Help Lesotho | Author: Renee van der Merwe

From Surviving to Leading: Lerato’s Story

May 6, 2026 | Community Impact, Youth Leadership, Education & Livelihoods

At 18 years old, Lerato is already becoming the kind of leader his community looks up to.

But his story didn’t begin that way.

Growing up near the Help Lesotho Centre in Lesotho, Lerato first came for simple reasons - to spend time in the library, play games, and be part of a safe space. Over the years, that space became something more.

“It feels like home,” he says. “Even just to stop for a drink of water, it feels good to be here.”

A Turning Point

Like many young people, Lerato faced challenges navigating his teenage years. He describes a time when he didn’t think much about consequences.

“I used to be someone who didn’t care,” he shares. “I didn’t care if I did things that meant I would end up in prison.”

Fighting was common. It was what he had learned - that strength meant using violence, that being a man meant standing your ground physically. These lessons, shaped by his early experiences, influenced how he responded to conflict.

But something began to shift.

Before his final high school exams, Lerato attended a Help Lesotho Inspiration Day. It was a simple intervention - a day of encouragement, reflection, and motivation - but it came at exactly the right moment.

“It really helped,” he says.

For the first time, Lerato began to see a different path forward - one that required intentional choices.

“Now I see that I need to make good decisions.”

Choosing a Different Path

Today, Lerato is preparing for his next chapter. He spends time in Help Lesotho’s alumni room, working on applications to university. His goal is to study computer engineering, a future that once felt out of reach.

But perhaps the most powerful change is not where he is going. It is who he is becoming.

In high school, classmates often nominated him for leadership roles. He always refused.

Now, he says yes.

“I like being a leader now.”

Leading Through Action

Lerato’s leadership doesn’t show up in speeches or titles. It shows up in everyday choices.

He helps elderly women carry heavy bags.
He fills potholes in the road with stones so others can pass safely.
He notices when someone needs help - and steps in.

“I like being someone who helps others,” he says.

His peers have noticed. Many have followed him to Help Lesotho, curious about the change they see in him.

“They see the kind of person I am,” Lerato explains. “And I tell them it is because of Help Lesotho. They want to be like me.”

The Ripple Effect

Lerato’s story is not just about one young person. It is about what happens when youth are given space, support, and the opportunity to grow.

What began as a place to spend time has become a foundation for transformation:

A safe space to belong.
A moment of encouragement at a critical time.
A pathway to education and purpose.
A community that shapes leaders who give back.

Today, Lerato is not only building his own future - he is quietly strengthening his community along the way.

And in doing so, he embodies what Help Lesotho is all about:
Young people helping others, and changing what is possible for the future of Lesotho.

You can Support the Youth in Lesotho

Permission to Heal: Moshe’s Story

May 6, 2026 | Community Impact, Mental Health & Resilience

At 19 years old, Retselisitsoe – nickname Moshe – is a young woman of quiet strength and big dreams. Living in Khanyane with her mother and older brother, she understands the value of hard work and resilience; her mother works tirelessly to support the family by selling eggs and chicks.

Having recently completed Grade 11, Moshe just achieved another major milestone by completing Help Lesotho’s Basic Computer and Life Skills Course. With these new skills in hand, she is now setting her sights on a bright future, hoping to pursue a career in Occupational Health and Safety.

She will soon move away from her family to Maseru to begin her three-year diploma program; “it is kind of scary to move to the big city, but I think I’m ready.”

While the technical skills she gained at Help Lesotho are invaluable, it was the emotional journey during life skills sessions that truly transformed her. In particular, the module on Grief and Loss struck a deep chord. Before attending the sessions, Moshe believed that the only way to be strong was to bottle up her emotions so she could be a pillar of support for those around her. She didn’t realize that by suppressing her pain, she was denying herself the chance to heal, carrying a heavy, invisible burden of anger and sadness.

The sessions provided her with a profound realization: true healing requires us to actually process our emotions and experience them as they happen rather than locking them away. Through the program she learned that while we cannot replace everything we lose, we can honor the people who were important to us by remembering the good they brought into our lives and the lessons they taught us.

