Skillshare Lesotho

Since our conception, we have worked steadfastly to reduce poverty, injustice and inequalities across all the districts in Lesotho, both bay sharing skills and empowering people to meet their social and economic needs. We are dedicated to delivering long-term, sustainable development programmes that responds directly to the needs of the people. Our work has always been characterized by our partnerships with grassroots organizations, our use of international and in-country volunteers to build skills and capacity, as well as the way we harness the unique power of sportsto empower marginalized people. All of this work shares the common aim of allowing people in the communities we work with to take ownership of their development. Our work of intervention has adopted over time to fully meet the needs and challenges facing communities and local organization we work with. Much like our work, our organization as it stands today, has evolved across over a 50 years of positive change. Our roots in Lesotho go as far back as shortly after independence, in the 1966. During this time, we became known as International Voluntary Service (IVS). IVC set up a long-term volunteering programme that believed in the power of volunteers as a catalyst for change and contribute crucial skills not available across Africa. In the 1990s, due to its success, "Skillshare Africa" was set up to take up the long-term volunteers programme to the next level. In the year 2000, Skillshare Africa merged with Action Health - a development agency with a similar philosophy and the name changed from Skillshare Africa to Skillshare International with Head Office in Leister, United Kingdom. One of Skillshare Lesotho's country programmes was launched in 2001 by the Honorable King Letsie II as a result of a merger between Skillshare Africa and Action Health. In May 2016, The SkillshareInternational Lesotho program registered locally as Skillshare Lesotho. Whilst under different names and in different shapes, our organization has always pledges to work in solidarity with the people of Africa. Over the past century, thousands of people have benefitted from our work. In the last 25 years alone, we have places over 2000 development workers and volunteers in Southern Africa, all working towards the social and economic development of this region. The struggle for a just world really never ends. In 2004, Desmond Tutu upon hearing about our work heralded the way we harness the power of the 'ordinary' person - "it is such efforts that we now need to fight and win the war against poverty and the injustice of our world today". Desmond Tutu's comments hold much relevance today as they did over a decade ago. Individuals can and do make change in our world. We will move forward, as we always have done, with an unshakable commitment to fight for the fairer, more just, more equal world. Between the year 1999 and 2004, Skillshare Lesotho worked in 4 sectors in Lesotho: Education and training for employment creation Support for disadvantaged groups including people with disabilities, women, youth and people living with HIV/AIDS Rural development in particular construction of rural roads and bridges Environment science and technology OUR CORE-VALUES