‘Malekhanooe Lekhanooe lives in Pitseng, Lumelang village, nestled beneath a beautiful mountain along the road to Katse Dam. The village is surrounded by natural vegetation—rose hips, prickly pears and agaves—creating a peaceful and picturesque setting, despite the many challenges she faces.

At 72 years old, ‘Malekhanooe is the primary caregiver for her household, which includes her son and two grandchildren. Her granddaughter is in high school, while her grandson is in primary school. She is widowed, and with her son unable to work due to an illness-related disability, the family relies entirely on her elderly pension. Her daughter lives in South Africa but rarely sends financial support.

Her home consists of two huts, set apart from each other. She shares one with her granddaughter, while her son and grandson sleep in the other. Despite having a small garden—flourishing with vegetables grown from seeds provided by the Help Lesotho Grandmother Support Program—life remains difficult. Heavy rains often leave her hut damp, and with no mattress or bed, she sleeps on dried cowherds as an improvised mattress.

Every day, she rises early to cook, wash dishes and prepare for the long walk to collect firewood and water from the community well. She tends her vegetable garden and carefully preserves food for the harsh winter months ahead.

‘Malekhanooe finds strength in the Help Lesotho Grandmother Program. She particularly values the lessons on communication, resilience, self-care, and food preservation, which have helped her cope with life’s difficulties, even when things feel overwhelming.

Nkhono ‘Malekhanooe is one of 200 grandmothers currently enrolled in Help Lesotho’s Grandmother Support Program. Through the ‘Lighten Her Load’ campaign, your gift will equip these grandmothers with items to ease their daily burdens.

• Food parcels to ensure their families are fed and nourished
• Seeds for growing fresh vegetables
• Shade nets to protect crops
• Hippo Rollers to transport water in larger quantities (few trips to the well) and without causing damage and pain

Many development organizations focus their efforts on empowering girls and women. While Help Lesotho ultimately seeks to support gender equity and improved well-being for girls and women, we recognize the importance of including boys and men in programming in order to foster the types of families and communities where everyone is supported and empowered to thrive. We are highlighting the stories of four young men who are all long-term beneficiaries of the GLC, and who are quiet leaders for positive social change within their communities.

Earlier this year, 21-year-old Ntsane participated in the Computer and Life Skills Program. During the graduation ceremony, he shared a deeply personal story about how the program transformed his life. Ntsane had been grappling with a difficult relationship with his father, which led to depression and drug use. Through sessions with Help Lesotho’s psychosocial support team, he began to open up about his feelings and start his journey towards healing.

Ntsane continues to visit the GLC on a weekly basis to play chess. He can’t get enough! He is working with our Psychosocial Support team to get support in his efforts to confront his father and improve the living situation for his family. Ntsane plans to pursue a career in IT.

Seelane and his two younger brothers live with their single mother. She works in a factory but the income is not adequate for supporting her sons. Seelane has been coming to the GLC ever since it opened back in 2010 (when he was in grade 3). He used our library all through school so he could access the textbooks that his mother couldn’t afford. He was part of the first group of high school students to complete the Computer and Life Skills Program. In the last few years, his younger brothers participated in our Guys4Good Program (to help them prepare to resist peer pressure at high school) and one of his brothers is being sponsored to attend high school. Seelane completed our Leaders-in-Training Program in February-March of this year. Through this program he gained self-awareness, developed advocacy skills, and improved his confidence.

Seelane is not yet what many would consider to be an exciting ‘success story’. He only completed two years of a Bachelor Degree and he is still looking for a job. However, he is adamant that without Help Lesotho, his life would be very different. He sees how beneficial the communication skills he has gained have been within his family and his relationship with his mother.

He knows that one day he will have a family of his own, and he will treat his wife with respect, and he will nurture his children so they can have a childhood like what he experienced at Help Lesotho. He knows that the path to complete his education and get a job will not be easy, but he is ready for the challenge. He is committed to creating a brighter future for himself and his brothers!

Bereng is in his final year of high school. When he graduates in December, he hopes to enroll in tertiary schooling to pursue a career as a doctor or a lawyer. At 16-years-old, he has been coming to the GLC for half his life. As a child, he came to play games. As a high school student, he frequently comes to use the library on weekends (along with plenty of breaks for basketball games!)

Bereng describes himself as an introvert and an ‘old soul.’ Though he doesn’t have many close friends, he trusts and confides in the people at the GLC. Recently, he revealed that two years ago, he attempted to end his life by ingesting rat poison due to severe bullying at school. Fortunately, his father found him in time and got him the help he needed.

Bereng loves listening to motivational speakers. He is particularly inspired by Michael Jordan and Barack Obama.