For Moshe, the program became a sanctuary. "It changed my life a lot," she shares. "I was bottling up so much. Here, I felt safe. I had a shoulder to cry on."

What Moshe loved most about her experience is that the growth didn't stop at the classroom door. She has been able to take everything she learned home with her, using these life skills to nurture her personal life and her relationships with her family. She is stepping into her future not just with new professional skills, but with a lighter heart and a healed spirit.

Moshe’s poem about her experience at Help Lesotho

Listen, listen to the thunders of the storm
as they tumble down my lips.
It's like I'm a trapped man behind bars
in a world that's not mine.
Trapped daily by a feeling—
pain and suicidal thoughts.
And I ask myself, will I ever be free?
Walk out there like a free man…
but it seems there's no answer to that.
Until the day the doors opened slowly,
not with chains breaking in anger
but with hands reaching through the dark.
In quiet rooms where voices were gentle,
they listened to the thunder in my chest
and did not run from the storm.
Day by day the sky inside me shifted—
not clear yet, not perfect,
but lighter than before.
I learned that bars can bend
when hope is patient.
I learned that storms can pass
even when they roar the loudest.
And now when I step outside
the wind feels different on my face—
like the world was waiting
for me to return to it.
I am not completely healed,
but I am walking.
And every step away from the darkness
is a kind of freedom.

You can Support a Student in Lesotho

Measuring What Matters

May 6, 2026 | Updates from Help Lesotho

A Youth-Centred Approach to Understanding Impact

Understanding impact goes beyond numbers. It requires listening, observing, and creating space for young people to express their experiences in ways that feel natural and safe.

To evaluate programs, Help Lesotho uses a participatory, youth-centered approach that brings the evaluation process to life.

Moving to Be Heard

Rather than relying only on written surveys, participants are invited to physically engage in the evaluation:

Different response options (such as “Not at all,” “Somewhat,” and “A lot”) are placed around the workshop room.
Participants are asked questions such as: “How much have you learned?” or “How much have you grown?”
They then moved to stand beside the response that reflected their experience.
Facilitators then ask for voluntary explanations from participants about why they chose the response they did.

This approach:

Makes the process interactive and engaging;
Reduces literacy and language barriers;
Allows facilitators to visually see patterns in responses; and
Creates space for discussion and reflection.

It also empowered participants to own their voices — not just answer questions.

Listening Through Dialogue

Evaluation also include:

Focus group discussions to explore which sessions had the greatest impact.
Open-ended questions that allowed girls to explain their experiences in their own words.
Quotes and personal reflections that revealed deeper stories of change.

Through conversation, themes emerged clearly: self-esteem, peer pressure, communication, and goal setting were among the most impactful areas.

Why This Approach Matters

Traditional evaluation methods can miss the depth of young people’s experiences. By contrast, this approach:

Centres the voices of participants;
Builds trust and openness;
Captures both data and lived experience; and
Strengthens learning for future program design.

It reflects a core belief of Help Lesotho: that those closest to the work should help define and measure its impact.

Case Study: The Impact of the Pearl Girl Program

At a critical moment in a young girl’s life — the transition from primary school to high school — the difference between struggling and thriving often comes down to confidence, decision-making, and support.

At Help Lesotho, the Pearl Girl Program is designed to meet that moment.

This year-long program brings Grade 7 girls together on weekends to build the life skills they need to enter high school with confidence — equipped not only to succeed academically, but to navigate peer pressure, make positive choices, and lead with purpose in their families and schools.

The 2025 Pearl Program reached 100 girls in two rural communities.

What We Learned

For many participants, the Pearl Girl Program is transformative.

Before joining, girls described themselves as:

Shy and lacking confidence.
Struggling with self-esteem.
Easily influenced by peers.
Hesitant to communicate or take responsibility.

By the end of the program, that story had changed.

Girls now describe themselves as:

Confident and able to speak up.
Respectful and responsible.
Thoughtful in choosing friends.
Able to communicate with peers and adults.
More honest and connected with their families.

One participant shared:

“I can now speak up for myself… and I can make the right choices of friends.”

These voices provide powerful evidence that change is not only happening — it is being felt.

