United Nations in Lesotho

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Lesotho:

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30 August 2021

UN Communications Group Retreat

The United Nations Communication Group this week held a retreat as a strategic planning session to discuss how the group, consisting of the communication specialists, focal points and other officers assigned with communication functions of the eight resident UN agencies, can further support the UNCT in achieving results from the United Nations Assistance Development Framework (UNDAF) 2019- 2023, through communications and advocacy. A new communications strategy was validated by the group with its vision to mobilize support for the Sustainable Development Agenda, fight inequality in Lesotho, build resilience, and improve the quality of life for current and future generations. “We are in a new development era, the 2030 Agenda is universal and is cross cutting, therefore in order for us to see tangible fruits of sustainable development by 2030, we need to work together and more especially through the capitalization of communications, advocacy and dialogues across all sectors”, remarked Vimbainashe Mukota, RCO Strategic Team Leader. The cycle of the Common Country Analysis (CCA), among other topics, was also discussed, which the UN’s collective assessment and analysis of a country’s situation before the development of a Cooperation Framework, and the role of communications.

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03 August 2021

UN convenes human rights training for Lesotho Correctional Service officers

Through the National Dialogue process of 2018 and 2019, recommendations were made which included reforms to the security sector in Lesotho, to ensure that security sector agencies conduct their operations in line with international human rights standards. The reforms call for capacity building of officers working in the security sector on human rights. As a party to several international and regional human rights conventions and treaties, Lesotho is under obligation to comply with the human rights commitments that the country has made including the rights of persons deprived of liberty. The Bill of Rights in the Lesotho Constitution provides for rights that are supposed to be protected, promoted and enjoyed by all. There are rights that relate to the treatment of persons deprived of liberty including inmates held in correctional facilities. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today convened the start of a three-day training for Correctional Service officers in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Resident Coordinator’s Office. The Senior Human Rights Adviser to the UN in Lesotho who spoke on behalf of the acting UN Resident Coordinator quoted a popular saying by one human rights defender who once said: “A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens but by how it treats its criminals”. Among other topics such as “Human Rights Principles of Good Prison Management”, the training will further sensitize correctional service officers on the rights of inmates, other correctional service employees and the community at large. “I hope this training will remind you all of your duty to respect and ensure that the rights of inmates are respected, because they also have rights” remarked Assistant Commissioner of the Lesotho Correctional Services, Mr Sekila Joel Majara. This training of trainers (ToT) is a part of a training programme which will identify trainers who will be equipped with knowledge, skills and tools for conducting human rights training to fellow correctional officers throughout the country.

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17 August 2021

Encouraging community members to get vaccinated...

Lesotho began its first vaccination campaign in March 2021. The country has received 72 000 doses of AstraZeneca and 302 400 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine through the COVAX facility. The first phase of the national vaccine rollout provided the initial vaccine dose to over 40 000 health workers and people with comorbidities. In addition, over 32 000 people have received their second dose and have been fully vaccinated. UNICEF has supported the government of Lesotho in obtaining and administering the vaccine, availability of cold chain storage to store the vaccines, and demand creation and risk communication activities to improve public perception and acceptance of the vaccine. This is the story of Thabo Masia, a 53-year-old village health worker from Moshoeshoe II in Maseru. Thabo has received his 1st vaccination dose and encourages people within his community to get vaccinated. “Our role is to give health services to people in the community. On the issue of COVID19, there has been a lot of misleading information that misguided people. Because people no longer attend public gatherings, we had to resort to a door-to-door outreach campaign where we approach people with chronic illness and encourage them to get vaccinated as well as providing them with the right information.” He further explains that being a health worker entails more than just doing advocacy work but also assisting sick people and ensuring they take their medication. “Patients in the village come to me because the health centers give us medication to dispense to patients and keep daily records. Some of our patients are HIV/AIDS patients. We also help them in the community to access their medication. Our job is also to make sure that infants get all their necessary injections from the time of birth.” Finally, as a health care worker, he is delighted that the second batch of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived: “I am happy that the second dose of the vaccine has arrived because I am afraid of COVID19 because it is killing people in high numbers. So, I am happy that I got a chance to get vaccinated. That’s what helped us convince people to get vaccinated.” In the coming months and years, UNICEF Lesotho will continue to support the government of Lesotho to vaccinate its citizens so that essential services continue to reach people who need them the most.

