Maseru, May 18 — The quiet, dusty expanse of Ha Ramakhetheng situated about 15km outside Maseru near Linakotseng, the day begins long before sunrise.
For its residents, the journey to work, school or the nearest clinic is not a commute, but a daily trek, often walking for hours along rough, unpaved terrain.
Without formal public transportation, the community is isolated, making simple errands like buying groceries an exhausting, all day endeavor.
This lack of transport deepens the divide between Ha Ramakhetheng and Maseru town (the city), limiting access to better paying jobs and consistent healthcare.
Health takes a toll the long, tiring walks leave men and women physically drained, while the elderly and sick are often trapped at home, unable to access medical care, which intensifies their social isolation.
Yet, within this hardship, a quiet resilience emerges.
Neighbours form alliances, sharing the load for necessities or coordinating transport for the most vulnerable.
It is a life defined by physical endurance, where the road to town is a shared, demanding path that dictates every aspect of survival and community life.
One of the villagers, Mrs. Mathabelo Mokoatsi said they walk for two hours to access services such as health and shops because there are no taxis. She said if she takes a special, she is charged M100 which she said is a lot.
Another Mr. Thomas Mokoatsi said for lack of developments like roads, they feel forgotten especially since they are in Maseru.
He urged the government to take pity on them and construct a road for Ha Ramakhetheng community.
Moreover, Councilor Mr. Thapelo Macheli confirmed that Ha Ramakhetheng does not have an access road.
He however said the Ha Ramakhetheng road is not included in the roads that will be constructed this year.
Meanwhile, SDG 9 aims to achieve sustainable and high-quality infrastructures for everybody, to stimulate a new business model that respects the principles of sustainability and that adopts clean technologies and industrial processes, and that promotes innovation and achieving equal access to information, especially through the internet.
Access roads are foundational to achieving multiple other Sustainable Development Goals.
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