The pipes that carry water from the mountain springs into the villages often travel very long distances over rough terrain. This makes them difficult to repair if something breaks, which is a challenge in my village right now. Our water source is over five miles away, and we know there's a leak somewhere in the pipes, but it's very hard to get to and fix! People have to hike for hours into the mountains to reach it because there are no roads there.
Relatedly, transportation is another challenge that a lot of people face. There are only three paved "highways" in Lesotho. They take you through all of the district capitals, but most of the other roads are all dirt and gravel. Cars and taxis have to drive much slower on a dirt road than on a paved road, so it can take a long time to get places. The mountain roads are windy and steep, so people have to drive slowly to be safe, too! Some villages are tucked so far back into the mountains that even dirt roads have not been built yet. People who live here cannot drive a car to their houses. They might need to walk a few miles up and down hills and valleys to even get to a dirt road to find a taxi! As for me, I feel very lucky that Mount Moorosi is located just off of the paved road! Some of my friends have to travel in taxis for three or four hours on dirt roads just to reach their district capital to do their grocery shopping.
To name a few more challenges, the soil is rocky and can be difficult for farming, the weather can be very cold in the winter and the sun is very intense at high elevations.
