Capital: Maseru
Area: 30,359 km²
Population: 2.5 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Sotho, Europeans and Asians
Official language(s): Sesotho, English
Religion(s): Christians, traditional beliefs
Currency: 1 loti = 100 lisente
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
The work of SOS Children's Villages in Lesotho started in 1988 with the active support of Anna M. Hlalele, who was then the minister for youths' and women's affairs in Lesotho and later became the long-standing president of the local SOS Children's Village Association. A government agreement was signed between the kingdom and SOS-Kinderdorf International in November 1990 and one year later, the national association, "SOS Children's Village Association of Lesotho" was officially registered.
The location for the first SOS Children's Village was chosen in the capital of Maseru. The government had provided a plot of land in the suburb of Lithabaneng. At the official opening of SOS Children's Village Maseru, King Letsie III took over the patronage of SOS Children's Villages Lesotho.
Political unrest from the end of 1998 until March 1999 caused a food shortage and a lack of medical supplies. SOS Children's Village Maseru was able to help the surrounding population by distributing food and medicines as part of an SOS Emergency Relief Programme.
As all the countries in Southern Africa, also Lesotho is severely hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. As a positive response SOS Children's Village Lesotho has set up a community-based child care and support program in Lithabaneng to assist child/grandparent-headed families to provide for their basic needs.
At present there is one SOS Children's Village, one SOS Youth Facility, one SOS Kindergarten, one SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, one SOS Social Centre (family strengthening programme) and one SOS Medical Centre in Lesotho.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Lesotho (available in English)