New Milestones for Help Lesotho’s Board

by Renee | Apr 16, 2026 | General, News About Help Lesotho, Updates

Strong governance is essential to achieving lasting impact. At Help Lesotho, our Board of Directors plays a critical role in stewarding the organization’s mission – providing oversight, managing risk, and setting strategic direction to ensure our work remains effective, accountable, and sustainable.

A Bi-National Model Rooted in Partnership

Help Lesotho operates through a bi-national governance and leadership model, intentionally designed to reflect the realities of working in Lesotho while maintaining strong accountability in Canada.

Governance and management responsibilities are shared across both countries to ensure:

Strong financial and legal stewardship
Local leadership, relevance, and ownership
Long-term sustainability and meaningful impact

Executive leadership functions are distributed to leverage strengths in both contexts:

Canada: governance, donor relations, compliance, and strategic oversight
Lesotho: program leadership, operations, partnerships, and community engagement

This model reflects a core belief: sustainable change is built through local leadership, supported by global partnership.

A More Representative and Inclusive Board

At the December 2025 Annual General Meeting, Help Lesotho reached an important milestone. For the first time, the Board formally transitioned from a fully Canadian membership to an international board structure.

This shift represents a deliberate and ongoing commitment to:

Localizing decision-making
Strengthening shared accountability
Ensuring governance reflects the communities we serve

Board composition will continue to evolve over time, with a focus on bringing diverse perspectives and lived experience into governance.

help-lesotho-board-retreat-breakout-group

Looking Ahead: Strategic Planning for the Future

The retreat also marked the official launch of Help Lesotho’s next strategic planning process, which will guide the organization toward new priorities and opportunities through to July 2027.

This process will be shaped by:

Input from staff, partners, and program participants
Evidence and learning from current programs
A shared commitment to deepening impact in communities

Building for Long-Term Impact

These milestones reflect more than organizational growth, they represent a continued shift toward shared leadership, stronger governance, and deeper local ownership.

As Help Lesotho looks to the future, we remain committed to building an organization that is not only effective, but also equitable, collaborative, and rooted in the communities it serves.

“Yesterday in my capacity as Non Executive Director for Help Lesotho, I attended a board retreat in Leribe. This retreat was especially important as it brought together board members from Canada and from the African side, in a physical setting to ponder on issues and discuss the strategic direction we would like to steer the organization in. It was a nice change of pace from the virtual sittings we hold, usually at odd hours due to the time difference.

We had occasion to interact with different participants of the organisation’s initiatives, and one could not help but marvel at the beautiful work being done by the organisation. From supporting young mothers and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills to providing school sponsorship to youth from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as providing leadership training to youths from all walks of life. However what stood out for me in all these was the fact that psychosocial support was at the heart of all programs which had the effect of making all participants self aware and more cognizant of their value to society!

As we step into designing our new Strategic plan as the current one phases out in 2027, I am excited at how we are going to scale up on our existing initiatives as well as designing more effective initiatives, all in an effort to aid in the improvement of the lives of Basotho who are truly in need.”

Rapelang Mosae, Director

“So much magic happens when diversity is not only acknowledged, but intentionally included in planning spaces. Yesterday I learned that by bringing together youth, staff, board members, and beneficiaries/alumni creates a richer, more grounded perspective and lived experiences meet technical expertise and strategic oversight. Each group carries a unique lens, and when these voices are meaningfully integrated, the outcomes become more inclusive, responsive, and reflective of the real needs and aspirations of the communities being served.

I am truly honored to have been invited by Help Lesotho as an alumna to participate in a two-day engagement alongside board members and key stakeholders, contributing to their upcoming strategic plan (set to take effect mid-2027).

Day 1 created space for connection, it was a dinner and networking opportunity that allowed for meaningful conversations, relationship-building, and shared reflections across different experiences.

Day 2 focused on strategic planning, where we collectively explored ideas, shared insights, and contributed toward shaping the organization’s future direction.

What stood out most for me is how intentional Help Lesotho is about youth empowerment. This is not about ticking boxes or meeting donor expectations, it is about genuinely equipping young people to take up space, contribute meaningfully, and influence decisions that shape their futures.

Being able to share my lived experience as a beneficiary, alongside my professional insights and ideas, was both empowering and affirming. It created a platform where youth voices, perspectives, and lived realities are not only heard, but actively integrated into the organization’s vision moving forward.

