Providing Grassroots Social Services to Women and Children in Rural Southern Africa: A Roundtable Discussion

Abstract

The state of Lesotho, which became independent from Great Britain in 1966, is completely surrounded by South Africa, a geographic encapsulation that is reflected in its economic dependency. Nevertheless, Lesotho is not a South African homeland; it is an internationally recognized, independent country, and as such is eligible for international aid, like other countries in southern Africa such as Botswana and Swaziland. This eligibility, unfortunately, has not served to catalyze the country's economic development, and the government is becoming increasingly indebted to foreign donor agencies. Less than 15 percent of Lesotho's land is arable-all in the lowlands, which are overpopulated, not only with people1 but also with livestock. To produce wool and mohair for international markets, Lesotho's people, the Basotho, herd sheep and goats as well as cattle. Overgrazing, together with irregular rainfall, has contributed to increasing soil erosion. Lesotho has not been self-sufficient in agricultural production since the 1930s.