An exploration of 'calling' as a career among Basotho traditional healers

Abstract

Traditional healing predates mainstream clinical healing in Lesotho and the world over. Chief Mohlomi was one of the well-known traditional healers of the Basotho nation at its inception. Since then, traditional healers have been the mainstay of healing and wellbeing in Lesotho. However, traditional healing has not been well documented or perceived as a meaningful career in Lesotho. This article explores ‘calling’ as a career among Basotho traditional healers. The article links ancestral naming to the career identity and calling of traditional healers. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of 16 audio recordings representing a convenience sample of traditional healers was conducted over a period of two months.