Colin Clark, Country Representative - Lesotho
t: +266 2232 1602
f: +266 2232 1600
m: +266 5885 4116
e: colin-clark@dfid.gov.uk

Postal Address:
c/o Embassy of Ireland
Private Bag A67
Maseru 100
Lesotho

Physical Address:
c/o Embassy of Ireland
Tona-kholo Road
Maseru West
Lesotho

Government - Other

UK Based Country Representative

1

Office in Maseru

DFID leads the UK governments effort to promote international development. DFIDs overall aim is to reduce poverty in poorer countries, in particular through achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In Lesotho DFID bilateral and regional programmes work with donor partners to help the Government of Lesotho to:

• provide more effective and efficient services to its people (the Basotho)
• increase public revenue
• fight against HIV and AIDS, and ensure a more productive workforce
• support orphans and vulnerable children (through UNICEF).
• provide support to the WFP food security and vulnerability team.

DFID sectoral support comprises:

Governance
· Helping to improve revenue collection, achieve international standards and professionalize service delivery at the Lesotho Revenue Authority
· Assisting the Ministry of Finance and other Government Ministries with IFMIS, budgeting and planning, procurement, auditing and training.
· Working with the Ministry of Trade to improve the business climate and simplify doing business in Lesotho (e.g. the One stop shop).
· Regionally supporting the garment industry to improve its competitiveness, efficiency and effectiveness.

HIV/AIDS
· Support to ALAFA (Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS) to educate, prevent, protect and provide treatment for the 48,000 people, mostly women who work in the garment industry.
· Through a regional behavioural change programme to educate vulnerable people about HIV/AIDS
· With UNICEF in Lesotho strengthen systems of support and protection for vulnerable children. This includes supporting District Child Protection Teams in all 10 districts, support to the Child Help Line and strengthening coordination amongst the many civil society organisations working with vulnerable children. Also support for the planned~assessment~of the situation of the country's most vulnerable children,~affected by HIV and AIDs.~~

Food Security and Vulnerability

· With the World Food Programme, provide a technical adviser to assist with and provide support to the Vulnerability Assessment Committee to better predict vulnerability to hunger, hunger needs and to inform a range of policy responses.

Debt Relief
· Lesotho has no outstanding debts to the UK (neither to DFID or ECGD). Lesotho qualified for the UK MDRI under which UK/ DFID pays Lesothos share (10%) of debt service payments owed to the World Bank (IDA) and African Development Bank (ADF). Lesotho will receive around £700,000 debt relief under the UK MDRI~, in 2009 and around £6.7 million up to 2015

DFID is looking at working in partnership with other donors on a Service Delivery Agenda programme.

Also with Irish Aid we are exploring a possible Voice and Accountability programme focusing on building the capacity of civil society.

This organisation's info updated on: Nov 18, 2009. Please ignore the date below.