Head of Organisation:
Mr. Haretsebe Mahosi, Chief Executive
e: ce@dma.gov.ls

Key Contacts:
'M'e Pulane Makitle, Senior Economic Planner
e: p.makitle@live.com

Ret'selisitsoe Molefe, Acting Senior Logistics Officer
e: dma@leo.co.ls
t: +266 2231 2183
f: +266 2231 0141

Postal Address:
Private Bag A453
Maseru 100
Lesotho

Physical Address:
Corner Hilton and Nightingale Road, Red Cross Building

97 (includes staff at Maseru headquarters as well as up to 7 staff members in each of the other 9 districts)

Support Staff

N/A

Key partners include:
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Local Government
Ministry of Agriculture
World Vision
CHAL
Caritas
Christian Council of Lesotho
World Food Program
UNICEF and other UN agencies
Others

While DMA is based out of Maseru, it has a presence in all 10 districts through District Disaster Management Teams, led by at least 1 (but up to 7) DMA staff members who work either in offices shared with local government or in DMA satellite offices.

DMA also maintains its national presence through its coordinating partners countrywide.

DMA is part of the Government of Lesotho. It is a central planning, coordination and monitoring institution for disaster management and post disaster recovery. DMA provides nutrition for OVC at schools, education about their rights and any aid available. Other specific activities include:
Vulnerability assessments: DMA conducts annual vulnerability assessments in rural and semi-urban areas of Lesotho. The assessment begins with HIV positive people in support groups, as an entry point into communities, but branches out to other vulnerable people. The assessments gauge a communitys response to potential changes and problems. For example, DMA is currently investigating the impact of soaring food prices on vulnerable groups. While the full-scale assessment is only done once per year, DMA conducts monthly analyses. In 2008, 353,000 of the people assessed were believed to require additional assistance. Also, for the first time this year, DMA is branching out to include urban communities in the assessment.
OVC and Under-5 outreach: DMA reaches OVCs through its feeding program which distributes food to orphans, infants, and vulnerable children at schools, early childhood centers, and therapeutic feeding centers at hospitals. As of July 2008, DMA reached 471 schools and centers with a goal of feeding 800,000 children. While all needy children and fed through this program, HIV positive children receive priority assistance. The other component of the OVC outreach activity is education and advocacy through awareness campaigns to cover topics such as disaster management, rights of the child, and access to basic services.
Program for breastfeeding and lactating women: DMA, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health reaches these women and provides education on feeding, parenting, and other childcare issues.

DMA's headquarters is in Maseru, but there are also District Disaster Management Teams in each district, which all coordinate with the central office. The DMAs structure begins with the Prime Minister and Cabinet at the top, with a board, chaired by the government secretary reporting directly up. Below the board are a series of multi-sectoral groups, starting with the Executive Group to which all other working groups report. The other groups include:

• Health and Nutrition
• Water and Sanitation
• Agriculture and Food Security
• Food and Logistics
• Training

DMA is expanding its vulnerability assessment to include urban areas. The urban assessment is currently underway and will be completed by August 2008. DMA will also begin work on a cash transfer program aimed at vulnerable groups.