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10 June 2021

Partnering for a clean environment

The United Nations in Lesotho partnered with The British High Commission, Vodacom and The American International School to commemorate World Environment Day on 4 June 2021. This day was celebrated with a neighborhood clean-up event, as a call-to-action to encourage other organizations, communities, and individuals to take concrete actions in keeping Lesotho clean. The 2021 World Environment Day also marked the beginning of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global rally for the healing of our planet for the next ten years. Aurore Rusiga, representing the Resident Coordinator a.i, remarked on the importance of working together for lasting impact on the environment and ecosystems: “we all have a role to play in keeping our environment clean, and there are many ways in which we can contribute. Whether it be picking up litter or planting trees or making sure we reduce the use of plastics, these actions will have lasting impact on the environment and our ecosystems”. The United Nations Environment Programme’s new synthesis report makes a clear and urgent case for the restoration of ecosystems. The report finds that ecosystem degradation affects the well-being of an estimated 3.2 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world’s population and that each year, the world loses ecosystem services worth more than 10 per cent of the global economic output. “We have a huge task ahead of us for the recovery of our ecosystems over the next ten years, we will need political will and commitment among other things. In the UK, the government is already implementing tax levy’s on single use plastic bags and further pledging more funding for the protection of habitats and wildlife all over the world,” said Anne Macro, the UK High Commissioner in Maseru. To amplify the message, all partners drove a social media engagement campaign encouraging citizens to act individually and collectively to ensure and advance restoration of forest ecosystems, waste reduction and recycling, protection of biodiversity and sustainable food supply.

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04 March 2021

Lesotho receives its first shipment of the COVID-19 Vaccine

After a year of disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10,000 Basotho infected with the virus, almost 300 lives lost, and hundreds of thousands of Basotho families affected in countless ways, the path to recovery for Lesotho can now begin with the arrival of a vaccine for COVID-19.
The deliveries mark the beginning of what will be the largest, most complex global roll-out of vaccines in history. The COVAX Facility plans to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of this year. This is an unprecedented global effort to make sure all citizens have access to vaccines.
“This is a momentous occasion,” said Dr. Richard Banda, WHO Representative for Lesotho. “COVID-19 has taken a toll on countries around the world and Lesotho is no exception. We know this is the first step and we congratulate the Government of Lesotho, especially the Ministry of Health for its tireless efforts to protect Basotho and contain the spread of the virus. Lesotho will today receive 36, 000 vaccines as part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India, which represents part of the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines headed to several low and middle-income countries.
“We know the only way out of this crisis is to ensure that vaccinations are available for all,” Anurita Bains, UNICEF Representative for Lesotho and acting UN Resident Coordinator. “It’s a historic day for the country and as the UN we stand ready to support the successful roll-out of the vaccine programme.”
The shipment today is the first tranche of many that will be allocated to Lesotho in the coming months and year through the COVAX Facility, which is working to accelerate the development of and access to COVID-19 vaccines. The facility is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) working in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, manufacturers, civil society organizations, and others. We also acknowledge the immense contributions to the COVAX Facility from key partners who are also supporting the Kingdom of Lesotho, including: The US Government recently contributed $2 billion to the COVAX facility. As the largest donor to COVAX, the US government is committed to supporting the international COVID-19 response, which is critical to ending this pandemic. “Over the last year, the United States government has moved swiftly to support the local response to control the spread of COVID-19,” said US Ambassador Rebecca Gonzales. “We will continue to support the vaccine rollout with trusted implementing partners and the Ministry of Health.” The European Union has made €1 billion contribution to the COVAX Facility. The EU and its Member States have been one of the lead contributors to COVAX with over €2.2 billion. Through these contributions, the European Union and its partners have secured purchase options for COVID-19 vaccines for all the participants in the COVAX Facility. “The EU is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs a vaccine gets it,” said EU Ambassador to Lesotho Christian Manahl. “Because we will only be safe if the whole world is safe. We are in a race against the virus and COVAX is our best hope that all our partners, in Africa and elsewhere, have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. The UK Government is proud to be one of the biggest donors to COVAX, helping to secure over one billion doses for vulnerable populations around the world. The UK has contributed £548 million (or over $765-million) to the COVAX facility. “The UK is delighted to see vaccines arriving “on the ground” in Lesotho, said British High Commissioner to Lesotho, Anne Macro. “This is a testament to the hard work of the Lesotho Government, Ministry of Health, and its partners in the UN and NGO sector in undertaking all the necessary advance preparation.” What is COVAX?
COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, civil society organizations, manufacturers, and others. COVAX is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.
COVAX has built a diverse portfolio of vaccines suitable for a range of settings and populations, and is on track to meet its goal of delivering at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries around the globe by the end of 2021, including at least 1.3 billion donor-funded doses to the 92 lower-income COVAX Facility participants supported by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC).

