IOM Lesotho Office

NEWSLETTER
NO.1 2021

Covid-19 Sensitisation Campaign in Quthing

The campaign was organised in collaboration with
National COVID-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) and
District COVID-19 Secretariat (DISCOSEC) led by
Quthing District Administrator and was conducted in
partnership with Migrant Workers Association (MWA).

Approximately 1,000 persons (50% women, 40%

men and 10 % children) were sensitized through the
campaign at the taxi rank, in villages and small towns.
IEC materials containing Covid-19 messages including
maintaining good hygiene, social distancing, wearing
masks in public, avoiding large gatherings and cutting
down on unnecessary travels as well as cloth masks
were distributed. The campaign is also expected to
cover the Qacha’s Nek and Mohale’s Hoek Districts.

During the Campaign at Quthing taxi rank. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi

In an effort towards fight against COVID-19 pandemic and

continuous need to sensitize populations on the risk of
COVID-19 and educate the public, including both migrants and
local communities on the key COVID-19 infection prevention
and control measures, IOM Lesotho supported the Quthing
District’s initiative on COVID-19 risk communication in
the form of mobile van campaign on February 19 2021 at
Quthing District. Distribution of IEC materials and masks during the Campaign at
Quthing villages. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi

Newsletter NO.1 2021 1

In her remarks, Head of Office IOM Lesotho, Ms.
Eriko Nishimura said; “COVID-19 is real and does not
discriminate. It requires a collaborative fight, not
focusing on the difference – returnees, local community,
migrants (foreigner) etc, but a need to be united and
fight against it together”.

Speaking on behalf of NACOSEC, Head of Risk

Communication, Mr. Baroane Phenethi, congratulated
Quthing District Administrator for his demonstration
of leadership during COVID-19 crisis. He said that
COVID-19 prevention is the key as the arrival of the
vaccine would not necessarily ensure that everyone
will be vaccinated all at once. He further shared that up
to now, 59,408 people had been tested, 10,455 tested
positive, and 285 had lost their lives.

In his address, District Administrator of Quthing, Mr. Head of Office IOM Lesotho, Ms. Eriko Nishimura presenting her speech during
Motete Mokonyane thanked IOM for its support to the campaign. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi
the district with various intervention including counter This activity was part of the project titled ‘Humanitarian
trafficking, reintegration support, and now COVID-19 response to vulnerable and stranded migrants in Southern
Sensitization. “Your recognition of the problems facing African region’ funded by the UK-Aid.
our people of Quthing is truly appreciated. We thank
you for this continuous partnership,” he said.

IOM Lesotho equip vulnerable returnees and youth with skills

Beneficiaries getting manufacturing skills training at CCEBS, preparing and bottling of aloe vera body lotion. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi

IOM Lesotho has been working closely with Ministry of members, as well as other extreme vulnerable youth
Social Development (MoSD), District COVID-19 Secretariat in Mohales Hoek, Quthing and Qacha’s Nek districts
(DISCOSEC) and District Disaster Management Team to provide skills training so that they can restore their
(DDMT) to identify vulnerable returnees and their family livelihood.

Newsletter NO.1 2021 2

 Different products manufactured by beneficiaries ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi

A total of thirty (30) youths from Mohale’s Hoek and She quoted a famous proverb which says, “Give a man
Qacha’s Nek districts have graduated at College of fish, you will feed him for a day, teach a man how to fish
Cooperative, Entrepreneurship and Business Studies and you will feed him for a lifetime.”
(CCEBS) in Mafeteng district for skills training, on 27
January and 22 February 2021. The trainees have
acquired skills to manufacture hand sanitizers, body
lotion, petroleum jelly, dried soup, beverage, dish washer
and other items. The products are organic and made from
locally available materials such as rose hip and aloe vera.

In his remarks, Director of CCEBS Mr. Khothalang

Ramoorosi explained the importance of becoming
producer and become entrepreneurs rather than waiting
to be employed by somebody. He encouraged the students
to be creative and bold as they became entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the occasion Head of Office IOM Lesotho, Ms
Eriko Nishimura said, “IOM’s one of the key mandates
is to ensure vulnerable migrants could be exposed to
life changing opportunities.” She further expressed her
sincere appreciation to the UK Aid as donor and CCEBS as
a committed partner.
One of beneficiaries. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi
A representative of graduates thanked IOM for the
support which she said has truly impacted on their lives.
She said that they considered this training to be an honor
and a great privilege. She reflected on how some of them
had previously crossed the border to South Africa often
through unofficial channels in search of work. She finally
said that this effort had brought them together and that
because their group is from Qachas Nek, they were intent
on forming a society that would help them market and sell
their products.

