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Introduction to the Kopano ke Matla Toantšong ea Bofuma Lesotho Network

JHAH Staff

Introduction to the Kopano ke Matla Toantšong ea Bofuma Lesotho Network

The Joining Hands Against Hunger Network was formed in Lesotho in June 2002, following an organizing conference held at Mazenod with a follow-up meeting in Maseru where fourteen organizations attended. The Network was formally registered in January of 2003 under the name “Kopano ke Matla Toantsong ea Bofuma Lesotho”, meaning “unity is the strength in the fight against hunger.”

The Network’s membership is comprised of churches, NGO’s and community-based organizations (CBO’s) whose main objective is the alleviation of poverty. As of 2005 over 270 organizations are members of the Network.

The Vision of the Network is to have a programme of action which is aimed at sensitizing people about the challenges of poverty, ascertaining root causes of poverty and examining the allocation of resources in Lesotho.

Our aims and objectives are the following:

• To act and serve as a link in building a partnership among the civil society movement.
• To facilitate and empower members of the Network.
• To advocate for human rights in the context of social justice.
• To promote the concept of social inclusion in policy making as regards poverty eradication and / or alleviation.

In 2003 we embarked on a “Hunger Action Training” programme aimed at:

1. Poor agricultural methods and lack of knowledge of alternatives
2. HIV / AIDS
3. The educational system of Lesotho
4. Stock theft
5. Lack of matsema (partnership, taking care of one another)

It is also intended that through this process one or two specific areas of advocacy will be identified for a campaign of coordinated efforts to bring about change.

The Network is not a funding agency or a programme implementing agency. Nor is it in existence solely to assist individual member organizations. Rather, it is to assist the members in the sharing and dissemination of information and in participating in efforts to peacefully bring about change and justice as Basotho address the root causes of poverty in the country.

In 2004 / 2005 a change in the Network’s structure called for organizing members into local Districts, which geographically correspond to governmental districts (10 total). This brought about tremendous growth in the number of members as the Network became more accessible to the local people.

The focus, in addition to continued community trainings addressing the 5 root causes of poverty outlined above, now encompasses advocacy for economic justice, primarily in the following two areas:
1. Increasing the Lesotho parliamentary agricultural budget 20% as established by SADC protocol which called for each country in the region to implement the 20% increase for accessibility to agricultural services by local communities.
2. For the inclusion of the promotion of indigenous seeds in the government policy versus GMO seeds.

In 2006 the Network intends to educate and empower its members to work through newly elected local government councils to accomplish these aims.

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