Building Skills That Matter

Through sessions on self-esteem, peer pressure, goal setting, communication, and leadership, girls are developing skills that directly shape their daily lives.

Evaluation results show:

100% of participants feel significantly more prepared to handle peer pressure and high school challenges.
42% identified self-esteem as their most significant area of growth.
Girls reported improved ability to:
- - Set and achieve goals.
  - Communicate confidently.
  - Make positive decisions.
  - Recognize and respond to difficult situations, including violence.

For some, the impact went even deeper. Sessions on grief and emotional well-being created space for healing:

Many participants shared that they felt “lighter” after expressing emotions.
Others described learning how to move forward while holding onto meaningful memories
One participant reflected on emotional growth: “The session helped me cry, share how I feel, and let go of the pain.”

From Influence to Leadership

One of the most powerful outcomes of the Pearl Girl Program is the shift from being influenced by others to becoming a positive influence.

Participants shared that they:

Are no longer easily pressured by peers.
Have stopped harmful behaviours, including bullying.
Now see themselves as role models in their schools and communities.

They are not only preparing for high school — they are shaping the environments they enter.

What Teachers Report

“Learners who are part of the programs show noticeable growth not only academically but in confidence, emotional control and leadership. They are more respectful, more engaged and better equipped to handle challenges compared to their peers.”

“The impact of the programs is most visible in how students carry themselves outside the classroom. Our learners who were part of the program are consistently well-behaved, confident and eager to connect with their peers.”

“We are proud to see many of them stepping into important leadership roles at our schools.”

1. Individual Behavioural Change

Teachers report that most participants demonstrate:

Improved discipline and respectful behavior.
Increased confidence and willingness to engage.
Better ability to interact and build positive relationships.

However, some challenges remain:

A few learners still exhibit attention-seeking behaviors, possibly linked to home environments.
Isolated cases of peer pressure and bullying persist.

2. Emotional Regulation

The majority of participants display emotional stability, even in stressful situations.
Learners can identify and express their emotions more effectively.
They have reduced negative reactions and improved coping mechanisms especially in the high school environment.

3. Academic Performance

Learners show a shift where emotional wellbeing supports academic effort.
Participants actively take part in extracurricular activities, contributing to overall development.
While many are still average performers, they approach challenges with:
- - Confidence.
  - Persistence.
  - Better engagement with teachers.

4. Leadership Roles

Many participants take on leadership responsibilities, including:
They also show initiative outside the classroom by:
- - Participating in group activities
  - Leading peers in positive ways

Meet Keneuoe

Keneuoe lives with her grandmother and grandfather in Lesotho, along with her older sister (15) and younger brother (9). Years ago, their grandparents took the children in when their mother left to work as a domestic worker in South Africa. She hasn’t been able to return home in many years, so their grandparents have become the steady foundation for the family.

Her grandmother is a preschool teacher and a lively, enthusiastic woman who is deeply involved in her community. Her grandfather once worked in the mines and, when he retired, used his payout to build the family a large home. From the outside, the house looks impressive, but like many families in Lesotho, they still struggle to meet everyday needs. A large garden helps sustain them, providing food and a small source of income.

When Keneuoe first heard about the Pearl Program at Help Lesotho, she felt hopeful.

“I was excited to come to Help Lesotho because I knew that I was going to learn new things,” she said.

One lesson in particular made a lasting impact.

“I liked learning about self-esteem. I’m now assertive.”

Her grandmother has noticed the change too.

“Keneuoe is now very well-behaved. We do not see any risky behaviours. She tells us as a family what she learns, and we all benefit. She is even starting to take responsibility for helping the family.”

Keneuoe is already seeing the influence she has on those around her.

“I think I am a role model to my younger brother. He is not fighting other children anymore.”

She has big dreams for the future. One day, she hopes to become a defence lawyer and study at university in China.

But the dream closest to her heart is about family.

“I want to build my grandmother a big house.”

More Than a Program – A Turning Point

The transition to high school is a vulnerable time for many girls. Without the right support, challenges like peer pressure, low self-esteem, and exposure to violence can derail their potential.

