By Kefiloe Kajane
The European Union Ambassador to Lesotho, Christian Manahl, visited a child grant pay-point at the Metsi-Maholo Community Council in Mafeteng yesterday, with a view to assessing and possibly bolstering the services provided by the facility.
He was in the company of social development minister ‘Matebatso Doti and Unicef Lesotho Representative Anurita Bains,
The EU has provided €5.5million to help ease the social hardships that many vulnerable households in the country face due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The families of these children will receive cash transfers. This support is expected to reach about 57,000 households in total.
Manahl said people should protect themselves and those around them, hence the importance of following Covid-19 preventative restrictions.
“We can only defeat the pandemic if we work together. The EU support comes as solidarity with the people of Lesotho, but also presents the importance of working together to defeat the pandemic,” he said
For her part, Bains noted that the impact of Covid-19 has been profound on children.
“Food insecurity has had a direct impact of children’s nutritional status and well-being. A year of school closures has been devastating for children, their families and communities.”
Minister Doti thanked Unicief and EU, and also encouraged people to learn to be self-reliant by planting vegetables so that children can eat healthy.
