4110 Denfeld Ave.

Kensington, MD 20895

www.friendsoflesotho.org

How to Use This Presentation This slide show may be used

while speaking at Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) reunions as well as with other organizations and groups who wish to learn more about Lesotho and the mission of The Friends of Lesotho.

Speakers can adapt the presentation based on the audience and their Peace Corps experience.

Individuals can read the notes pages to supplement the presentation slides.

Overview

PART 1 - Lesotho: Kingdom in the Sky

PART 2 - Friends of Lesotho (FOL)

- Who we are

- How we’re organized

- What we do

PART 3 - How to help

Lesotho: Kingdom in the Sky

Question: Name three countries in the world that are completely surrounded by just ONE other country (not including an ocean).

Answer: Lesotho, the Vatican (Italy) and San Marino (Italy).part 1

Lesotho: Kingdom in the Sky (cont’d)

Lesotho: History

1820s - Gathered Basotho refugees during Lifaqane

1824 - Established national capital at Thaba Bosiu

1833 - Invited missionaries 1858-1868 - Fought four Boer Wars 1868 - Petitioned for Basotholand

Protectorate

Moshoeshoe (1786-1870) - Father of the Basotho nation and one of the greatest leaders in the history of southern Africa.

Lesotho: History (cont’d)

Basotholand never part of the Republic of South Africa

Independence restored after 98 years of British Rule

Became the Kingdom of Lesotho on October 4, 1966.

Lesotho: Geography and ClimateArea: About the size of Maryland

Capital: Maseru (173,700)

Terrain: High veld, plateau and mountains.

Climate: Temperate. Rainy season in summer, winters dry but snow in the higher elevations. Southern hemisphere seasons are reversed.

Lesotho: PeopleNationality: Noun -- Mosotho (sing.); Basotho (pl.). Adjective -- Basotho.

Population: (2005 est.): 2 million

Ethnic groups: Basotho 99.7%; Europeans, Asians, and other 0.3%

Religions: 80% Christian, including Roman Catholic (majority), Lesotho Evangelical, Anglican, other denominations; other religions include Islam, Hindu, indigenous

Languages: Official -- Sesotho and English. Others -- Zulu, Xhosa

Lesotho: Culture

Friendly and curious Oral traditions Decorative arts Sports Pitsos Feasts Sesotho language

Lesotho: Economy

Economy based on water and electricity sold to South Africa

Earnings from the Southern African Customs Union

Wages of laborers employed in South Africa

Exports - diamonds, wool, clothing, furniture, footwear and mohair

Agriculture and livestock Economic aid

Lesotho: Tourism

There are numerous activities to enjoy as a tourist in Lesotho:

Camping and Backpacking Pony Trekking Rock Climbing Bird Watching Canoeing Fishing Rally-Driving Skiing

To learn more about tourism in Lesotho visit http://www.ltdc.org.ls/

Lesotho: Tourism (cont’d)

There are numerous activities to enjoy as a tourist in Lesotho:

Handicrafts Hotels, Casinos, Mountain Lodges Sehlabathebe National Park Cave Dwellings and Paintings Fossil Hunting Philately Festivals and National Holidays Volunteer Projects

To learn more about tourism in Lesotho visit http://www.ltdc.org.ls/

Lesotho: Health A reasonably healthy place due to dry, cool climate No mosquitoes, and thus no malaria Main health problem is water

All the district capitals have hospitals AIDS a serious problem in Lesotho Tuberculosis and venereal diseases are major health problems

Lesotho: Government and Political ConditionsLesotho is a parliamentary

constitutional monarchy

Prime Minister is head of government and has executive authority

King serves a largely ceremonial function The King is proscribed

from from actively participating in in political initiatives.

The Royal Family Princess Senate, Queen ‘Masenate and King Letsie III

Lesotho: Government and Political Conditions (cont’d)

Government Structures National Assembly

80 directly elected 40 elected through

Proportional Representation

House of Senate 22 Principal Chiefs whose

membership is hereditary 11 appointees of the King

Lesotho: Government and Political Conditions (cont’d)The Constitution Provides for an independent

judicial system Protects basic civil liberties,

including freedom of: speech association the press peaceful assembly religion.

Lesotho: Government and Political Conditions (cont’d)Elections Lesotho held its first post-

independence local government elections on April 30, 2005

A quota system reserved one-third of electoral divisions for women candidates; 53% of the victorious candidates were women

Locally elected officials are presently in post-election training while regulations for local governance are drawn up by the National Assembly and infrastructure is created.

Honorable M. MotsanaiSpeaker of the National Assembly

Lesotho: U.S. Relations

The United States was one of the first four countries to establish an embassy in Maseru after Lesotho gained its independence from Great Britain in 1966.

