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LATEST NEWS AND PRESS RELEASES |
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17 December, 2011
MDG 6 -Community
Conversations's Success Celebrated in Leribe
Thursday the 17th of December was a day of
celebration for Ha Theko and neighbouring communities in the Leribe
district of Lesotho. On this windswept Spring day community members,
representative of the Member of Parliament for the Malibamatso
Constituency, District Council representative, Community Councillors
from the Seshote Community Council, Government Departments, Police
Officers, community facilitators, schools and Community Capacity
Enhancement (CCE) Facilitators and trainers gathered at Ha Theko, a
village overlooking the Katse Dam, to mark the last in the initial
series of Community Conversations. This day was an opportunity to
reflect and celebrate the successes and outcomes of the Community
Conversations thus far. |
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12 December, 2011
MDG 8 - Debate on Political Tolerance Marks Human Rights Day
On December 9th,
the eve of the internationally celebrated Human Rights Day, UNDP
hosted a seminar to debate the issue of political tolerance in
Lesotho. With the national elections period due to get underway in
the New Year, the subject was particularly relevant and timely for
discussion. UNDP Resident Representative Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie
opened the debate by inviting participants to leave behind the
textbook definitions of political tolerance and rather reflect on
issues of concern within the Lesotho context.
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6 December, 2011
MDG 6 -
UNDP Supports the
Ministry of Gender on Gender Sensitive Media Reporting
In collaboration with the Arab Gulf Programme
for United Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND) and the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Lesotho, UNDP Lesotho supported the
Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Gender and Youth,
Sports and Recreation (MGYSR) to conduct a 3-day workshop on
gender-sensitive reporting for the media houses in Lesotho from 29th
November to 1st December, 2011. |
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5 December, 2011
MDG 6 - Commemoration of World AIDS Day in Maseru
This year the World Aids Day was
commemoration in Masery on 01 December, 2011. The theme for
World AIDS Day 2011 was "Getting to three Zeros." After 30 years of
the global fight against HIV/AIDS, this year the focus is on
achieving 3 targets: Zero new HIV infections. Zero
discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths. In Lesotho World AIDS
Day (WAD) National commemoration was marked on the 1st December,
2011 at Ha Mabote in, Maseru District |
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28 November, 2011
MDG 8 - The status of Lesotho's Economy
by Africa Renewal Magazine
The Africa Renewal Magazine
wrote that the Lesotho's Economy catches flu as big brother's
sneeze. "For
decades the tiny landlocked mountain kingdom of Lesotho has relied
heavily on its giant neighbour, South Africa, to advance — until
now. South Africa’s economic difficulties are placing Lesotho’s
economy at a crossroads, as the government struggles to push big
rocks up the mountain to balance the national budget, "
Masimba Tafirenyika wrote. |
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25 November, 2011
MDG 7 - SLM Model Developed in Lesotho
Lesotho's natural resources are
presently heavily utilised and poorly managed. This has led to
environmental degradation and reducing livelihoods standards. If
current trends of natural resource degradation continue, it will
become more and more difficult for communities to meet their basic
needs. Hence a new Sustainable and Land Management (SLM)model
has been developed in Lesotho. |
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25 November, 2011
MDG 8 - The Strategic Planning Process for Parliament
A question which the
Honourable Members and staff of the National Assembly and Senate of
Lesotho are addressing is how will the Parliament of Lesotho be
different in five years time, as they engage in a strategic planning
process for Parliament. The ongoing planning process commenced in
July 2011 and is being supported by UNDP’s Consolidation of
Democracy and Good Governance Programme in partnership with
Irish Aid and the Parliament of Lesotho. |
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3 October, 2011
MDG 8 -
Workshop on National
Human Rights Action Plan
On the 27th and 28th of September 2011,
the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and the Correctional Service
held a workshop on the National Human Rights Action Plan. The
objective of the workshop was to discuss the process of developing a
National Human Rights Action Plan and highlight the necessity of
coordinating the work of line ministries and civil society
organisations in the promotion and protection of human rights,
avoiding duplication of efforts and building a stronger partnership
among them. |
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20 September, 2011
MDG 8 - Mokoalong Community takes the lead in
advancing its own development
Through the support of the
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Government of Lesotho is
advancing the process of decentralization in the country by
empowering local councils and community members to advance their own
development.
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24 August, 2011
MDG 8 - Heads of Churches convene
to discuss mediation process ahead of
elections
The Heads of Churches in Lesotho, the UN Resident
Coordinator, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, representatives of the
United Nations and civil society convened to discuss the mediation
process ahead of the local and national elections.
