“How is Lesotho?“
The answer is heavy, uncertain, and deeply concerning.
We’ve had years of steady progress with more people than ever accessing HIV treatment, glimmers of hope in job creation and economic growth, and a significant shift towards social justice. Over the last few months, the positive changes have slowed and in some cases reversed.
The New York Times published an article “How the Threat of Trump’s Highest Tariff Derailed an African Nation” that is worth a read. “Perhaps nowhere else on the planet has the impact of the mere threat of tariffs been more visible than in Maseru, Lesotho’s capital and manufacturing hub, where companies like Walmart, JCPenney, Levi’s and even the Trump brand get clothes produced to sell in the United States. The looming 50 percent tariff led many American companies to stop placing orders. That led some factories to shut down part or all of their production, leading to thousands of layoffs that devastated low-wage workers who live hand-to-mouth and have gone weeks or months without a stable income.”
Today marks International Youth Day. As an organization committed to empowering youth to build resilience and create positive change in their families and communities, we celebrate those who are persevering in this particularly difficult time. Just last week we heard from three of our recent ‘Get-a-Job’ participants who shared that they were finally successful at landing job interviews and securing jobs. Even more than celebrating these individual successes, we recognize the love and support their peers showed them. This is often one of Help Lesotho’s strongest impacts – establishing supportive communities that endure long beyond the formal end of our workshops and trainings.
We recently shared that amongst the latest developments in Lesotho, the government declared unemployment as a national crisis. The challenge to reverse the current stalled progress and ensure sustainable, long-term opportunities for growth is daunting. Lesotho’s youth deserve more than promises. At Help Lesotho, we are committed to walking alongside them, building pathways that turn resilience into results.
When you support Help Lesotho, you are helping to create a generation of young leaders ready to build a brighter future for themselves, their families and their country.
