Qacha’s Nek, June 01 — Efforts to improve child nutrition and strengthen community resilience received a boost as the Lesotho Red Cross Society (LRCS) engaged the District Nutrition Team on a new initiative aimed at enhancing nutrition messaging and community engagement across communities.
Supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Lesotho, the Strengthening Nutrition Messaging through Risk Communication, Community Engagement (RCCE) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) project seeks to build on gains made under the ongoing Ntlafatsa Bana programme while addressing gaps that continue to hinder progress at community level.
Addressing stakeholders during the meeting, LRCS National Society Development Coordinator, Ms. Lintle Mathosi emphasized that the three months intervention is designed to reinforce, rather than replace, existing structures and initiatives.
“We are not going to establish anything new but, through your guidance, we will walk through your paths,” she said.
Ms. Mathosi explained that the project was developed against a backdrop of recurring climate shocks, food insecurity and other challenges affecting vulnerable households. The initiative aims to strengthen community-based platforms, including nutrition clubs, to promote better nutrition practices, resilience and meaningful community participation.
She noted that while Ntlafatsa Bana is being implemented in Qacha’s Nek, Thaba-Tseka, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek and Leribe, Mafeteng has been added as an additional district under the new intervention.
As part of the project, LRCS will conduct a baseline assessment to identify existing structures, communication gaps and the most effective ways of reaching communities with nutrition-related information. The findings will inform capacity-building activities targeting key stakeholders, who will be trained on nutrition messaging and RCCE approaches under the guidance of the district nutrition team.
The programme will also include community sensitisation campaigns and the development of contingency plans led by the District Disaster Management Team.
Providing background on the Ntlafatsa Bana project, Machabeng Government Hospital Nutritionist, Ms. ’Mapoulo ’Moso said the initiative focuses on improving the wellbeing of children living in households benefiting from the Child Grants Programme in Nts’upe Council.
She said the project promotes access to essential services, including birth registration, nutrition and health services, water and sanitation, and sustainable energy solutions for women and children. Families have also been supported to undertake income-generating activities to strengthen their ability to meet children’s basic needs.
A key component of the programme has been the establishment and revitalisation of nutrition clubs, which serve as platforms for practical learning and community support. Through these clubs, members have received training on food safety, hygiene, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), infant and young child feeding, childcare practices, proper nutrition and climate-smart agriculture.
Despite logistical challenges that prevented activities in Lebakeng, project implementers established nutrition clubs in Patising and Ha Sepechele. One nutrition club was established in Patising, while three were formed in Ha Sepechele, where two remain active.
To meet project targets, implementers later expanded activities to ’Mellikane, incorporating two existing nutrition clubs and establishing a new one in Sekoti.
At Ha Sepechele, she said the clubs have shown encouraging progress, including the adoption of food preservation techniques using locally produced crops. Support from World Vision Lesotho, including incubators and solar dryers, has further enhanced their capacity to preserve food throughout the year.
However, she acknowledged that progress has not been uniform across all communities. Patising nutrition club has struggled to maintain momentum, while reluctance among certain beneficiaries and sustainability challenges have slowed uptake of available resources and technologies.
Ms. Moroetsana Letsoisa from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN)’s Department of Nutrition and Home Economics (DoNHE) noted that maintaining community engagement remains one of the programme’s greatest challenges, particularly in areas where regular follow-up visits are difficult.
Co-funded by the European Union and UNICEF, the Ntlafatsa Bana initiative covers five districts and nine councils, including Nts’upe in Qacha’s Nek, Bokong and Linakeng in Thaba-Tseka, Tosing and Tele in Quthing, Qhoasing and Senqunyane in Mohale’s Hoek, and Menkhoaneng and Matsoku in Leribe.
The new partnership between the LRCS and district stakeholders signals a shift toward strengthening community ownership of nutrition interventions. By building on existing structures, the initiative seeks to create lasting foundations for healthier families and more resilient communities across Lesotho.
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