Lesotho and the United States have consistently maintained warm bilateral relations.

Total U.S. aid to Lesotho is over $10 million, including humanitarian food assistance.

The Government of Lesotho encourages greater American participation in commercial life and welcomes interest from potential U.S. investors and suppliers.

Ambassador June Carter Perry

Lesotho: U.S. Peace Corps

About 100 Peace Corps volunteers per year concentrate in the sectors of: Community health Education Rural community

development Agriculture

Approximately 1,888 volunteers have served in Lesotho since 1966.

FOL supports PCVs working in Lesotho by sending donations to a Tuition Assistance Program and for special projects through a Volunteer Advisory Committee

FOL: Who We Are

Friends of Lesotho A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

promoting friendship between the peoples of Lesotho and North America

Comprised of former Peace Corps volunteers and others who share our mission

part 2

Affiliated with the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)

Funds scholarships and grants to small development projects in Lesotho

Provides information about current events in Lesotho

Assists in locating old friends from Lesotho

FOL: Who We Are

Board of Directors 2006 - 2007

Bill Dunn, President PC Lesotho 1979-1982

Anchorage, AK

Richard Rowan, Vice-PresidentPC Lesotho 1979-1983 St. Paul, MN

Ella Kwisnek, SecretaryPC Lesotho 1992-1994 Pittsburgh, PA 15228

John Hollister, TreasurerPC Lesotho 1986-1988 Kensington, MD

Kevin FreerPC Lesotho 1976-1978 Altamonte Springs, FL

Claire HilgerPC Lesotho 1997-1999San Francisco, CA

Jim MuellerPC Lesotho 2002-2004Waldorf, MD

Martha MunsonPC Lesotho 2001-2003Harrisonburg, VA

Elizabeth PerryPC Lesotho 1997-1999Sultan, WA

Todd VetterPC Lesotho 1995-1998Cos Cob, CT

FOL: How We’re Organized

FOL: Board Committees and Task Forces

FundraisingKevin FreerFundraisingKevin Freer

MembershipElla KwisnekMembership

Ella KwisnekDonations/Distributions

Richard RowanDonations/Distributions

Richard Rowan

PresidentBill DunnPresidentBill Dunn

TreasurerJohn Hollister

TreasurerJohn Hollister

SecretaryElla Kwisnek

SecretaryElla Kwisnek

Vice PresidentRichard RowanVice President

Richard Rowan

NominationsBill Dunn

NominationsBill Dunn

Annual MeetingsMartha MunsonAnnual MeetingsMartha Munson

By LawsBill DunnBy Laws

Bill Dunn

NPCA RepresentativeJim Mueller

NPCA RepresentativeJim Mueller

Embassy LiaisonMartha MunsonEmbassy LiaisonMartha Munson

FOL: Meetings

For all board and committee meetings: Members are welcome to join conference calls Minutes are posted on the FOL website.

Regularly scheduled meetings: Board meets every three months via

conference calls Committees accomplish their work between

meetings and report back to the board on their status.

Contact any board member for the conference phone number and access code.

FOL: Meetings (cont’d)

Annual meeting Held near the date of Lesotho’s

Independence Day – October 4th

Conducted via conference call Purpose is to elect board members and

present the Annual Report Includes speakers from the Lesotho

Embassy, recently returned Peace Corps Volunteers and others who update the membership on news from Lesotho

Announced in the September Newsletter with call-in information

Members are encouraged to gather in groups for the meeting.

What FOL Does: Information SharingWebsitewww.friendsoflesotho.org Home Page About Lesotho Contacts News Members Sesotho Language Maps Photos Letters Links

NewsletterFaye Farmer, Coordinator President’s Report Committee Reports Lesotho News Updates Ways to Give Fundraising Ideas FOL Project Reports Book Reviews Networking, Reunions and

Member Updates

     

What FOL Does: Peace Corps Volunteer Connections Information and referrals for both

Pre-Service volunteers and RPCVs Prospective PCV requests for

information and contacts of current volunteers in Lesotho

Directory of RPCVs with emails Opportunities for RPCVs to

continue their support of projects in Lesotho

FOL also matches up RPCVs with individuals and groups who want to support our mission.

www.friendsoflesotho.org

What FOL Does: Fundraising Provides new opportunities for funds Ensures the Board’s ability to

continue its work Increases our ability to fund needed

projects FOL gladly accepts donations, which

we will forward to Lesotho Funding sources include

memberships, company matching gifts, donations, bequests, sales and special events

Copies of FOL’s financial activities for the year can be obtained from John Hollister, Treasurer.