The meeting was also
an opportunity to reflect on the mediation process, led by the Heads
of Churches, which has sought to resolve outstanding issues emerging
from the national election of 2007. Amongst the topics under
discussion was the agreement among Lesotho’s political parties in
March, which enabled important changes in the national electoral
laws.
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12 July, 2011
All MDGs
- MDGs Training for Senators
The Millennium Development
Goals (MDG’s) became the focus of attention when Senators and Senate
staff from the Parliament of Lesotho gathered on July 6th
to receive training on how the Senate can engage with the MDG’s.
The training was provided by UNDP Regional Service Centre for
Eastern & Southern Africa, with Lesotho being one of the first six
countries in the region to receive training.
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05 July, 2011
MDG 8 - Welcoming Korean Volunteers
On June
29, 2011 Lesotho National Commission for UNESCO helped Lesotho
Workcamps Association (LWA) welcome eleven international volunteers
from Chonangham University in Korea who will set up a work camp in
Liphiring, Mohale’s Hoek where they will be looking at environmental
issues such as tree planting, for which purpose The Ministry of
Forestry has furnished LWA with about two hundred trees as well as
construction of roads.
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21 June, 2011
MDG 1 - Celebration of International day
against Homophobia
On the 17th May 2011, to
commemorate International Day against Homophobia, the MATRIX, in
partnership with UNDP and Sesotho Media and Development, facilitated
a special screening of the feature film ‘Simon and I’. This is a
challenging, provocative, and unconventional film exploring LGBTI
issues in Southern Africa in the presence of HIV & AIDS. |
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06 May, 2011
All MDGs - Opportunity Knocks
On May 09, 2011,
in Istanbul, world leaders will have a chance to fulfil long-term
commitments to reduce poverty, hunger and disease in the world’s 48
Least Developed Countries’ Conference.
This
diverse group of nations – 33 in Africa, 14 in Asia and Oceania, and
one (Haiti) in the Western hemisphere – has one common desire:
increased engagement in the global economy. |
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20 April, 2011
MDG 7 - Solar Energy
Exhibition
The exhibition was held on the 15th
April 2011 at the National Convention Centre, Maseru. It attracted
about 30 exhibitors from Lesotho, southern and east Africa as well
as a few representatives from across the globe. Exhibitors
included; relevant technical institutions, Government departments,
renewable energy project, financial institutions and was dominated
by solar energy companies. The exhibition was in two facets; first
display of the technology including stall tours and official opening
then presentations and certificate award session. |
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24 March, 2011
MDG 7 - 2011 Solar Exhibition
The
Lesotho Renewable Energy-Based Rural Electrification Project will
hold its first ever Solar Energy Exhibition in Maseru. The event
will take place at the Lesotho National Convention Centre (‘Manthabiseng)
for one day only, Friday, 15th April 2011 from 09h00.
The main objective of the exhibition is to create a
platform for networking and partnering between companies in the
renewable energy industry, locally, regionally and international. |
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15 March, 2011
MDG 1 - Lesotho Participate in the "Women Make
it Happen Competition"
The United
Nations through the Millennium Campaign Web team organised a
competition titled "Women make it happen".
This competition was launched to find women
around the world who have made the MDGs real in their lives and by
doing so, have inspired positive change in their towns, cities and
local communities. Mants'o Matsoso is the only mosotho woman
who entered this competition. All submissions from all over
the world have been posted on the website and individuals are
expected to read the stories vote for the best story. The link
is
http://www.endpoverty2015.org/ |
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10 March, 2011
MDG 3 - Bridging the Gender Gap
"Lesotho is ranked eighth in the world by the World Economic Forum (WEF)
when it comes to bridging the gap between the sexes. The
reasons are cultural, political and economic, but one explanation
keeps being repeated when you probe the gender issue, and it relates
to Lesotho's recent past. In politics, one in five government
ministers in Lesotho is a female", reports BBC. |
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08 March, 2011
MDG3-International Women's Day: Fast Facts - UNDP and Gender in Africa
The United Nations
has selected Gender Equality as a theme for International Women's
Day in 2011. It has been noted that
Africa has made steady progress in the
area of gender equality and women’s empowerment over the last ten
years. Gender parity in primary education is likely to be achieved
by most countries and the proportion of women in parliaments has
been increasing, from 15% in 2009 to 18.5% in 2010. |
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25 January, 2011
MDG
7 -Donation of Renewable Energy Equipment
The United Nations
Development Programme, through the project of
Lesotho Renewable Energy Based Rural Electrification (LREBRE),
donated Solar Energy equipment to seven (7) Technical Institutions
in Lesotho. A handing over ceremony was held on 20 January,
2011 and occasion was graced by the presence of the Director of
Technical and Vocational Education unit in the Ministry of Education
and Training |
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14 January, 2011
MDG
6 -LGBTI Support Group Registered
Men who have sex
with Men (MSM), Women who have sex with Women( WSW) and other people
who identify as LGBTI are an important and undeservedly
vulnerable population in Lesotho.