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01 March 2021

Protecting children from exploitation on the internet

The internet is an increasing part of today’s culture, it is transforming the lives of children and young people all over the world. Access to the internet and mobile devices empowers young people in areas like education and social networking but it also poses a threat to their wellbeing, wherever they are in the world. Children are often the digital pioneers-trying out new opportunities before most adults catch up. They are learning to navigate the world, and they tend to be enthusiastic and trusting. The flip side of these wonderful qualities is that they can lack caution and the ability to recognize when they might be at risk. When we meet people face to face, they often give us multiple signals that help us understand whether their intentions are good or unpleasant. The internet masks these signals and it is far more difficult to tell whether a person you meet online really is who they say they are. That is why it is so vital that children are taught how to use the internet safely. An important role in enabling children’s safety on the internet is to help them understand the concepts of risk and safety online, which will allow them to make independent informed decisions. Children and young people face a broad spectrum of risks when they use the internet. Some are threats to their safety or privacy. Others may result from children intentionally or unintentionally violating laws. Exposure to inappropriate images or content, whether accidentally or deliberately, online bullying or harassment(cyber-bullying), and revealing personal information that can make a child vulnerable or open to fraud are some of the risks they face online. Technology has given birth to cyber-bullying. To put it simply, cyber-bullying refers to the misuse of information technology with the intention to harass others. It comes in various forms. It doesn’t necessarily mean hacking someone’s profile or posing to be someone else. It also includes posting negative comments about somebody or spreading rumours to defame them. As everyone is caught up on the social network, it makes it very easy for anyone to misuse this access. Cyber-bullying has become very common nowadays. It disturbs the peace of mind of a person. With so much negativity on social media, more and more kids are experiencing anxiety and depression. In addition, they indulge in self-harm. It also results in a lot of insecurities. Cyber-bullying prevention is the need of the hour. It needs to be monitored and put to an end. There are various ways to tackle cyber-bullying. Firstly, children should be taught to never share their personal information online. Secondly, they should avoid posting sexually provocative pictures of themselves. Also, personal matters should never be discussed online. Awareness is the key to prevent online harassment. We should make children aware from an early age so they are always cautious. Moreover, parents should monitor theirs children’s online activities. Most importantly, cyber-bullying must be reported instantly without delay, as this can prevent further incidents from taking place. Children must be allowed access to the media, including digital and social media. This relationship between the child and media is an entry point to the world of children and their rights to education, freedom of expression, and to be heard. The media has an important role to play in protecting and promoting the rights of the child. With U-Report empowering and connecting young people around the world to engage with and speak out on issues that matter to them, I believe only young people can truly help improve the lives of other young people because we know their struggles. We can be part of the solution by speaking out. Our voices are positive and inspire change.

