Volunteering Lesotho! Go Volunteer Africa, the leading and largest volunteer travel organization welcomes you to Lesotho. The volunteering Lesotho will bring you an unforgettable cultural and volunteering experience. The participants will do volunteer work in Maseru from two weeks and above and after that explore the sights of Lesotho.
In spite some development efforts by the kingdom, Lesotho still faces several social problems including illiteracy, poverty, lack of sanitation facilities etc. Volunteering Lesotho can be the best altruistic approach to contribute towards the upliftment of the underprivileged section of the society and help them live a better life.
When you join our Lesotho volunteer trip, you contribute directly towards sustainable development projects and improve on the living standards of many locals. With all of it’s land lying at altitudes in excess of 1300m above sea-level, it is a land of heights and extremes. Lesotho is beautiful, culturally rich and famous for its spectacular scenic beauty, breathtaking mountain ranges, towering peaks, a rich variety of flora and fauna, crystal clear streams, surging waterfalls and awesome adventure.
VOLUNTEERING LESOTHO PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Kome Cave Dwellings
- Work with a conservation project
- Maletsunyane / Semonkong Falls
- Work with the agriculture project
- Katse Dam and Botanical Gardens
- Get involved with childcare project
- Work with medical/healthcare project
- Sani Pass and the Highest pub in Africa
- Volunteer with a sports development project
- Work with a construction and building project
- Participate in our education and teaching project
- Volunteer with a women empowerment project
Lesotho is considered to be one of the most beautiful countries of the world, which encompasses varied geographical formations along with cultural diversity and rich historical heritage. Being a community development volunteer in Lesotho can be one of the most difficult as well as rewarding experiences of your life. When join our volunteering trip to Lesotho you will certainly come across things that will amaze, challenge, and change you.
LESOTHO FAST FACTS
Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is an enclaved country surrounded by South Africa. It is a mountainous country situated in the Maloti Mountains, and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. Lesotho has an area of just over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about 2 million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The official languages are Sesotho and English.
Lesotho was previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland, but it declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. It is now a fully sovereign state and is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The name Lesotho roughly translates to “land of the Sotho”. By 2021, Lesotho has a 22.8% HIV prevalence rate among people between 15 and 49 years of age, one of the highest worldwide.
WHY VOLUNTEER IN LESOTHO
Lesotho is a small, mountainous nation surrounded entirely by South Africa. Since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1966, political instability and slow economic development have plagued Lesotho. A high prevalence of HIV further complicates efforts to end poverty in Lesotho.
About 66% of Lesotho’s population lives in rural areas where the economy is largely based on small-scale agriculture. Many of these people engage in subsistence farming, meaning they rely on a good harvest to be able to feed their families. The success of each harvest makes a huge impact on the lives of millions in Lesotho. A drought from 2015 to 2016 crippled poverty reduction efforts for the next few years, proving the delicacy of this system.
Achieving a college education is extremely rare in Lesotho – only 4.4% of people live in households with someone who has gone to a college or university. Those that do receive higher education have a low poverty rate of 8.7%. Over the past 20 years, the government in Lesotho has been working with international organizations like Go Volunteer Africa to expand protections for the poor and increase economic opportunity. As a result, the national poverty rate decreased from 56.6% to 49.7% from 2002 to 2017.
Poverty and HIV have a clear connection in Lesotho. Almost 24% of adults are living with HIV and treatment is essential to stopping the spread and helping these people live normal lives. Lack of resources and awareness means that on average only 57% of people with HIV are currently getting help. This directly impacts their quality of life and makes it harder to land above the poverty line.
Though poverty in Lesotho is an important issue for the country’s government, NGOs are stepping in to fill gaps. Many international nonprofit groups such as Go Volunteer Africa operate in the country. Go Volunteer Africa recruits and places foreign volunteers in several community development projects across Lesotho. We focus on vulnerable children, women, healthcare, wildlife and economic development.
LESOTHO VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
There are currently no openings for volunteering in Lesotho. New volunteer projects will be announced here when available. We are not accepting volunteers at the moment for this destination and it’s not available as choice in our volunteer application form.
If you have any questions about volunteering in Lesotho, simply Make an inquiry here and we will guide! If you are running, know or involved with a meaningful development project in Lesotho that needs volunteers’ support, then Go Volunteer Africa is here to help them, visit our host volunteers page.