A Joining Hands Against Hunger Network

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Office Telephone:
        (+266) 2232 5630

Physical Address:
Christian Council of Lesotho Building 160
Constitution Rd Maseru West

Postal Address:
Private Bag A34
Maseru 100
Lesotho

THE KOPANO KE MATLA TOANTS’ONG
EA BOFUMA LESOTHO
2005 SECOND QUARTER REPORT

Network Background

Through the inspiration given by the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Lesotho’s local churches, non-governmental and community-based organisations have established the country network which shall encourage and promote genuine dialogue within the member organisations and communities they serve so that people can work together in analysing the root causes of poverty, identifying their common problems, and devising strategies to address them collectively.

The Joining Hands Against Hunger Network in Lesotho was established in June 2002, following a conference of some 18 organisations meeting in Mazenod, followed by a network formation meeting held in Maseru in the Lesotho Evangelical Church (Mother Union Hall).

The Network is registered as Kopano Ke Matla Toantšong ea Bofuma Lesotho (Network), a non-governmental organisation under the Society Act of 1966.

Vision:

To work towards the transformation of Lesotho into a nation where people have access to their fundamental human needs.

Mission

The Mission of the Network is to have a programme of action which is aimed at sensitising people through organisations about the challenges of poverty, ascertaining root causes of poverty, examining the allocation of resources in Lesotho and participating in poverty reduction initiatives.

Aims and Objectives:

The aims and objectives of the Network are:
• To act and serve as a link in building a partnership among the civil society movement.
• To facilitate and empower member organisations.
• To empower member organisation to advocate for human rights in the context of social justice.
• To promote the concept of social inclusion in policymaking as regards to poverty eradication and/or alleviation.

Activities:

1. The District Network Committees to carry out the monitoring and evaluation process of the community education activities.
2. The office is to write a report on this.
3. To disseminate report findings to stakeholders
4. To engage a researcher to carry-out a study on the existing food security policies in Lesotho.
5. To hold a consultative meeting with various stakeholders (relevant government ministries, NGO’s and Network members) to liaise and network on issues of food security.
6. To disseminate research findings to all stakeholders.

Out-Puts:

1. Monitoring and evaluation has been partly done as the office only received the last reports on the 22nd June 2005. The second part, which is evaluation, shall be carried out following the completion of the community education reports and dissemination of such.
2. The report has been written by the Network office.
3. It will be disseminated as soon as the office is given a go-ahead by the Executive Committee.
4. A consultant was located and carried out the research on existing food security policies for the Network.
5. A consultative meeting was held at the Christian Council Hall where various government ministries, NGOs and Network members were represented. The consultant facilitated the workshop.
6. The research findings will be distributed to stakeholders as soon as the report is approved by the committee.

Conclusion:

Some activities are dependent upon others to happen, which the delay some of the Network’s planned activities. This causes the programmes to overlap and therefore add to the next quarter’s work. Some of that is what happened this quarter.

The Network has also written two grant proposals; one to Geneva Global Inc, which is an American based sponsor; another to PACT, which is also an American based sponsor.

The office still intends to engage the intern student to write yet another proposal to the Ministry of Health.

Printable version.