Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association - December 2, 2004
"With a staggering increase in orphaned children from 73,000 in 2001 up to 100,000 orphans in 2004, prospects for the future of Basotho children are bleak.
By 2010, orphans in Lesotho are expected to account for more than 23% of all children and four out of five are forecasted to be Aids orphans, the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa," reads a report from Unicef.
Orphans are likely to have no income, which leads to food insecurity, stigma and discrimination, reduced education, sexual abuse, malnutrition and high mortality.
The project will seek to support local and national institutions in providing more effective services to community-based day care centres and primary schools.
"The project will strengthen the capacity of families, communities, community-based organisations and relevant institutions at local, district and national levels to be more effective in protecting and improving livelihoods, food and nutrition security, and education of orphans, HIV/Aids-affected children, their families and their communities.
Various strategies and means will be adopted to achieve this, such as food production and preservation, life skills training, income generation and food assistance," states the report.
Funded by the government of Germany with E3 million for the first two years, the project will be executed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and overseen by the Lesotho government. The project will be piloted in Lesotho and Malawi and will take four years.
The Lesotho government in collaboration with Unicef, FAO and WFP is currently holding district level planning workshops to identify and discuss the details of the project.
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