Letsatsi Selikoe
THE Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) recently awarded 254 Mokhotlong residents certificates for completing a Trade Test and Community Based Tourism training programme.
The event was held at Tlokoeng in Mokhotlong ?on Thursday. The graduates, both men and women, are the fourth cohort of the programme which started in 2020.
The program is the LHDA’s brainchild in collaboration with the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC). It is also supported by the Ministry of Education and Training’s Technical and Vocational Development (TVD) department.
It aims to empower the local workforce and boost community tourism.
The program, ?one of several initiatives aimed at giving back to communities affected by the LHDA’s projects, seeks to provide skills to those whose livelihoods have been adversely impacted by the construction of dams and other projects, in this case the LHWP Phase II-Polihali Dam.
According to the LDHA’s Polihali Branch Manager, Gerald Mokone, the Authority conducted research on frequently asked questions and in their assessment, heeded the clarion call of people whom the authority could not hire, primarily due to lack of suitable qualifications. That led to the development of the program.
It has so far trained 2000 people since inception.
Chief Qethu Sekonyela of Tlokoeng thanked all the involved stakeholders for changing the lives of his people.
He said if similar initiatives had been implemented earlier, many social ills plaguing the country, such as violent crime, might have been averted. ?
However, Chief Sekonyela also expressed concern over challenges that lay ahead for the graduates of the programme. Prospective employers demanded other onerous things like 5 yearsexperience and references, which they ?did not have.
He, therefore, urged the Minister of Natural Resources, Mohlomi Moleko, to intervene and ensure this did not happen. ?
One participant, ‘Malikhutsana Makoro, thanked LTDC for the training in tourism.
“We didn’t know how to treat tourists in our areas, how to approach them, and what to avoid doing that would drive them away,” Ms Makoro said.
“Now we know that working with our hands is all we need to survive, and the warm welcome we extend to people in our areas, is what sets us apart.”
Another participant, Mr Kapoqo Kente, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity provided by LHDA.
He highlighted the challenges faced by skilled individuals without qualifications, who struggled to secure employment. With his new certification, he hoped for a better future.
LHDA Chief Executive Officer, Tente Tente, reiterated the authority’s commitment to ensuring that the community benefitted from their projects.
“We are not just about transporting water to South Africa or generating electricity at ‘Muela,” Mr Tente said.
“We aim to improve the lives of Basotho. One of our initiatives is this one – empowering our local workforce through training and certification.
“The launch of a lodge that will provide Basotho with life-changing experiences is expected to be a reality soon. We hope that those who received training in tourism, will make this experience beautiful for tourists visiting their areas,” Mr Tente said.
He said the training was testament to the LHDA’s commitment to sustainable development and improving the lives of Basotho.
Natural Resources Minister, Mr Moleko, thanked all those who had contributed to the initiative.
He said it was important to empower Basotho and the government was working on providing irrigation systems, fish breeding schemes and various tourism projects to empower citizens.