potential export.
Makau Khutsi (Hutty), a local teacher of agriculture and geography at the St. Denis’ Secondary School, was their guide and support for the group as they put their learning into action. The success of the program was very reliant on his support.
Olga reported that the children were always happy and really enjoyed school. They, and their families, recognised the importance of education. Religion was also a cornerstone of life in the villages. The church was very elaborate compared to the school building.
After the teaching course, Olga and the rest of the group, enjoyed safari through other African regions. We haven't included pictures of all of the wild animals that Olga encountered! - but she did confess that the giraffes was a favourite!
At the end of the trip, they visited Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and was in awe of the size of the falls which is twice as tall as Niagara Falls.
All up, it was an amazing trip for Olga. The Rotarians who took in her story were privileged to share her experience.
Rotary President, Graeme Cox, thanked Olga for her inspirational talk and wished her well for her forthcoming retirement as principal at the end of the school year.
