Climbing Mountains to Reach Orphans

By Kai T. Hill

Deep in the picturesque mountains of Lesotho, there lies a problem within a problem.

The southern African country is one of the smallest on the continent, yet ranks third in the world for HIV prevalence. In this nation encircled by South Africa, nearly one in four people is infected with HIV. Many have died, leaving an estimated 100,000 children orphaned.

"Without parents, orphaned children are often left to fend for themselves. They must somehow find the food, education, life skills, family support and love that many people take for granted," says CRS Lesotho's Country Representative, John Shumlansky.

Compounding these challenges is the country's harsh, sometimes impassable mountain terrain. Without adequate roads, transportation and communication, very few organizations have been willing to work in Lesotho. In the meantime, thousands of needy children go underserved.

"I can't imagine my own children having to face these circumstances at such young ages," Shumlansky adds. "Fortunately, this project provides the support many orphans desperately need."

In 2006, with funding from the Lesotho government's National AIDS Commission, Catholic Relief Services and the Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conference started the Mountain Orphan and Vulnerable Children's Empowerment project (MOVE), a comprehensive approach to caring for orphans in the communities of Bobete, Nkau and Nohana.

Meeting Basic Needs

A three-year initiative, the MOVE project serves 6,000 orphans and about 3,000 additional household members, including caretakers.

The project provides participants with substantial medical support, mostly through partnerships with the Lesotho Ministry of Health and other organizations, including Partners in Health, the Clinton Foundation and the Lesotho Flying Doctors' Service.

These partnerships — along with assistance from local clinic staff — have allowed the MOVE project to link with existing health services, including HIV testing and drug treatment. Additional support services include food assistance through agriculture training, educational support, counseling, and community training on child welfare and child protection.

Project coordinators found that inadequate uniforms and supplies were a major barrier to children going to school.

"The lack of a school uniform often labels poor and orphaned children in Lesotho. … Temperatures in the mountains dip below freezing during the winter months, making school attendance extremely difficult without proper clothing," says Shumlansky.

CRS and our church partners provide children with school uniforms and shoes to help them assimilate back into school. In addition, teachers and fellow students receive education on life skills, emotional support, and HIV so they can better address the needs of orphans in the school environment. CRS has also helped schools start a resource exchange program that supplies secondary schools with materials, desks and chairs in exchange for free tuition for students.

Before the project began, it was common to see children at home and in villages during school hours, doing family chores and tending livestock. However, within a year of the project's launch, daily life for many orphans had dramatically changed.

No Mountain Too High

The high, rugged terrain in Lesotho is nothing to underestimate. Visiting a project site normally requires an eight-hour drive over cliffside rocky roads.

To overcome this challenge, CRS and our partners charter small aircraft operated by the Mission Aviation Fellowship. Air travel offers a safer, more cost-effective means to transport staff and materials to project sites. Getting to some remote villages even requires staff to travel on horseback. While not the fastest mode of transportation, horses are readily available and are often the safest way to travel through mountains.

Satellite MOVE offices have been opened in each project area. This not only reduces some of the travel challenges, but also helps form a strong bond between communities and staff, who live in the communities where they serve.

"I have learned to work with orphans and know their needs both psychologically and physically," says CRS Area Coordinator Sempe Lerotholi, who helped start the project and now lives in one of the MOVE sites.

"CRS is working in areas where no other organization is willing to work. Because of this commitment, CRS targets the poorest of the poor and those people who really need help," Lerotholi says.

Our Work in Lesotho

In addition to our outreach to residents affected by HIV and AIDS, CRS has focused its programming in Lesotho on addressing food insecurity, natural emergencies and helping existing church partners increase their capacity to respond to future crises. Catholic Relief Services' efforts were recognized recently by Lesotho's government and local media. At a February 2007 ceremony, officials presented CRS with an award for "Outstanding Performance as an HIV and AIDS Implementing Partner."

Kai T. Hill is an associate web producer for CRS. She works in the Baltimore headquarters.