Hopolang Mokhopi
In a significant boost to the national Child Grant Programme (CGP), the European Union and UNICEF have donated two new vehicles, 10 laptops, and 20 tablets to the Ministry of Gender, Youth, and Social Development.
The donations were received by the Minister of Gender, Youth, and Social Development, Pitso Lesaoana, at a ceremony held at Kick4life premises in Maseru on Thursday.
The?donations are meant for the?Ntlafatsa Bana?project aimed at?enhancing?the well-being of children under five years by linking the CGP with essential services, benefiting households and communities.
In his keynote address, Mr Lesaoana recalled the project’s beginnings in 2007, amidst the triple threat of poverty, food insecurity, and HIV/AIDS that devastated orphaned and vulnerable children.
He highlighted the collaborative effort wherein?the EU provided funding, UNICEF offered technical support, and the ministry took on implementation responsibilities.
The minister explained that the partnership led to the creation and development of the CGP?grant?programme, which was initially fully funded by the EU under its first phase. The programme was later transferred to the Lesotho government, which took on full responsibility for the payments, system strengthening, and piloting of innovations. This included the establishment of a new National Information System for Social Assistance (NISSA), collecting data on all council levels.
EU Ambassador to Lesotho, Paola Amadei, emphasized the milestone marked by this donation.
“Today signifies our ongoing commitment to the welfare and development of our most vulnerable citizens, particularly children under five living in beneficiary households. Since 2005, the EU has supported social protection in Lesotho, striving to improve the lives of those in need in partnership with UNICEF,” Ms Amadei said.
She also highlighted the creation of the CGP?and the NISSA as clear results of their commitment to children’s well-being. Beyond social protection, the EU’s engagement includes infrastructure improvements for children’s courts through a World Vision-implemented programme, ensuring children have adequate spaces when appearing in court.
Furthermore, the UNICEF representative, Deepak Bheskaran, praised the longstanding partnership between the government of Lesotho, the EU, and UNICEF, which he said had been building a robust social protection system since 2007.
“Lesotho now proudly boasts one of the region’s most comprehensive and progressive social protection systems,” he said, reflecting on the shared dedication and hard work.
Mr Bheskaran?said?during Phase I of their partnership, which ran from 2007 to 2011, they?had?supported the government in defining, designing, and rolling out the Child Grants Programme and its registry.
“During the second Phase II, which was between 2012 and 2014, we focused on transitioning the Lesotho Child Grants Programme from EU/UNICEF to the government, with the government taking over the cost of the cash transfers that go to households as well as some of the administrative costs of running the programme,” Mr Bheskaran said.
During Phase III of the partnership, which ran from 2015 to 2022, the focus was on strengthening the country’s social protection system through the expansion of the National Information System for Social Assistance and expanding the role of the Management Information System, drafting the second National Social Protection Strategy and the Social Assistance Policy, he said.
“The current phase, called ‘Equitable Lesotho, Ntlafatsa Bana (which means improvement of children),’ covers 2023 to 2026. During this phase, we will scale up cash grant payments through digital means, including mobile payments or the banking system.
“As we hand over these vehicles today, we reiterate our steadfast commitment to continue working hand in hand with the EU, the Government of Lesotho, and other partners to ensure the ongoing success of the social protection program. Let us remain resolute in our commitment to leaving no one behind,” he said.