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Press Release

26 July 2021

United States Government donates 302 400 doses of COVID-19 Vaccine to Lesotho

Today, Lesotho receives 302 400 doses of Johnson&Johnson COVID19 vaccines donated by the United States Government. The donation comes following close collaboration between the COVAX facility, the African Union (AU)/ African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), and the United States Government. "Over the last year, the United States has continued its global leadership in public health and the international COVID-19 response. We have moved swiftly to help the Kingdom of Lesotho control the spread of COVID-19, and we will continue to support the vaccine rollout with trusted implementing partners and the Ministry of Health," said Ambassador Gonzales of the US Embassy in Lesotho. "We are pleased to see partners, such as the US Government, working together to ensure the equitable access and timely delivery of vaccines in Africa”. said Kimanzi Muthingi, Deputy Representative UNICEF Lesotho. “Every vaccines arrival to Lesotho is a significant moment. UNICEF remains committed to partner with the Government of Lesotho so that all who are eligible have access to COVID-19 vaccines as they become available." This is the third delivery of many that will be allocated to Lesotho in the coming months. The COVAX Facility is working to accelerate the development of and access to COVID-19 vaccines. Today’s delivery of vaccines contributes to the AVAT goal of achieving 60% coverage across the African continent by 2022 As the vaccine is rolled out, all Basotho are encouraged to continue wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly, avoiding crowded places, and practicing social distancing. What is COVAX? COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with UNICEF and the World Bank, civil society organizations, manufacturers, and others. In addition, COVAX is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. COVAX has built a diverse portfolio of vaccines suitable for a range of settings and populations and is on track to meet its goal of delivering at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries around the globe by the end of 2021. This includes at least $ 1.3 billion in donor-funded doses to the 92 lower-income COVAX Facility participants supported by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). For several months, COVAX partners have been supporting governments and partners to prepare for this moment. They have been especially active in working with some of the world's poorest countries: those that will benefit from the AMC, an innovative financial mechanism to help secure global and equitable access for COVID-19 vaccines. This entails assisting with the development of national vaccination plans, support for cold chain infrastructure, as well as stockpiling of half a billion syringes and safety boxes for their disposal, masks, gloves, and other equipment to ensure that there is enough equipment for health workers to start vaccinating priority groups as soon as possible.

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Press Release

04 May 2021

Starting their New Life - 60 vulnerable returnees and youth graduate from St. Mary Mazzarello

Among the 180 beneficiaries who received skills training through the project, 60 of them have already graduated from the College of Cooperative Entrepreneurship and Business Studies (CCBES) in February and March 2021 and started their own business in their respective districts. On 1 May 2021, another 60 beneficiaries graduated from St. Mary Mazzarello Vocational Training Centre (VTC). 17 beneficiaries learned catering and decoration, 13 beneficiaries learned computer, 13 learned sewing/fashion design, and 17 learned hairdressing. The Graduates are from Qacha’s Nek (17 persons), Quthing (18 person), Mohales Hoek (21 persons) and Mafeteng (4 persons) districts. In her remarks, The Principal of the St. Mary Mazzarello, Sister Cecillia Motanya stated, ‘’St. Mary Mazzarello VTC was established in early 1990’s when women had no access to secondary education and women’s rights were not recognized in the society. Our objective is to empower women through skills training and transform them to be women of honor, women who can stand for their rights and bring positive changes to their community.’’ She further stated; ‘’We are happy for our partnership with IOM in this project as the empowerment of young women and men is what we believe is our mission’’. In her remarks, Head of Office IOM Lesotho, Ms. Eriko Nishimura acknowledged the students’ commitment and tireless efforts to gain new skills at St. Mary Mazzarello VTC and congratulated on their successful completion of their skills training. She remarked, ‘’Money can be consumed even today and it will be gone. Skills you have gained will not disappear and it will remain with you forever. Skills training have transformed you completely. When you came here, you were vulnerable youth, but now, you are a confident and empowered youth who can bring positive changes to your community where you are coming from’’. Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Education, TVET, Mr. Thabang Mokotjo said; ‘’Leadership is influence. When you go back to your community, you are young community leaders as you now have a skill. So you can influence your community and market your products’’. He also said; ‘’Hairdressing and manicure is one of the skills in demand. I am happy that St. Mazarello VTC is among the first VTCs to offer this training’’. Lastly, he commented that the Ministry of Education is always ready to support the growth of VTCs, reduce the skills mismatch between the VTC and industrial needs, and once again congratulated students and St. Mary Mazarello VTC on the successful completion of the skills training.
Speaking on behalf of the entire beneficiaries, Ms. Mammopa Masiloane, Student representative, thanked UK Aid and the Government of Japan for availing the skills training opportunity. She stated; “What we have learned here in the past three months will not go to waste. We have become leaders in our own right and we shall demonstrate this in our communities to empower other young people. Our dreams have become a reality because of this opportunity and we are forever indebted to UK Aid and the Government of Japan for their support.’’
The skills training was funded by a generous support from UK Aid and the Government of Japan.

