Our work in Lesotho
Lesotho has the world's third highest prevalence of HIV with more than 23.2% of the population infected with the virus. This has had a devastating impact on life expectancy, on family structures and on the economy.
Hundreds of thousands of children have been orphaned by the disease, and many young people live unsupported on the streets vulnerable to poverty, crime, ill-health, prostitution and with a lack of hope for the future. Since 2007 Kick4Life has delivered a health and education programme aimed at transforming the lives of orphans and vulnerable children.
Our three key programmes are:
National HIV Prevention and Testing Campaign
This programme is structured around the K4L Curriculum, a health education and life-skills course for young people aged 12-18. The course is dellivered by community role models including school teachers, sports coaches and peer educators, and aims to:
- Educate youth about how to avoid HIV infection including transmission, prevention, risk awareness and peer pressure.
- Diminish stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV including counselling and testing, gender equality, support of people living with HIV.
- Empower youth with critical life skills including self-esteem, teamwork, discipline and decision-making.
Running in tandem with the K4L Curriculum is our award-winning Test Your Team Campaign a series of one day football tournaments where health education, HIV testing and counseling is provided on-site. Football is used to educate and motivate individuals for testing in an environment of positive peer pressure that breaks down stigma. Children who are HIV positive are referred to immediate medical follow up at their local clinic and .are referred to relevant support networks.
Care & Support for vulnerable groups
A wide range of activities take place at the Lesotho Football for Hope Centre for vulnerable groups. This includes:
- Regular sporting activities on the Kick4Life pitch.
- Mentoring and referrals to key services including housing, health, education and psychosocial counseling.
- Job training and work access, including our Fit4Work programme which helps participants develop the skills needed to gain and sustain employment.
- Support for vulnerable young women including sex workers and teenage mothers in working towards a brighter future.
- A Literacy & Numeracy Basic Skills course
Social Enterprise
Kick4Life is developing a growing range of social enterprise activities which offer participants the opportunity to gain valuable experience, as well as generating sustainable income for ongoing programme delivery. This includes the ReCYCLE Scheme through which children living on the streets have the chance to earn funds towards school fees and equipment by collecting recyclable waste from subscribing customers. It is the first recycling scheme in Lesotho.
Read the story of Refiloe Ntsiki who is now living at home and back at school after four years on the street.
Achievements
- 25,000 youth have been reached through the K4L Curriculum.
- 8,000 youth have been tested for HIV with more than 350 referred to ongoing medical treatment and support.
- Hundreds of orphans and vulnerable young people regularly take part in activities at the Lesotho Football for Hope Centre.
- More than 350 volunteer role models have been trained to deliver the K4L Curriculum.
- 'K4L changed my life' - read Celloane's story