United Kingdom High Commission representative, Ms. Lineo Tsikoane.

©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi
On behalf of the United Kingdom High Commission in
Lesotho, Ms. Lineo Tsikoane thanked IOM for the efforts
to improve the lives of Basotho. When talking to the
students, she said, “We hope you will be exemplary and IOM distributed dignity buckets to beneficiaries after receiving their
that this training has truly improved your lives.” certificates. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi

Newsletter NO.1 2021 3

The skills training was supported by UK-Aid under the which IOM has been implementing as part of the
project titled “Humanitarian response to vulnerable COVID-19 response
and stranded migrants in Southern Africa region’’

Newsletter NO.1 2021 4

 One of the beneficiaries shared her life story
IOM Handed over Crisis Shelter for Victims of Trafficking to
the Ministry of Home Affairs
Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Motlalentoa Letsosa and Head of Office IOM Lesotho, Ms. Eriko Nishimura cutting ribbon ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi
On 12 February 2021, Under the project titled ‘’Counter
Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants through
Victims of Trafficking (VoT) Crisis Shelter rehabilitation
and building immigration department’s capacities in
Lesotho’’ funded by the Government of Japan and its
people, IOM has rehabilitated the shelter to be used as
the permanent shelter to provide safety and security, and
rehabilitate VoTs in Lesotho. The rehabilitated shelter for
VoTs was handed over by IOM to the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MoHA).
During the ceremony, IOM, Ministry of Home Affairs and
“I really thank God for this opportunity I got to be
one of the selected people who received the skills
training. This is going to change my life from where it
was. For the past three (3) years, I have been earning
my living by collecting wood for other people who can
provide me with some little money to meet my daily
need. I would sometime wash their clothes even under
extreme weather conditions just to get something to
earn my daily living, and some people would sometimes
stigmatise me.
Having this opportunity to enrol in this training would
enable me to create my own employment opportunity
other than waiting to be employed by somebody else.
At this point, would like thank donor UKaid, IOM and
CCEBS for availing this opportunity to us, THANK YOU!”
BDS representative visited the shelter where the ribbon
cutting took place to mark the handing over. The journey
continued the Ministry of Home Affairs offices where the
virtual press conference was held.
In her speech, Ms. Eriko thanked the Government
of Japan for its support, “At this juncture, I would
like to express our sincere appreciation to our
donor, Government of Japan and its people, to have
provided financial support to IOM which enabled us
to support the rehabilitation of facility.” she said.
Newsletter NO.1 2021 5
 Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Motlalentoa Letsosa signing Deed of Hon. Motlalentoa Letsosa, Ms. Eriko Nishimura and Hon. Maimane
Donation. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi Maphathe ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi

Trafficked persons are often victims of abuse such as rape,
torture, debt bondage, unlawful confinement, and threats
against their family or other persons close to them as
well as other forms of physical, sexual and psychological
violence. The demand for cheap labour, sexual services
and certain criminal activities are among the root causes
of trafficking while a lack of opportunity, resources and
social standing are other contributing factors.
IOM for implementing the rehabilitation of the facility. He
said as a key ministry to tackle this human trafficking, as
a Minister, he had made tireless efforts towards counter
trafficking for over the past 6 months, and the Cabinet
has established sub-committee to effectively tackle with
human trafficking, which finally let to the approval of
proposed amendment to the Anti Trafficking in Persons
law by the Cabinet.

Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Motlalentoa Letsosa also To finalise the official handing over, Deed of Donation
passed his special thanks to the Government of Japan was signed between IOM and Ministry of Home
and its people for the generous gesture of funding and Affairs.