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Press Release

04 March 2021

Lesotho receives its first shipment of the COVID-19 Vaccine

The deliveries mark the beginning of what will be the largest, most complex global roll-out of vaccines in history. The COVAX Facility plans to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of this year. This is an unprecedented global effort to make sure all citizens have access to vaccines.
“This is a momentous occasion,” said Dr. Richard Banda, WHO Representative for Lesotho. “COVID-19 has taken a toll on countries around the world and Lesotho is no exception. We know this is the first step and we congratulate the Government of Lesotho, especially the Ministry of Health for its tireless efforts to protect Basotho and contain the spread of the virus.
Lesotho will today receive 36, 000 vaccines as part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India, which represents part of the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines headed to several low and middle-income countries.
“We know the only way out of this crisis is to ensure that vaccinations are available for all,” Anurita Bains, UNICEF Representative for Lesotho and acting UN Resident Coordinator. “It’s a historic day for the country and as the UN we stand ready to support the successful roll-out of the vaccine programme.”
The shipment today is the first tranche of many that will be allocated to Lesotho in the coming months and year through the COVAX Facility, which is working to accelerate the development of and access to COVID-19 vaccines. The facility is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) working in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, manufacturers, civil society organizations, and others.
We also acknowledge the immense contributions to the COVAX Facility from key partners who are also supporting the Kingdom of Lesotho, including: The US Government recently contributed $2 billion to the COVAX facility. As the largest donor to COVAX, the US government is committed to supporting the international COVID-19 response, which is critical to ending this pandemic. “Over the last year, the United States government has moved swiftly to support the local response to control the spread of COVID-19,” said US Ambassador Rebecca Gonzales. “We will continue to support the vaccine rollout with trusted implementing partners and the Ministry of Health.” The European Union has made €1 billion contribution to the COVAX Facility. The EU and its Member States have been one of the lead contributors to COVAX with over €2.2 billion. Through these contributions, the European Union and its partners have secured purchase options for COVID-19 vaccines for all the participants in the COVAX Facility. “The EU is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs a vaccine gets it,” said EU Ambassador to Lesotho Christian Manahl. “Because we will only be safe if the whole world is safe. We are in a race against the virus and COVAX is our best hope that all our partners, in Africa and elsewhere, have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.” The UK Government is proud to be one of the biggest donors to COVAX, helping to secure over one billion doses for vulnerable populations around the world. The UK has contributed £548 million (or over $765-million) to the COVAX facility. “The UK is delighted to see vaccines arriving “on the ground” in Lesotho, said British High Commissioner to Lesotho, Anne Macro. “This is a testament to the hard work of the Lesotho Government, Ministry of Health, and its partners in the UN and NGO sector in undertaking all the necessary advance preparation.” What is COVAX?
COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, civil society organizations, manufacturers, and others. COVAX is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.
COVAX has built a diverse portfolio of vaccines suitable for a range of settings and populations, and is on track to meet its goal of delivering at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries around the globe by the end of 2021, including at least 1.3 billion donor-funded doses to the 92 lower-income COVAX Facility participants supported by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). For several months, COVAX partners have been supporting governments and partners in readiness efforts, in preparation for this moment. They have been especially active in working with some of the world’s poorest countries: those that will benefit from the Advance Market Commitment (AMC), an innovative financial mechanism to help secure global and equitable access for COVID-19 vaccines. This includes assisting with the development of national vaccination plans, support for cold chain infrastructure, as well as stockpiling of half a billion syringes and safety boxes for their disposal, masks, gloves and other equipment to ensure that there is enough equipment for health workers to start vaccinating priority groups as soon as possible.

