Organisation News

All of the feeding categories have linked itself with a GoL identified priority. For example nutrition support to ART patients and their household was created to compliment the GoL aggressive roll out of anti retro viral treatment programs; the malnourished feeding category works towards the fulfilment of the National Nutrition and Food Security Policy to reduce rates of malnourish and / or stunted individuals; OVC program answers to the strong child protection initiatives from the MOHSW.

Currently under PRRO 10599, it is planned that 60,000 OVC yearly will received nutritional support. This is designed to link itself with the MOHSW, EU and UNICEF cash transfer system to OVC. The school advisory committees and the chiefs assist in identifying the OVC, while the communities helps to identify needy OVC that are out of school. There have been delays in start of this project hence WFP provides nutritional support only without the same OVC receiving the cash like it was originally planned. December output reports show that around 30,000 nationally are benefiting from nutritional support.

MDG Goal 4. ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION

The Government of Lesotho is committed to the provision of basic and quality education to all its people. Though enrollment in primary schools had fallen since the mid-1980s, to 76 percent in 1990 and further to 51 percent in 1999, in 2000, the Government embarked on a programme of Free Primary Education (FPE), introduced gradually over a 7-year period, beginning with Standard 1. As a result, primary enrolment increased to 69 percent in 2000 and further increased to 85 percent in 2003. In support of the programme, 184 new schools have been constructed, while 1,105 new classrooms were installed. More than 1 million textbooks and other teaching materials were supplied to 1,300 schools.


The country continues to have a higher level of primary enrollment for girls than for boys. This is unique in the developing world, where it is customary that girls are discriminated against in accessing primary schooling. In Lesotho the norm has been that boys from young ages tend to herd livestock and later in life migrate to take up work in the South African mining industry. Recently, the advantage of girls over boys in primary education seems to be narrowing.

This WFP led project aims to provide food assistance to 80,000 primary school children mainly in the remote and economically-disadvantaged highlands and mountainous regions to retain them in school, improve their attendance and attract more disadvantaged children to school. The project supports the Government’s priorities as defined in the Poverty Reduction Strategy. The assistance is in line with Lesotho’s efforts to halve hunger and Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 “eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” and MDG 2 “achieve universal primary education” as well as the strategic objective to support access to education.

The school feeding programme also serves as a platform for related activities and amongst others is expected to result in increased HIV-awareness and knowledge among school-age children. School gardens are established and lead to more diversified school meals and raise the students’ awareness of agricultural practices and environmental concerns.