This experience reminded me that true development is participatory. When organizations create room for those they serve to co-create solutions, the impact becomes more sustainable, relevant, and transformative.

Grateful for the opportunity and excited to see how these conversations will shape the future of Help Lesotho.”

Mpho Masimong, Alumni

“It was a privilege to be in Leribe these past few days, sitting alongside an incredible team of board members from Canada and Lesotho, united by a shared commitment to the people I love and serve. What struck me most was not just the quality of the programmes Help Lesotho delivers, but the deep humanity at the heart of every initiative.

Psychosocial support is not an add-on, it is the foundation, and it shows in the confidence and self-awareness of every participant we interacted with.

I am deeply grateful to volunteer my time and expertise in the service of an organisation doing such meaningful and impactful work, from empowering young mothers with entrepreneurial skills, to sponsoring youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, to building the next generation of leaders across Lesotho.

As we begin shaping our new Strategic Plan, I leave this retreat energised and hopeful. The best of Help Lesotho’s work is still ahead.”

Tumelo Raboletsi, Director

Memorable Moments from Lesotho

by Renee | Apr 9, 2026 | Vlogs from Lesotho 2026

Kate shares her favourite moments from her most recent trip to Lesotho. This short video is filled with joy, connection and singing. Be sure to watch to the end for the moving display of appreciation.

From Participants to Leaders: The Power of Full-Circle Impact

by Renee | Mar 19, 2026 | General, News About Help Lesotho

There is a powerful story unfolding inside Help Lesotho, and you are part of it.

Today, 82% of Help Lesotho’s all-Basotho staff in Lesotho are alumni of our programs.

This means the majority of the team leading workshops, mentoring youth, supporting caregivers, and strengthening communities once sat in those same classrooms and camps themselves.

They were once:

Students receiving sponsorship
Youth attending leadership camps
Participants in life skills programs
Young people navigating adversity

And now, they are the mentors. The leaders. The role models.

This is what long-term impact looks like.

Your support has not only helped young people succeed, it has helped build a generation of local leaders who are now strengthening their own communities.

When young people have access to education, mental health support, and opportunity, something powerful happens:

They return.
They invest.
They lead.

This full-circle impact is what makes Help Lesotho’s work sustainable. Programs are shaped by people who deeply understand the challenges facing Basotho youth – because they have lived them. It builds trust, strengthens relationships, and ensures that support is both meaningful and lasting.

Most importantly, it reflects something deeply important: hope multiplied.

Meet the Leaders You’ve Helped Shape

I am Thato Let’sela, my journey with Help Lesotho began in January 2014 through the Leaders in Training (LIT) program. After successfully completing the program, I became part of the selected candidates to join Help Lesotho as a Professional Intern. I was further offered a position as centre supervisor which marked the beginning of my professional career with the organisation. As I continued to grow within the family, I was appointed in March 2025 as the Programs Manager.

Help Lesotho’s recruitment approach is highly effective because many staff members were once beneficiaries themselves. Having experienced the impact of the organisation first-hand, we are able to connect more meaningfully with current beneficiaries. This shared experience strengthens our emotional and social awareness, enabling us to provide the necessary care, guidance, and support.

Furthermore, this approach contributes significantly to the sustainability of the organisation. By nurturing leaders from within, Help Lesotho ensures that its culture, values, and vision are preserved and carried forward.

Tsepo, get-a-job workshop, help lesotho, 2025

I am Khotso Matekoa, I joined Help Lesotho as a LIT participant in 2019 and later became a Professional Intern.

Today, I am part of Help Lesotho staff since 2022 as the computer instructor. My journey has helped me to understand the culture of the organisation and feel the joy of being served with a full heart which ultimately has instilled in me to serve others equally and even better.

My name is Thato Lenong, I became part of Help Lesotho first through its Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) as a student at Molapo High School. I then transitioned to joining two more programs which are the LIT and Professional Intern program.

Transitioning from being a beneficiary to staff has prepared my mind set as I have learned and first understood about effective communication, leadership skills and team work. This also has invested more in my commitment to my work because I know how it is to receive the kindness from our support, therefore I also live to make change and model to the participants the kindness that I once was on the receiving end.

Because of the programs, I am confident, resilient and assertive most of the time.

A Future Led from Within

Because of you, former participants are now creating opportunities for the next generation.

They are not just beneficiaries of change, they are the ones leading it.

And that is the true power of investing in young people.