IOM Provides Migration Data Literacy Training for Government

Officials
Lack of disaggregated, reliable,
timely and comparable migration
data for evidence-based policy
making is a challenge that is facing
a lot of IOM Southern African
member states, Lesotho is not an
exception. Under-utilization of data
is also one factor that contributes
to formulation of policies that are
not backed by evidence. Lesotho
has started addressing this
challenge with support from IOM
Development Fund (IDF).
Government officials during Migration Data Literacy Training. ©IOM
2021/Tsepo Molefi
To enhance evidence-based policy
making and to promote demand of data by technocrats the coordination role of the Bureau of Statistics for timely
who influence policy, IOM organized a three-day training data. The training was intended to build capacity of data
on data literacy from 24 to 26 February 2021 for the producing ministries and institutions on the supply side
National Consultative Committee on Migration (NCC) and of data and the NCC on the demand side for utilization of
the Migration Data Working Group (MDWG). The working data in policy formulation.
group forms a necessary institutional structure to support

Newsletter NO.1 2021 6

Lesotho Diaspora Engagement Project Wraps up Implementation
Activities for Project Closure
Diaspora technical committee. ©IOM 2021/Tsepo Molefi
The ‘Enhancing Coordination and Strengthening Institutional
Capacity to Effectively Engage with Basotho Diaspora’ project
has completed its final milestone and the Technical Working
Group met for its last meeting on 18 February 2021 to reflect
on the achievements of the project and lessons learned to
inform future programming and sustainability beyond the
project. The meeting was attended by representative of
Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), Ministry of
Home Affairs (MoHA), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and International Relations (MoFAIR),
Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC), Botho
University and the Lesotho Council of Higher Education.
The project reinvigorated past unsuccessful attempts by
the government to engage the diaspora. Amongst the
major achievements of the project, worth to mention is the
involvement of Basotho medical diaspora who reached out
to support their country to respond to COVID-19 pandemic.
At the onset COVID-19 pandemic, IOM in collaboration with
medical professional diaspora facilitated access of in-country
health professionals to a telemedicine application to enable
them to get advice on diagnosis of patients through online
consultations with Basotho medical specialists in South
Africa.
Through this project, the Government of Lesotho was able
to develop and adopt its first National Diaspora Policy.
Three hundred copies of the policy have been printed to be
distributed across the board, including Lesotho’s missions
abroad.
The policy was developed with contributions from all
stakeholders including a segment of diaspora in the
Republic of South Africa. At this meeting, the committee
also deliberated on the transition from project guided
activities to full ownership of all diaspora engagement
activities to the Government of Lesotho.
Beyond the project life span, a fully furnished Diaspora
Directorate equipped with Information Technology
equipment that include internet modems, laptops and
portable hard drives should be staffed to coordinate
diaspora engagement. A Basotho Diaspora Network
of dedicated diaspora is in the process of registering
an association to enable them to engage with their
country in an organized manner.
This group received a six days capacity building training
supported by IOM to equip them with the skills and
knowledge they require to run a successful association.
Planning of handover ceremony of office furniture,
laptops, printer and other equipment has been
resumed.
During deliberations of the meeting, Technical Working
Group (TWG) members identified steps to be taken
to maintain the momentum of the committee’s
involvement in the project. One member applauded
the commitment and dedication that the TWG showed
throughout project implementation. In her words she
said, “This is one of the few success stories I have been
a part of, and I applaud the TWG for their efforts and
commitment to this project”.
A number of good suggestions for sustainability of what
has been achieved came up and the most important
was to encourage the Government of Lesotho to quickly
deploy Attachés in Lesotho missions abroad who are
capable of dealing with labour, trade and investment
issues to support the Directorate.
The ‘Enhancing Coordination and Strengthening
Institutional Capacity to Effectively Engage with Basotho
Diaspora’ project was jointly implemented by IOM and
MoFAIR, and funded by IOM Development Fund (IDF).
Newsletter NO.1 2021 7
 “MIGRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL”

• Advocating for evidence-based policy to enhance migration

management
• Promoting migration and development including engaging diaspora
for economic growth
• Strengthening border security and immigration management to
combat trafficking in Persons (TIP)
• Promoting access to health services for migrants
• Enhancing Migration Data Collection and Analysis for Evidence Based
Policy Making Partne oals
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IOM thanks the following donors:

IOM thanks the following implementing partners:

CONTACTS:
For more information, please contact IOM Lesotho Assistant Communication Officer - tmolefi@iom.int