Health & Wellbeing

Young people in Lesotho face severe, multiple and overlapping health challenges that can have a range of damaging impacts on their development and future prospects. With the world’s second highest HIV prevalence, at 23.6% of the population, many of these health challenges are linked to HIV/AIDS. Our Health & Wellbeing programming aims to fill a gap in provision, providing targeted, sports-based health education specifically designed to engage and motivate young people in relation to HIV prevention. With sessions delivered by peer educators and young leaders, our sessions are designed to increase knowledge amongst participants, with a strong focus on developing transferable life-skills which are critical in supporting the adoption of lasting healthy attitudes and behaviours.

Referrals are also a key part of our approach, and as well as linking young people to voluntary HIV testing and counselling and medical follow-up, we also deliver health education and provide referrals to health services related to nutrition, drug & alcohol abuse, hygiene & sanitation and mental health.

Monitoring & Evaluation includes pre and post course surveys to assess changes in knowledge, skills and attitude during the course, with focus groups conducted at intervals after the course to assess how our interventions have led to lasting changes in behaviour and improved health outcomes.

Gender Equality & Empowerment

Lesotho is a patriarchal society that normalises gender inequality, with widespread gender discrimination. 86% of women have experienced Gender Based Violence (GBV) with women & girls prevented from achieving their potential in all walks of life. Gender Links research also indicates that GBV remains a primary driver of HIV infection in Lesotho. 

Using sport as a vehicle to engage, motivate and educate participants, our gender programming aims to empower girls & young women with sexual & reproductive health education, knowledge of their rights, developing life-skills to safely uphold their rights, and preventing and responding to GBV. Referrals to health and protection services are an important part of the model, as well as links to our own support networks for the most vulnerable participants including victims of GBV teenage mothers, sex workers, HIV+ youth and young people from LGBTQIA+ groups.

We also work with boys & young men to challenge gender discrimination, hate and GBV, while recognising that boys and young men can be also be victims. Our approach also includes mixed-gender sessions providing opportunities for all young people to work together in building respect and understanding, and identifying and developing solutions that benefit the whole community.

Employability & Entrepreneurship

Youth unemployment in Lesotho is 26% and young people from the most underprivileged backgrounds face enormous challenges related to achieving sustainable livelihoods. With an absence of critical transferable life-skills often a major barrier preventing young people from overcoming these challenges, our sports-based employability curricula is designed to help young people develop skills needed to gain employment and to thrive in the workplace. This includes skills which can be developed on the pitch and transferred to other areas of life, including the workplace – such as resilience, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict management, communication and leadership.

We also provide links to training and employment opportunities within our own hospitality social enterprises, as well as supporting participants with progressions to further education, vocational training and employment. Furthermore, we deliver a number of initiatives to support young entrepreneurs in establishing social businesses, improving their livelihoods and promoting wider sustainable development in Lesotho.