Lesotho Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, transgender and Inter-gender (LGBTI)
communities, November 2010 saw the registration of MATRIX support
group as a Non-Profit
Organisation by the Lesotho Law Office. |
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2010 News and Press Releases |
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22 December, 2010
MDG
1 - Young Entrepreneurs Trained in 2010
The ‘Youth Employment towards
Poverty Reduction’ joint project between the Ministry of Gender
and Youth, Sports and Recreation, UNDP and ILO has been running
since late 2006. As part of the project, young people all
around the country are provided training in entrepreneurship for
free. In 2010 the ILO certified trainers trained almost 1,000 young
people, which is more than during any previous year. |
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21 December, 2010
MDG
1 - Lesotho is including Youth into its Social Dialogue Structures
As part of the ‘Youth
Employment towards Poverty Reduction’ project, the Government of
Lesotho through Ministry of Employent and Labour and Ministry of
Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation and supported by UNDP and
ILO, is working to include young people into the social dialogue in
Lesotho. |
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20 December, 2010
MDGs1,2,3,4,5,6,7
& 8 -Progress Towards the Establishment of the Human Rights
Commission in Lesotho
The Government of Lesotho, with the support of UNDP
and Irish Aid, is in the process of establishing a National Human
Rights Commission. The 6th Amendment of the Constitution
Bill which, inter alia, includes the establishment of the Human
Rights Commission, was presented to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee
for the first time in December 2010. The National Human Rights
Commission would be the main
institution which will deal with the protection, promotion and
monitoring of human rights in Lesotho. |
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15 December, 2010
MDG 7 -
National
Volunteer Experience
UNDP through the office of the UNV,
together with the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sport and Recreation
implemented a National Volunteer Corps Project in 2010. The
objective of this project was to introduce national youth
graduates to the volunteering concept. 200 graduates were
recruited and posted at both public and private sector. Mohau
Ts'ilo shares his experience as a National Volunteer.
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14 December, 2010
MDG 7 -Herders
Commemorate Internation Volunteers Day
The
International Volunteers Day was commemorated on December 6, 2010,
at Liotloaneng in the Berea District. The event, which was
coordinated by the
United Nations Volunteers Programme in Lesotho
included two activites, a)
to complete a two-classroom block at
Bosco Primary School
and planting of trees to enhance the school grounds.
Two
herders associations,
Sebetsang ka Thata Balisana
and
Utloang Balisana,
that are Berea-based organizations supported by the
GEF Small Grants Programme
(GEF-SGP), attended the event and lent a hand in the environment and
social development of their home district by donating
grape vine
and
olive tree
seedlings and treated poles to the school. |
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14 December, 2010
MDG 1 & MDG 7 -
Chicken Open Day
Biodiversity loss is a global environmental problem affecting the
livelihood of people all over the world. For Lesotho, the loss of
the unique gene pool of indigenous chickens poses several
significant problems. Introduced chickens lack the local diseases
resistance that indigenous chickens have, a breed that is endangered
and faces extinction. Thus the Rural Self-help Development
Association (RSDA), a non- governmental organization in Lesotho, is
implementing a Project “The preservation of the gene pool of
Lesotho’s indigenous chickens.” This project aims to research
and demonstrate the performance of these chickens under proper
management and to initiate breeding of this vital asset to
sustainable levels.
To this end a Village
Chicken Open Day was organized on at the Project site in Tsita’s Nek
– Mafeteng District. |
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13 December, 2010
MDG 8 -
IVD Celebrations - 2010
On Monday 6
December, the United Nations Volunteer Programme together with its
partners celebrated the International Volunteer Day (IVD) at the
Bosco Primary School, in Liotloaneng – Berea District.
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09 December, 2010
MDG 1 -
DevInfo Progress since
2008
For the period 2008
– 2010, 164 people from Government, Private sector and civil
society organizations were trained. However, since the establishment
of DevInfo in 2006 to date, two hundred and fifty (250) people have
been trained in the use of DevInfo through efforts supported by the
Government of Lesotho and the United Nations-Lesotho. |
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11 November, 2010
All MDGs -
UN assist Lesotho on NDP
As the Government of Lesotho
is embarking on developing the five-year National Development Plan (NDP)
for 2012/13-2016/17, UNDP and the UN Family are supporting this
important process as it will provide needed overall guidance and
coordination for the Government and the development partners and
contribute to accelerating achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) and better human development in the country. |
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10 November, 2010
MDG 1 -
Lesotho Local Development Project Implementation
The
Lesotho Local Development
Programme (LLDP) is
a
collaborative
effort
by central
government,
local
governments
and development
partners
to achieve
poverty
reduction
through
inclusive,
responsive
service
delivery
mechanisms.
