Aid to Lesotho’s Lost Children

According to official reports (2004 and 2003) by UNICEF and the United Nations, Lesotho had 100,000 orphans and 27,000 children living with HIV/AIDS in 2003. These figures do not include “abandoned children” who have one or both parents living. These “lost children” are not counted in the official reporting systems. As a result, they have no access to government aid such as that established for orphans.

Funds are needed to house, feed, and educate these Lost Children.



A Brief Description of the Lesotho Child Counseling Unit

Lesotho Child Counseling Unit (LCCU) is currently the only 24-7 emergency shelter caring for children aged 1 to 18 who are victims of abandonment, physical and sexual abuse, child trafficking, and those orphaned by HIV/AIDSs. LCCU is a registered NGO (non-governmental organization) founded in 2002. LCCU’s core activities include:

  1. Immediate access to psycho-social counseling for traumatized children

  2. A temporary place for children to live where food, health care, life skills training and education is provided.

  3. Legal advocacy and case management on behalf of the children followed by placement in a long term safe setting (i.e. SOS Children’s Village, Mants’ase Children’s Home or with an extended family member in their village).

  4. Educational workshops on Children’s Rights for community volunteers and chiefs, geared to identify and prevent abuse.

  5. Income generating projects (agriculture projects to provide food and handicraft projects to provide vocational skills and income-generation).

Immediate Need:

LCCU is in the process of building a larger shelter in order to care for the ever increasing number of children referred to them. They have raised funds to acquire the land and have begun gathering local stones for the construction. However, money is needed to complete the construction project and cover operating costs (food, medical care and school fees) until they reach their goal of self-sufficiency through agriculture and other income generating projects.
The current shelter is the personal home of the Founder of LCCU, Lydia Muso. It can accommodate 10 children although up to 18 children have lived here, leaving no room for office and private counseling activities.





This little 2 year old girl was abandoned in the bus terminal in the capital city of Maseru. The police brought her to LCCU in the early evening hours.

   


This 14 year old, was gang raped in the capital, after running away from her abusive grandmother. After a few weeks of love and care at the shelter, her beautiful smile became more frequent.







Some of the areas 100’s of orphans gathering crops from one of LCCU’s Food Security Fields.

Donation information Money is what is most needed, until LCCU achieves its long term goal of sustainability through agriculture and other income-generating projects. CHECKS CAN BE MADE PAYABLE TO: Lesotho Child Counseling Unit or you can WIRE FUNDS DIRECTLY TO: Nedbank, Account Number 022000136453 Lesotho Child Counseling Unit.

Contact Information

M’e Lydia Muso, Founder and Director; M’e Mateboho Hlaoli, and Ausi Seithati Ngoe, Lesotho Child Counseling Unit, P. O. Box 7, Mazenod 160, Lesotho.

Dyann L. Van Dusen, Peace Corps Volunteer, 2003-2005, Community Health and Development Program. E-MAIL: dyvandusen@aol.com.






L   C   C   U

Lesotho Child
Counseling Unit

Who We Are:

          
  • LCCU is a registered, charitable, non-governmental organization (NGO) established in March 2002 by three women volunteers from the community of Mazenod.

  • LCCU works at the community level throughout Lesotho to protect the rights of vulnerable and orphaned children, with special attention to traumatized children, especially girls.

  • LCCU works in full cooperation with local Chiefs, concerned community members, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, Magistrates, Probation and Police Departments of Lesotho.

Who We Serve:

  • The children are as young as 1 up to the age of 18. They have been traumatized by a family or community member.

  • In some cases the children have contracted HIV/AIDS as a result of sexual abuse and some girls have become pregnant as a result of rape.

  • In many cases, the children’s mothers have died. As a result, these children have lost their basic rights to a childhood, continued education and protection from unwanted sexual advances.
 What We Do For "Our" Children:

Our volunteer staff provides the following services:

  • A temporary, loving home for up to 3 months
  • Holistic treatment (psychological counseling)
  • Continued Education Support
  • Medical care, when needed
  • Life skills training

Our community volunteers provide additional support in a variety of areas, such as:

  • Food and clothing donations
  • Help with daily household work such as laundry
  • Donation of fields to assist with food production

Community Outreach Activities:

The ultimate goal of LCCU is to prevent the abuse of children. Our efforts to accomplish this goal include the following:

  • LCCU staff conducts educational workshops—called Child Welfare Forums—in communities throughout Lesotho. These workshops are attended by community members concerned about the rights of children, especially sexually abused children.

  • Print Media: LCCU staff members write a weekly column for national newspapers. The Children’s Rights Corner informs the community about the rights of children and responds to individual questions from children and community members.

  • LCCU hopes to soon have a voice on the radio to further educate the public about the plight of abused children.

Current, Past and Future Supporters:

LCCU was formed with personal donations from the founders: Lydia Muso, ‘M’e Matebeho Hlaoli and Ausi Seithati Nkoe. Additional support comes from the following members of the Executive Committee:

Chairperson, Ms. Mpho Leluka from Lesotho Save the Children; Deputy Chair, Mr. Molupe from Save the Children, United Kingdom; Secretary, Mrs. Mamatee Mohale, Deputy Secretary, Mrs. Matseliso Matsoso, Treasurer, Mrs. Letsoela and Seithati Nkoe, Mr. Teele Ntsong, Ntate Moholane.

Since its establishment in 2002, LCCU has received financial and in-kind support from the following organizations:

Standard Bank, Lesotho Save the Children, SOS Village
Dorcas AID, Khalapa Development Agency, Denmark
Norwegian Support Group, Save the Children-UK
Quadrant Consulting, U.S. Peace Corps, Canada Fund


A healthy and safe future for
all of Lesotho’s children
depends on the support of all Basotho
as well as international agencies.

Please contact us to find out how YOU can help.

Khotso     Pula     Nala

How You Can Help:

The photo below shows our current facility in Mazenod.

This 3-room rondaval is located on the main road (Maseru South) not far from the Masianokeng/Roma junction. It has no plumbing or electricity and at the most will comfortably house 10 children (although we have opened our doors to as many as 18 children in need).

       

As the only NGO in Lesotho addressing the needs of thousands of young children who are being abused, LCCU is actively working to find a larger, more suitable location to serve the ever-growing number of children referred to us for help.

Mailing Address for Donations and Additional Information
P. O. Box 7, Mazenod 160, Lesotho, Southern Africa
Office Phone: (+266) 350231