When asked why she decided to study animal genetics, Puleng Matebesi offers not only an answer, but also a window into what makes this exceptional young woman tick.
“I heard that it was a difficult field, and no one wanted to do it, and there was no information about animal breeding in Lesotho, so I decided to do it,” she said. “And there are not a lot of women in the field, so I had to be the pioneer.”
Matebesi, who specializes in sheep, is one of three people in Lesotho studying the genetic makeup of livestock and helping farmers select the breeds best suited to her country’s varied environments. She said she never would have been able to pursue this work if it weren’t for the Kellogg Southern Africa Leaders project, which is administered by AED.
“KSAL gave me the opportunity to do whatever I wanted to do,” she noted.
Still, with a husband and two small children at home, studying full time and traveling to far-flung farms has not been easy. Sometimes she is out of touch with her family for days. Sometimes the farmers question her because she is a woman.
“You have to be extra tough. When they see a woman they want you to prove yourself,” she said. “If you are going to look at the sheep, you can’t just talk and talk. You have to handle the sheep yourself and make them stand still so that the farmers know you can do it.”
She said that the support she receives from the AED program officer overseeing her program has helped her to succeed. That support ranges from coordinating travel, to brainstorming solutions to problems, and even checking in with her family to make sure they are doing well.
Having that one person she can count on for direction and guidance has been invaluable, Matebesi said. “I tell her everything and she advises me.”
