United Nations Volunteers Deputy Chief for the Africa Region was enthusiastically welcomed by the Lesotho Volunteer Forum at their monthly Forum Meeting this month. Mr Tapiwa Kamuruko is based at UNV headquarters in Bonn, Germany and has special responsibility for Lesotho. On mission to Lesotho for three days, Mr Kamuruko met with Heads of Agencies in UNDP, WFP, WHO and UNFPA to explore UNV volunteer opportunities for both nationals and internationals over the coming year. He also traveled into the districts with WHO to experience first-hand the work, in association with their partner organizations, that they are doing in Lesotho

Members of the Lesotho Volunteer Forum include: American Peace Corps; Embassy of the United States of America; FAO; Global Fund; IMF; Irish Embassy; LENEPWA; Lesotho Girl Guides; Lesotho National Federation of Organisations of the Disabled; Lesotho National Volunteer Commission; Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association; Lesotho TV; Lesotho Workcamp Association; Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; Public Eye; Sarah Barbadoro and Sylvia Gunawan, both international volunteers; National AIDS Commission; Positive Health; Sentebale; Skillshare International; UNDP; UNICEF; UN Habitat; UNAIDS; UNFPA; UNV; WHO and the World Food Programme.

Throughout his visit, Mr Kamuruko stressed the importance of integration, mobilization and advocacy for volunteerism, not only here in Lesotho but right across Africa, where voluntary action is building communities and infrastructure and in many cases developing a legislative platform that anchors volunteerism as part of everyday life. Mr Kamuruko thanked Lesotho Volunteer Forum and all its members for their huge contribution to the promotion of volunteerism within their individual organisations. He went on to congratulate them on coming together as a strong voice for volunteerism in Lesotho. Speaking of the value and unity that volunteerism brings, he said: ‘When we talk, we talk alone. When we sing, we sing together. We know the words. We know the music. Let us sing.’

Contact the UNV Programme Office

You can call us at 2231 3790, ext.326 (Orfhlaith Ramsey, Volunteer Programme Officer) and ext.327 (Ntsieli Tlahali, Country Operations Assistant). We are based in UNDP at UN House, United Nations Road, PO Box 301, Maseru 100. For email, write to Orfhlaith.Ramsey@undp.org and Ntsieli.Tlahali@undp.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

For more information on UNV in Lesotho please visit: www.undp.org.ls/unv