Photos: These shepherds climb down a mountain to go to night school
In Lesotho, young shepherds, often forced into the work by poverty and tradition, undertake long, arduous journeys down mountains each night to attend volunteer-run schools. These night classes offer them a second chance at education, which they missed due to their herding responsibilities.
Why it matters
This story sheds light on the challenges of education access in rural, impoverished regions, particularly for children engaged in labor, and highlights the dedication of communities and individuals working to provide educational opportunities against significant odds.
The sun has already started setting behind the towering peaks of central Lesotho when Kabelo Mohai and Lepeli Maapesa begin their long walk to school.
Wool blankets draped over their shoulders against the biting cold, the two young men scramble down rocky paths nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. Far below, scattered rural villages appear as tiny dots. The moon is high in the sky, an hour and a half later, when they finally spot the lights of the small town of Semonkong in the distance.
In the pitch darkness, dozens of similar blanket-clad silhouettes make their way down the mountainsides, singing and chatting excitedly as they approach a building illuminated by fluorescent lights: the Good Shepherd School, where more than 40 herders gather every evening for night classes.
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