Create the Next Generation of Leaders

Building Confidence Through Play

by Renee | Jan 28, 2026 | News About Help Lesotho, Updates

How Smart Kids is Changing Learning in Rural Lesotho

On a warm, sunny afternoon in the rural community of Nokong, the sounds of laughter, rhyming songs, and friendly competition float across the hills. A single red-earth dirt road winds through the surrounding villages, where horses and sheep outnumber people and the local primary school welcomes children who walk miles each day to attend.

On the school grounds, three young women – proudly wearing their royal blue Help Lesotho volunteer polo shirts – are leading games and learning activities for more than 100 children, ranging in age from one to thirteen. Their energy is contagious. Children clap, sing, race, and shout encouragement to one another as learning unfolds through play.

These young women are not outsiders. Each of them participated in Help Lesotho’s Youth Mother Program in recent years. Today, they have returned as leaders. One balances her young daughter on her back while laughing and singing with the older children – a powerful image of resilience, care, and possibility.

When the opportunity arose to volunteer with Help Lesotho’s Smart Kids Initiative, all three jumped at the chance. In their communities, they regularly run tutoring and psychosocial support sessions on their own. But on this day, they came together to host a large group activity at the primary school, creating a joyful space where children could learn, feel supported, and simply be kids.

Young People Leading Change

The Smart Kids Initiative is built on a simple but powerful idea: young people already have what it takes to create positive change in their communities. Through the program, youth volunteers discover that their time, creativity, and compassion can make a real difference. They become role models – showing children what confidence, kindness, and perseverance look like in action.

By offering encouragement and patient support, Smart Kids volunteers help children build confidence as they face everyday challenges: writing their name for the first time, learning to count, sounding out words, or reading aloud. These moments – small as they may seem – lay the foundation for lifelong learning.

Making Learning Fun

In Lesotho, teachers, parents, and guardians often focus on the formal elements of education. Primary school is free and compulsory, yet in many rural communities, quality and learning outcomes remain weak. Children rarely receive the individualized encouragement that builds confidence and a genuine love of learning.

The Smart Kids Initiative is not about test scores or essays. It is about opening children’s minds and nurturing their natural curiosity. It teaches children that mistakes are part of learning – not something to be punished. Through play, storytelling, and positive reinforcement, children begin to associate learning with joy rather than fear.

Most importantly, Smart Kids helps children develop internal motivation and resilience – the confidence to try, to fail, and to try again.

On that sunny afternoon in Nokong, amid laughter and song, something powerful was happening: young women who once received support were now passing it on. In doing so, they are helping raise a generation of children who believe in themselves – and in their ability to shape a brighter future.

You can Support a Smart Kid in Lesotho

Education is More than a Classroom

by Renee | Jan 24, 2026 | Stories

Education is far more than just a classroom,

it is the foundation of dignity, the spark of resilience, and the power to imagine a different future.

Manatala joined the Sponsorship Program in 2016

Manatala knows this deeply.

At just five years old, Manatala lost her mother. She was raised by her grandmother in the rural village of Pitseng. Her father, living elsewhere with a second wife, never returned to support her.

When Manatala completed primary school with first-class results in 2014, she was full of hope and ready for high school. But hope alone could not pay school fees.

In 2015, Manatala stayed home – not because she lacked ability, but because her family lacked resources. Rather than give up, she made a courageous decision: she repeated Class 7. Once again, she passed with first-class results.

That determination caught the attention of her aunt, who approached Help Lesotho for support. In 2016, Manatala joined the Student Sponsorship Program – and everything changed.

With consistent sponsorship, Manatala enrolled at Pitseng High School. She faced challenges, worked through supplementary exams, and persisted. Today, she is studying for a Diploma in Primary Education at the Lesotho College of Education. This year, she is completing her teaching practice at Mahobong Primary School, where she has passed every assessment.

She will graduate in September 2026 – not only as a student, but as a future teacher serving her community.

Manatala shared this with us:

“Help Lesotho supported me financially, emotionally, and mentally. I had a lot of problems as a child, but I was able to face the world during the hard times of my school journey. I am thankful for the leadership camps I attended – I learned so much. That’s why I am here today.”

In 2026, Manatala is graduating from Teachers College

Help Lesotho’s student sponsorship provides:

Access to education
Stability during vulnerable years
Leadership development, mentorship … and hope.

Education transforms lives – but only when someone makes it possible.