The Lesotho Association of Teachers (LAT) recently renewed its partnership with the Canadian organization Alternatives, based in Montreal, which advocates for justice and equity in Quebec, Canada, and worldwide. As part of this collaboration, we are pleased to welcome a new Canadian intern, Sydney Carier, through an innovative remote internship program. Sydney is completing her internship from Alternatives’ premises in Montreal.
Sydney is completing her Master’s in Global Studies at the University of Montreal (QC, Canada). Having grown up in Europe, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the University of Geneva (GE, Switzerland), during which she had the opportunity to undertake an international exchange program at the University of California, Berkeley (CA, USA). These international experiences deepened her interest in global studies and her commitment to social justice inspired her to pursue this internship in the field of international development. She was particularly drawn to this opportunity by the horizontal partnership approach between Alternatives and the Lesotho Association of Teachers.
The partnership with Alternatives began in 2020 through the International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) of Global Affairs Canada (GAC). In this context, Alternatives secured funding from GAC to offer young people aged 18 to 30 the opportunity to undertake an international internship across 18 different countries in the Global South spanning Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Typically, these internships last three months and focus on solidarity and international cooperation. In exceptional cases, these internships can also be conducted remotely.
LAT has prior experience with remote internships, having adapted to this mode of collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach requires flexibility and regular virtual meetings to align expectations, prioritize tasks, and collaborate effectively to support LAT’s initiatives.
As Education and Resource Mobilization Research Officer, Sydney Carier has three primary responsibilities: resource mobilization, educational research, and social media management.
Resource mobilization
Resource mobilization involves identifying funding opportunities to support the Lesotho Association of Teachers’ activities. Funding research is conducted in various areas given the multiple sectors addressed by LAT: climate change, research, self-reliance, training, gender issues. It’s about contacting donors to present a project and obtain funding.
Education research
In Lesotho, primary education is free and compulsory. However, there is a need to rethink the curriculum using a decolonial approach that fosters critical thinking and innovation among students. A lack of teacher training and a curriculum heavily reliant on memorization hinder student retention rates. Studying curricula from countries with leading education systems will contribute to developing evidence-based recommendations for the Basotho government to consider in its efforts to reform the national curriculum.
Social media management
Due to a lack of time, LAT’s social media presence has recently been limited. This includes revitalizing LAT’s website and social media accounts, particularly Facebook. Additionally, a new LinkedIn professional page will be launched to enhance LAT’s visibility within professional networks.
We look forward to sharing the next steps of this collaboration and opening new doors for a more equitable educational future. Follow us on our platforms to stay updated on our latest initiatives and support our mission!
