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Content Note: This piece discusses harassment, manipulation, and unwanted romantic attention. Reader discretion advised. When I was a little girl, if boys liked you, they chased you on the playground. If you didn’t return their affection, they were mean to you. That was 2006. It’s now 2026, and as an adult, I’ve learned that the rules of the game haven’t changed as much as we pretend they have. My experiences with men in Lesotho are not fundamentally different from my experie

My mom coined the phrase “break all familial ties to America,” and when she first said it, it sounded harsh. Punitive, even. As if the Peace Corps system wanted to strip us of comfort and familiarity just to see what remained — a weeding out of the weak, survival-of-the-fittest style. I didn’t yet understand that the breaking wasn’t meant to be permanent or cruel, but strengthening. What I learned quickly is that distance reveals dependency. If that dependency isn’t addressed

Myself and another volunteer I’m close with have been pretty glum these past few days. The realization that we are stuck in a foreign country during the holiday season has finally caught up to us. To make matters worse, it’s summer here. So I’m hot and alone on Christmas. Yikes. Jokes aside, we’re in a country where roughly half the population has electricity and half does not, which means there is virtually no familiarity with Christmas as we know it in America. I call this

As PST has come to an end and I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer, I want to tell you about the family that raised me — Lesotho style. Over the last couple of months, my host family taught me, in every way imaginable, how to be a Mosotho woman and how to take care of myself. Peace Corps host families in Lesotho are tasked with helping us learn to fend for ourselves: how to cook, clean, wash clothes and dishes, what to wear, how to wear it — all tasks done sans electricity

So many things have happened lately that don’t quite warrant full articles on their own…  BUT mini excerpts all in one place are perfectly justified! Our Family Dog Was Poisoned Last week, someone poisoned our dog because they felt she roamed too much. The strange part is that animals here in Lesotho aren’t viewed as pets, and they roam freely. Pet culture basically doesn’t exist. I remembered when Maru (our late pup) was sick and I asked when she’d be taken to the vet — ever

Have you ever found yourself asking, “Why am I here?” Why did this happen? What am I supposed to learn from this stage of my life? I’ve always believed that everything in my life prepares me for something I don’t yet know or see—every tear, laugh, heartbreak, smile, and victory. Now, I can finally see that the last few years have been preparing me for this journey. In the summer of 2019, I stepped onto Southern Arkansas University’s campus—a small school in a small town. I wa

My very first question as a volunteer wasn’t about teaching or safety, it was, “What am I supposed to do with my hair?” I flipped between the following options when preparing to come to Lesotho. I thought about shaving my head, locking my hair like my parents or getting braids and shaving my head when they started to look ratty. Instead I went for the unnamed option 4. The “unwillingly getting my hair redone” route. and now you’re probably like, “Kamrin, what does unwillingl

Grade 2 Teacher! At various points in my life, I have wanted to be a professor. I could close my eyes and clearly visualize myself in front of a group of young adults, teaching some incredibly thought-provoking topic. Yet here I am in Lesotho, teaching two-letter sounds and using stones to divide to second graders. And actually enjoying it! The Experience The Peace Corps education volunteers participated in our only practicum before permanent site placement — a hands-on teach

Set the Scene So far, some of my experiences serving in the Peace Corps as an African American woman in Lesotho. Basotho (many Lesotho people), Mosotho (one Lesotho person), Sesotho (language), Lesotho (kingdom).  I would like to preface this addition with the disclaimer that, while I speak in general terms, many Basotho people have been amazing and very kind to me. Many have treated me with more respect and love than I know how to process.  Double Whammy It seems that I am a

Part of what makes the Peace Corps experience unique is its emphasis on cultural exchange and anti-savior rhetoric. As a volunteer, I’m not here to save the Basotho people. I’m simply working alongside willing people and communities to support whatever they need, because they know their country better than me. Duhhh. During my first couple of weeks here, almost everyone I spoke to assumed all Americans were rich and lived well. Sigh. I wish! Every day I shatter one more perso

As part of our Pre-Service Training (PST) curriculum, we’ve been learning how to prepare traditional Basotho meals and getting used to...

Lumelang! September 27, 2025 – One Week In It’s officially been one week since I left home and started my Peace Corps Pre-Service...

A mid day hike through the district! The day my Peace Corps adventure began was the day one chapter of my life came to a close.  My...