Maseru, Sept.24 — In the remote mountain village of Likhutlong under Kubake Community Council and Makhaleng Constituency time moves differently, shaped by rugged terrain where sick residents, pregnant women and even the deceased are still transported on wooden cattle carts over a grueling four-hour journey to Thusong where basic transport to larger health centers can finally be reached after another hour.
Cattle carts and horses are the only ways to move heavy loads, the sick or the deceased due to completely impassable roads.
The village has no piped water or electricity. Residents share a local stream with animals to fetch their daily drinking water.
Community Councilor Mr. Ntona Motseko notes that Likhutlong feels entirely forgotten, describing the daily hardships as “out of this world.”
He says the community’s sole pride is a local primary school where children can start their education.
Once primary school ends, many children lose the drive to continue because they face punishingly long walks to reach the nearest secondary schools, leaving their futures in the balance.
Lengau Primary School Principal Mr. Pius Nkunyane says since 1930 when the school was founded, they have been using a church hall for grades 1 through 7 saying however the ministry of Education and Training is currently building new classrooms which he says brings hope to students, teachers and the community.
He says he hopes this would bring electricity and an internet for students.
He highlights lack of bridges as major challenge where he says heavy rains force children to miss school because they cannot cross safely.
Meanwhile the government of Lesotho is actively expanding and upgrading rural road networks and footbridges to connect isolated highland and lowland communities to essential economic and social services.
Lesotho has an overall road network of approximately 6,000to 8,000 kilometers with roughly 1,750 to 1,800 kilometers paved as the government actively works to overcome rugged mountainous terrain through major infrastructure projects.
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