Lesotho maps

From Peace Corps Wiki

Maineng

Pen and Ink Drawing. Jack Conviser, Maineng.

Ha Ramabanta

Jack Conviser, Ha Ramabanta. "[...] In the neighborhood map, I am showing the 'plans' of all of the houses as well as the locations fundamental elements such as doors and windows, and importantly, the dramatic up and downs of topography. For understanding the communal and architectural space of the village, this helped with the cultural and environmental considerations that affected house orientation and the groupings of houses to form a common spaces for extended families. Multiple generations used the same common yard for receiving guests, eating meals, preparing food, etc. and the topography was often employed as a de facto privacy separator from one family grouping to another. Yet, this part of the analysis was objective and limited. Anybody with some architectural training and a careful set of eyes could do it.

More importantly, as a Peace Corps volunteer, the making of these maps gave me the opportunity to meet many of my neighbors, learn their names, and get a more detailed look at how they managed their affairs.This included their use of limited resources, such as land for gardening or a common yard, as well as how the social interaction would work within the family, including who made the decisions. There were many surprises here. Not all land use was as expected, and many families did not follow the traditional hierarchies that we had been taught in training.