The Pearl Girl Program helps ensure that girls enter this next chapter:

With confidence.
With strong decision-making skills.
With a sense of responsibility to themselves and others.

You can Support a Pearl Girl in Lesotho

Why We Walk Alongside Families

May 6, 2026 | Updates from Help Lesotho

The Power of Parental Involvement in Adolescent Programs

At Help Lesotho, we've learned that lasting change rarely happens in isolation. When we work with young people - such as through our Student Sponsorship Program or our young mothers' initiatives - we've seen time and again that the most meaningful outcomes emerge when families are part of the journey.

This isn't just a program philosophy. It's something our team has observed, reflected on, and continues to refine.

From Program Support to Shared Responsibility

One of the most significant shifts we've witnessed is what happens when parents and guardians move from the periphery to the centre of a young person's support system. When parents are actively involved, the responsibility for a child's growth becomes something shared between us, the child, and their family.

This matters because well-meaning external support can sometimes send an unintended message: that the program has it covered. Parental engagement corrects that. It reinforces that no sponsorship or intervention replaces a parent's role - it complements it. Children who feel that dual support, both at home and within our programs, are more likely to stay in school, avoid high-risk behaviors, and remain motivated through the inevitable challenges of adolescence.

For children living away from home, such as those in hostels, this is especially critical. Physical distance should never become emotional distance. Sustained parental involvement ensures it doesn't.

Building Bridges Between Home and Program

Regular communication with parents and guardians helps close a gap that can otherwise quietly undermine progress: the disconnect between what happens in a program and what happens at home.

When parents understand their children's educational and developmental needs, they're better equipped to structure home life in ways that support - rather than compete with - schooling. Chores, curfews, household expectations: these small decisions have a big impact on whether a young person can show up to learning ready and rested.

Our engagement sessions create space for parents to reflect on these dynamics. They surface real challenges - managing behavior, navigating technology, understanding the pressures today's young people face - and encourage more positive, informed approaches to parenting. We've seen fathers become more engaged. We've seen grandparents who serve as primary caregivers find language and tools they didn't have before. These conversations ripple outward, improving communication and emotional connection within families long after the session ends.

Stronger Families, Stronger Outcomes

The evidence from our young mothers' programs is particularly compelling. When families are involved, nutrition improves, financial support is used more effectively, and healthcare access increases. Perhaps just as importantly, stigma decreases. Young mothers who feel supported by their families - rather than judged or isolated - fare better, and so do their children.

This is how cycles get broken: not through programs alone, but through initiatives that strengthen the families at their core.

Honest About the Challenges

We'd be doing a disservice to our learning if we didn't acknowledge the barriers we continue to navigate.

Some parents work far from home - in other countries, in remote areas - and simply cannot attend engagement sessions. Some guardians are elderly and face real mobility limitations. Some children live in child-headed households with no adult representative at all. In other cases, a parent sends a teacher or relative in their place, which reduces the depth of engagement. Frequent changes in guardianship add another layer of complexity, making consistent support harder to maintain.

These are not edge cases. They are the everyday realities of the communities we serve, and they remind us that good intentions must be paired with flexible, creative approaches.

Space for Young People Too

We want to be clear about something we've learned: parental involvement must never come at the cost of adolescents having safe, independent spaces of their own.

Many young people need room to explore sensitive topics - identity, emotions, relationships, sexuality - without the presence of a parent or guardian. Some feel their parents may not fully understand their experiences or the world they're growing up in. That's not a failure of parenting; it's a natural part of adolescent development.

Our programs are most effective when they hold both realities: joint sessions that bring families together, and separate spaces where young people can speak freely and honestly. One does not diminish the other. Both are necessary.

A Commitment to Continued Learning

We share this not as a final answer, but as a reflection of where we are in our ongoing learning. Adolescent programming is complex, and the communities we work in are diverse. What works in one context may need to be adapted in another. What we believe today may be refined by what we learn tomorrow.

What remains constant is our commitment to walking alongside young people and their families - listening, adapting, and deepening our practice as we go.

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New Milestones for Help Lesotho’s Board

Apr 27, 2026 | Board, Updates from Help Lesotho

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

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