OUR CURRENT PROJECTS

We are currently working on a couple of projects that predominately deal with sexual reproductive health of young women and girl, these current projects are described below.

 1. Stepping up universal access: A multi-Sectoral partnership to HIV prevention at the community level

As a consortium, Skillshare Lesotho (SR) in partnership with the Lesotho National Olympic Committee (S-SR) and Sesotho Media & Development (S-SR) will implement a joint concerted effort programme promoting the engagement of young people with specific emphasis on adolescent girls and young women (AYGW) between the ages of 10 & 24 years, and their male partners both in the rural & the urban areas as well as in and out of school within the four districts of Lesotho being Mafeteng, Mohales’ Hoek, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing.  Adolescents today largely use social media and other forms of media as the prime source of information and communication platforms. This project leverages on these to deliver activities including virtue support platforms and physical interactive sessions to influence behavior change, create demand & ensure access to health services. Among the virtue support platforms, a participatory documentary film will form part of the educational tools that will be used as the medium that speaks to all young people. The project will compile a documentary that profiles young people and their real life experiences guided by the positive deviance model. The stories profiled in a documentary format will be shared through various social media platforms including community based facilitated sessions. To find more about the project, please  contact us.

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Big Lottery Fund supported project in Southern Africa. Skillshare worked with other agencies to ensure availability accessibility of HIV prevention services, eg condom distribution, counselling, testing, referral. Working with Support Groups to support OVC, bedridden and HIV+ members. Each network has country specific milestones. Lesotho Achievements Over 20,000 support group members have been reached with training in group management, palliative care, health care referral, ART adherence; HIV counseling and testing campaigns. 400 OVC have received educational support; more than 1,000 nutritional gardens have been establishes; 2 Centres of Excellence have been established to act as hub for services to the community. Male and female condoms are distributed at every meeting and through the Centres of Excellence. Country of Assignment LENEPWHA (Lesotho); NAPSAR, NAPWA (Soutn Africa); BONEPWA+ (Botswana); SWANNEPHA (Swaziland); RENSIDA (Mozambique) Assignment Lead Partner- Funded by Big Lottery fund International Duration 01/06/2009 to 31/05/2014
Improving the socio-economic status and livelihood of persons with disabilities (PWDs) Project Objective To contribute towards poverty reduction in Lesotho by improving the socio-economic status and livelihood of persons with disabilities (PWDs). This was done by building capacity in the Department of Social Welfare to co-ordinate civil society agencies working with people with disabilities as service providers. The economic status of PWDs was enhanced through supporting business development and business start-up. The social status of PWDs was improved through an awareness-raising campaign to sensitise communities and policy makers about disability issues. A Special Education programme provided support for disabled children and their teachers. Results The Rehabilitation Department was established with pilot activities in 2 districts; by the end of the action District Rehabilitation Officers had been recruited for all 10 districts in Lesotho to deliver a community-based rehabilitation programme. 139 PWDs were provided with business skills training and 65 new businesses were established. The advocacy campaign succeeded in getting the Government of Lesotho to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. An annual procession and speeches are held on the International Disability Day Celebrations. in December 2011. A Special Education department was established in the Lesotho College of Education and more than 700 students and teachers received diplomas in special education. Beneficiaries & Country of Assignment Ministry of Health & Social Welfare Assignment Lead Partner Duration 03/04/2006 to 31/03/2011
Human rights for factory workers- Focused on increasing the advocacy capacity among factory workers Results Over 200 factory workers trained in arbitration and conciliation Beneficiaries & Country of Assignment Lesotho Trade unions Assignment Lead Partner Duration 2015 to 2016
Basotho volunteers development Project Brief International Citizens Services. Volunteer program that brought English volunteers and paired them with Basotho volunteers to share experience and contribute to community development. Achievement Over 300 volunteers were placed with partner organizations during this period. Over 10 of the local counterpart volunteers have secured scholarships through their counterpart English volunteers. Beneficiaries & Country of Assignment Lesotho Network of People Living with HIV&AIDS (LENEPWHA) OYAP Assignment Implementing partner Duration 2012 to 2016