It is a
four
year
programme
which is intended to support
different
aspects
of
the
decentralization process
within
the three
central
districts
(Maseru,
Berea,
and
Thaba
Tseka). |
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03 November, 2010
All MDGs - UN Meets with the Private Sector
UN Resident Representative
Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie and the Representatives of UN Agencies met
with the private sector during the UN Week Celebrations on the 20th
October 2010. Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie said in her speech ‘Given
the short time left before 2015, we need to put the goals on a
fast-track and everyone has to do business unusual.’ |
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28 October, 2010
All MDGs - UN Lesotho
Celebrates UN Week - 2010
UN Lesotho Country Team and the Government in Lesotho
have extended the UN Day into a whole week (18 to 24 October,2010)
of celebration and outreach. The purpose was to raise awareness
among Basotho of the work that the UN does in Lesotho and worldwide
and discuss key development issues with relevant stakeholders.
The theme for 2010 UN Week was MDGs and Youth,
considering that 2010 is a year of MDGs review and also the
International Year of Youth. |
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05 October, 2010
MDG 1 -
World Habitat Day,
2010
The celebrations in
Lesotho will be spearheaded by a partnership of Habitat for Humanity
(HFH) (Lesotho), World Vision and UN-HABITAT and will feature a
service event on October 9, 2010. HFH Lesotho plans to hand over
more than 150 Habitat Homes to vulnerable families and has mobilized
over 200 volunteers to help families renovate their homes in the
Nazareth area. |
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01 October, 2010
UN Lesotho Internship
Programme
The United Nations Systems in Lesotho
has established an internship programme for students learning at
tertiary institutions. This programme
is intended to familiarize graduates with the working environment
and help them gain practical experience working in an international
environment, to provide a framework by which students from diverse
academic backgrounds may be assigned to UN agencies in Lesotho,
where their educational experience can be enhanced through practical
work assignments. |
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September, 2010
MDG 6 -
UNDP Lesotho's Contribution to HIV Response
Documented
As part of a global
initiative to document UNDP’s work on HIV, UNDP Lesotho was
successful in its application to be part of the countries selected
to produce a short documentary. Through this initiative UNDP Lesotho
will showcase the processes, results and impact, of its support to
the implementation of the Community Capacity Enhancement through
Community Conversation (CCE-CC) methodology in the response to the
HIV epidemic. |
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23 September, 2010
MDG 6 - Human Trafficking in
Lesotho
A Rapid Assessment of Trafficking
in Persons in Lesotho, supported by UNDP and the Ministry of Home
Affairs, Public Safety & Parliamentary Affairs has revealed that
people from Lesotho are at a high risk of being trafficked to both
the neighbouring Southern African countries and internationally. |
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20 September, 2010
MDG 3 -
Training for Law
Enforcement Agencies on Human Rights
The Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and the
Correctional Service, in collaboration with UNDP and Irish Aid, as
part of the Consolidation of Democracy and Good Governance (CDGG)
programme, held a two day workshop
on human rights for Law Enforcement Agencies from 14th
to 15th of September 2010, at Blue Mountain Inn in
Teyateyaneng (TY). |
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17 September,2010
MDGs without Human
Rights - An Empty Promise
This
Summit was organised by Centre for Reproductive Rights to discuss
issues on i) Human Rights as the centre of development programmes,
ii) states dealing with Poverty as a social disaster yet it is a
Human Rights obligation for states,
iii)
accountability
is all about rights and not necessarily just about responsibilities
iv) women’s human and reproductive rights are usually ‘policed’ by
states, families and societies – making it difficult for women to
exercise those rights, especially economic and social rights. |
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13 September,2010
GEF Photo and Video
Contest - 2010
The Global Environtment Facility (GEF)
is seeking still and motion photography submissions for their 2010
International Year of Biodiversity Photo/Video Contest. The
closing date for submissions is 24 September, 2010. |
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25 August, 2010
MDG 7 -
Launch of DRR
Community Project
On the 10th
August 2010, the District Disaster Management Team of Thaba-Tseka
launched the implementation of Koma-Koma community-based disaster
risk management pilot project. Over 300 community members including
pupils from Koma-Koma primary school attended the ceremony. During
the launch, two sign boards with early warning messages, 10 life
jackets and one boat were delivered to the community by the
Thaba-Tseka District Administrator. |
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20 August, 2010
UNDP Lesotho
celebrates Women's Month 09 August, 2010
was a different Monday in UNDP Lesotho when UNDP Gentlemen treated
ladies to an afternoon of tea/coffee and snacks to mark the Women's
Month. |
