Maseru, June 16 — While assessment specialists debate the future of education inside the Maseru SAAEA conference hall, Basotho vendors are writing their own story at the doors.
With SADC delegates filling the venue, local traders are seizing a rare chance to sell Lesotho handicrafts to a regional audience.
For them, the conference is not just about policy papers. It is about raising funds, selling local products, and feeding families when the economy is tight.
In an interview with the Agency, Mr. Mora Litabe said his group has always sold handicrafts in local markets, but seeing Lesotho host a regional event encouraged them to approach Avani Lesotho management for a stall.
“This has been the greatest opportunity for us,” Mr. Litabe said. He learned about the conference through social media and is now urging youth to use social media for advancement and opportunity, not just to scroll and insult others online.
On the other hand, Ms. Mantsane Nneko, a resident from Ha Mabote who also sells handicrafts, admitted she feared her products would not attract attention.
“I was afraid to present, thinking people would not look at Basotho crafts,” Nneko said.
But the feedback from delegates has been overwhelming. “The response we are getting is amazing. It gives us hope that our work can be seen beyond Lesotho,” she said.
The SAAEA conference theme centers on diverse learners’ needs, but for Basotho traders outside the hall, those needs extend beyond classrooms.
With Lesotho’s economy under strain and unemployment high, regional events like this offer rare access to SADC markets that most handicraft sellers never reach.
ENDS/TS/tl
