Makoenya are fried balls of dough that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The dough is made from bread flour and yeast. Makoenya taste best when they are hot and fresh right out of the fryer.
The peach trees are full of juicy yellow and orange peaches. The peaches that grow on the trees at our school are fresh and all-natural. We do not spray them with pesticides or chemicals. That means the peaches are very healthy—but it also means the worms get to them first!
A Basotho friend of mine, named Madam Masechaba, likes to joke with me. She says I should not worry about the bugs because they are healthy to eat and give extra protein! She says you know a peach is sweet if the bugs eat it first. When I eat the peaches, I just cut off the holes and eat the rest.
We wish the peaches could last all year, but sadly, they do not. After a while, they run out. My next-door neighbor preserves peaches by putting them into tightly sealed glass jars. She stores them in her cabinets, and they last for months.
Where I live, the nearest shops do not sell much fruit. I have to travel to town grocery stores for a good selection of fruits. The only time we serve fruit at school is in spring and autumn, when peaches are so plentiful they almost fall off the trees. The kids love peach season! They climb the trees and stuff as many peaches as they can into their shirts. Before the peaches spoil, we pick them all and fill big buckets. Then, we share the peaches with everyone at school.