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Press Release

24 February 2021

Transforming Lives: 15 returnees and vulnerable youth start a new life chapter

On February 22 2021, 15 youth from Qacha’s Nek District have graduated from the skills training at College Cooperative formulation and Entrepreneurship Business Services (CCEBS) in Mafeteng district. They have acquired skills to manufacture hand sanitizers, body lotion, petroleum jelly, dried soup, beverage, dish washer and other items. The product is organic and made of the locally available materials such as rose hip and aloe vera.
In his remarks, Director of CCEBS, Mr. Ramoorosi, explained about the importance of becoming ‘’producer and become entrepreneurs (create job themselves)’’ rather than “waiting for somebody to employ them.’’ The Director encouraged the students to be creative and bold as they became entrepreneurs. Head of Office IOM Lesotho, Ms Eriko Nishimura stated that one of IOM's key mandates is to ensure vulnerable migrants could be exposed to life changing opportunities and expressed her sincere appreciation to the UK Aid as donor and CCEBS as a committed partner. On Behalf of the United Kingdom High Commission in Lesotho, Ms. Lineo Tsikoane thanked IOM for the efforts to improve the lives of Basotho. When talking to the students, she said; “we hope you will be exemplary and that this training has truly improved your lives” she quoted a famous proverb which says “give a man fish, you will feed him for a day, teach a man how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.”
A student representative thanked IOM for the support which she said has truly impacted on their lives. She said that they considered this training to be an honor and a great privilege. She reflected on how some of them had previously crossed the border to South Africa often through unofficial channels in search of work. She said that this effort had brought them together and that because their group is from Qachas Nek, they were intent on forming a society that would help them market and sell their products.

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Press Release

18 February 2021

Handover Ceremony of Crisis Shelter for Victims of Trafficking to provide trauma-informed, survivor-informed care and support.

The handover ceremony was held in Maseru. "Today, we are happy that the shelter is in a good condition to be handed over to your Ministry and thereafter Beautiful Dream of Society (BDS) which will provide much needed protection and care for victims of trafficking in a safe, secure and comfortable place. At this juncture, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to our donor, Government of Japan and its people, to have provided financial support to IOM which enabled us to support the rehabilitation of facility” said Ms. Eriko Nishimura, Head of Office, IOM Lesotho. Hon. Motlalentoa Letsosa, minister of home affairs stated: "It is my honour and privilege to make a statement on this occasion which marks a milestone for the Government of Lesotho in fighting against Trafficking in Persons," the Minister continued: "as a key ministry to tackle human trafficking, and as the minister of home affairs, I had made tireless efforts towards counter trafficking over the past 6 months. The cabinet has established sub-committee to effectively tackle with human trafficking, and proposed amendment to the Anti Trafficking in Persons Law which was approved by cabinet”.
This rehabilitation was supported by the Government of Japan and its people under the project titled ‘’Counter Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants through Victims of Trafficking (VoT) Crisis Shelter rehabilitation and building immigration department’s capacities in Lesotho.’’

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