By Neo Kolane
The Ha-Ramokoatsi community in Mafeteng district received M8 575 through the skills capacity building programme established by the Lesotho Tourism Development Cooperation (LTDC).
LTDC has been strengthening community participation and beneficiation around key attractions sites for purposes of enhancing tourist experience and length of stay in the country and around the destination areas.
The public relations officer of LTDC, Molapo Matela, says as a result, the skills capacity building exercise was implemented over the past years, with Semonkong, Ha Ramokoatsi and Ha Kome having been completed recently.
Matela said in the first two areas, the LTDC has facilities that generate gate takings.
“The LTDC has signed agreements with the relevant community Tourism Development Groups (CTDGs) that 10 percent of the annual gate collections will be given to the CTDG for establishing a fund that the community will use for developments that will enhance the livelihoods in the area,” Matela explained.
“The disbursement of funds to community CTDGs was done last week and it will be used for the upliftment of developments around the village,” Matela said.
Matela also stated that this project will enhance tourist experience as well as the length of tourism in the tourism.
Ha-Ramokoatsi recreational park is run by LTDC and gathers support from the community of the village, and Matela indicated that this is an annual community program with CTDG’s.
“As LTDC, we decided on the 10 percent as start to be given to the community and the rest of the percent will be used to provide and pay people who do services of keeping the business operating.
In an interview with theReporter, a member of committee of CTDG Monica Ramokoatsi said that disbursement been a long time coming.
“We are very grateful because the person operating the park didn’t involve us in anything regarding the park, but LTDC decided otherwise and now we are pleased to take part in the tourism sector,” Ramokoatsi stated.
She said their dire need is water, because their only tap is broken, so the money will go towards repairing it.