What FOL Does: Work Within LesothoFOL provides grants to current Peace Corps Volunteers

in Lesotho for small projects

Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) VAC funds projects which would otherwise be too

small to be considered by major donor NGOs Projects have included supplies for classrooms and

HIV/AIDS awareness education, and small business and craft co-op start-up materials

Letters and updates from donor recipients and funded projects

are available on our website.

What FOL Does: Work Within Lesotho (cont’d)FOL funds scholarships to

Secondary school students

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

Recipients selected by the TAP Committee (consisting of current Peace Corps Volunteers)

TAP Recipients

“My goal is to change the way of living in my family and to become a social worker. Through your help I will achieve my goals and am now focusing on my success.” - Moleboheng 'Muso, Qacha's Nek

“Thank you very much for the money to go to school. I shall work very hard this year and I shall attend school very well. When I finish school I want to be a doctor.” - Lira Mokebe

“Thank you very much for your assistance to my family. I am very happy about this assistance because it's the first time we have this. My family sent their love.” - Letsika Mosala, Moteng

FOL funds HIV/AIDS education

FOL has provided targeted funds for development of HIV/AIDS programs through PCVs

What FOL Does: Work Within Lesotho (cont’d)

OrphanagesFOL is proud to help match funding and workers with

orphanages Currently working with “Touching Tiny Lives” on

funding initiatives

What FOL Does: Work Within Lesotho (cont’d)

More information on Touching Tiny Lives can be found on our website.

Members and friends sometimes ask FOL for help to transfer funds or supplies to Lesotho for special projects when individuals or their organizations do not have the means to do so.

Special distributions have included: Supporting SHIPAid, a program that

ships used clothing and educational materials to Lesotho.

Vitamins Sports Equipment Books University service-learning projects Other on-going requests.

For more information on special disbursements, contact John Hollister, Treasurer.

What FOL Does: Work Within Lesotho (cont’d)

How You Can Help: MembershipWhy join FOL? Make a difference in the lives of

Basotho Keep abreast of the news in

Lesotho via our quarterly newsletter, website and Annual Meeting

Join a group of like-minded people.

Membership Forms available on the FOL website.part 3

How You Can Help: Referrals of Other RPCVs Can't find someone? Neither

can we sometimes. Do you know the where-abouts of anyone on our "Missing" list?

Encourage others to renew their memberships or join FOL.

Thanks for your help.

For more information on how to locate RPCVs, contact

Ella Kwisnek, Membership Chair.

How You Can Help: Newsletter Articles Do you know a great website? Have you given a talk about Lesotho? Have you visited Lesotho recently? Do you have photos from Lesotho to

share?

Submit articles, photos, or information of interest to our members to:

Faye Farmer, FOL Newsletter Coordinatorf_e_@hotmail.com, or send hard copies to 2612 E. Geneva Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282

FOL members who can sponsor one of our future newsletters through corporate, church or other organizations are asked to contact Faye Farmer for details.

How You Can Help: Donations

Members can indicate how they would like their additional contributions allocated:

HIV/AIDS Education Tuition Assistance Program Orphanages Volunteer Advisory Committee Projects Morija Museum Wherever the need is greatest

Friends of Lesotho Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

How You Can Help: Fundraising

Memorial Gifts Notecards and a donation form are available on our website to honor deceased Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff.

Alternative Gift Giving FOL is registered on www.JustGive.org for those who wish to ask family and friends to make a donation in lieu of gifts received on birthdays, weddings, retirements and other occasions.

Walk-a-thons A resource package with everything you would need to plan and conduct a successful walk-a-thon to support the Tuition Assistance Program available on our website.

Sales T-shirts, Basotho music CDs and other items are advertised on our website.

Other Opportunities Watch for updates on our website and in our newsletters in the coming year!

The fundraising committee is always looking for new ideas and member participation.

How You Can Help: Wills and Estate PlanningMembers can request information on more ways to give: Wills Estate planning IRAs Insurance policy beneficiary Other bequests and memorial gifts

Contact John Hollister, Treasurer, for a copy of the Wills and Estate Planning Kit.

How You Can Help: Committee WorkFOL members who do not wish to make a long-term

commitment to the board are encouraged to: Join standing committees, or Work on special projects which

match their skills and interests to

the needs of the organization

For more information on committee work, contact Bill Dunn, President.

How You Can Help: Board Service Directors are members in good

standing who are elected on their ability and willingness to support the purpose of FOL

Nominations are welcome year round

Elections are held at the Annual Meeting in October

Directors serve for two-year terms

For more information on board service, contact Bill Dunn, President.

Kea leboha!Thank you for your interest!Visit our website at www.friendsoflesotho.org

Informational websites: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ http://www.unaids.org/en/ http://www.unesco.org

For more information and news, visit our website for additional links to Lesotho on the web.