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12
June 2010
Getting Kids off the street and into hope, seen as important part of
Africa's development
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Footballer Zinédine Zidane join the
United Nations in Cape Town to Demonstrate How Sports can Bring Hope
to Poor Communities in South Africa. |
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11 May, 2010
MDG 1 -
UN National Volunteer
Corps Project Launch
On the 28th April 2010, the Government of
Lesotho in partnership with UNDP/UNV launched the National Volunteer
Corps Project, setting the first batch of one hundred and fifty
three (153) national volunteers on a path to contribute to national
development using the values of volunteerism. |
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10 May, 2010
MDG 6 -
Community Conversations help reduce violence -
The case of Ribaneng
The Community
Capacity Enhancement through Community Conversations (CCE-CC)
Programme reinforces community capacity for knowledge generation and
transfer as it facilitates that strengthening of HIV and other
social services, with communities demanding delivery of services for
Human Rights protection and promotion. |
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20 April, 2010
MDG 7 -
Orange Senqu Action Programme
UNDP-GEF kick started an environmental initiative
supporting the Orange-Senqu River Commission to realize sustainable
development of the Basin and contribute to the Millennium
Development Goals in the four riparian States. |
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13 April, 2010
UN Volunteers Learn Sesotho Language and
Culture
The UNV volunteers are encouraged to enhance their local language
skills and the culture of their host country. The aim is to allow
volunteers to adapt as quickly as possible to their new country of
assignment. |
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10 March, 2010
MDG 7 -
RC Visits SGP Projects
The UN Resident Coordiantor(RC)
visited the Small Grants Programme project in Mafeteng on 17
February, 2010. The RC, together with other UNDP staff members
were taken on a tour of the project where a brief explanation of the
project was given followed by a questions and answers session. |
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5 March 2010
MDG7 - Caring for the
environment
UNDP Resident Representative, Ms.
Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie has officially handed-over a prize to a
Mosotho photographer who won 3rd (third) place in 2009 in an
Africa-wide global photo contest entitled
Picture This: Caring for the Earth. The competition involved
capturing direct human action in bringing about real change to
mitigate the present and future effects of climate change and
environmental degradation. The winner, Hlompho Letsielo, is a
professional photographer in the media fraternity |
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06 January 2010
MDG1 - Youth
Employment promotion
Promotion of Youth
Employment towards Poverty Reduction in Lesotho (YEP) programme (UNDP/ILO/UNICEF),
implemented together with the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports
and Recreation, has been contributing towards creating and enabling
national environment for the promotion of youth employment and
enterprise development to support poverty reduction initiatives in
Lesotho. |
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2009 News and Press Releases |
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24 October 2009
UN Day Celebrations -
MDG Report launch
The UN day celebrations in 2010 in
Lesotho were marked by a full week of activities to promote the
Millennium Development Goals and support for their achievement in
Lesotho, including the MDG Report Launch. |
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23 September 2009
UN
hosts a high level dialogue with the Government of Lesotho on
development and growth agenda.
An
interagency dialogue with the Government on its development and
growth agenda witnessed participation at the highest level from the
Government and the UN to facilitate participation of agencies of the
Chief Executives Board’s (CEB) cluster (ITC, UNIDO, WTO, UNCTAD) on
trade and productive capacities. |
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14 August 2009
Training Workshop for
Rural Communities on Solar PV
LREBRE held three one day solar Photovoltaic (PV) training workshops
for the beneficiaries of solar electricity in the rural communities.
The aim of the workshop was to ensure that beneficiaries appreciate
this relatively new technology and understand its various components
so they can maintain and troubleshoot solar PV system problems in a
safe and sustainable manner. The training included an overview of
solar PV, health and safety issues, trouble shooting and
maintenance. |
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7
July 2009
GEF-Small Grants Support
Funding opportunity for Community
Environmental Management Projects - Call for Project Concept Papers |
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17
February 2009
UNV inspiration in
Action - School feeding
Sample story of how UNV volunteers
contribute to development in Lesotho - featuring the WFP School
Feeding Programme.
4 February 2009
Launch Small Grants
Programme
Official launch of the programme in Lesotho by
awarding of the first batch of grants amounting to M 994 070.00, to
three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and one community-based
organization (CBO) for environment and natural resources management
projects. |
