Prince Harry in Africa

A week after a tabloid columnist branded him "a national disgrace" for his club-hopping ways, Britain's Prince Harry, 19, showed there was more to his life than polo and parties by unveiling his charity work in Lesotho, Africa. Sporting a new 80-cent haircut from a roadside barber, Princess Diana's younger son followed in his mother's footsteps, visiting clinics, helping to build a bridge and embracing locals – including an 11-month-old rape victim. "I have seen some genuine shock and horror on his face," says Lesotho's Prince Seeiso. PEOPLE was there to capture a day with Prince Harry among the impoverished country's orphans.

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Under 75-degree heat, Harry lugs a roll of fencing into position. "I am learning about the culture and way of life out here," he told reporters. His hope is for greater recognition that Lesotho "is a country that needs help." A palace rep says, "He has a natural sympathy for the problems people face, and he knows his status can attract attention to those."