First half - yesterday morning
We arrived at the Irish Embassy,in Maseru, at 9am to meet the Irish Ambassador Mr Gerry Gervin and his wife Mrs Anna Gervin, who is the Patron of Lesotho Mountain Crafts. We then drove, in convoy, to the Limkokwing University to meet, we thought, the fashion and design students and staff with a view to encouraging these students to undertake placements with the members of Lesotho Mountain Crafts. Our welcome included a red carpet lined with students, live music and drumming, a photographer, an introduction to nearly all staff and a walk into a hall full of 60+ students and staff! We were rather overwhelmed especially when we realised that Pippa, Anne and I were down on the programme to deliver the Keynote speech. We managed that, I think, listened to staff speeches and it was particularly good to hear one student reciting his own poem in Sesotho and the University choir singing acapella. The programme was concluded with a speech from the Ambassador. We then viewed student work and felt like royalty again as photos were taken! After this were were given a finger buffet lunch and then a farewell gift from the university before walking the red carpet again and being accompanied to our car!
The photos show Pippa speaking at the podium, Anne and I giving our 'keynotes speech', group photos with us, the students and staff and the Ambassador and his wife and finally us receiving our gifts. It was an extraordinary morning!
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