In the heart of Quthing in the Sebapala watershed, a remarkable transformation is unfolding, driven by the collective efforts of local communities and the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP). Through targeted grants and a passion for progress, various groups have achieved sustainable development, improved livelihoods, and fostered environmental conservation, earning national recognition and admiration for contributing to the implementation of the SADC Great Green Wall Initiative, in Lesotho, which is a regional adaptation of the original Sahelian Great Green Wall project.

Empowering Through Innovation and Collaboration

The Tosing Nutrition Club, a community-led initiative, exemplifies the spirit of innovation and perseverance. Chairperson Ms. Matšabo Thetela recalls the club’s humble beginnings: “We started out baking scones and bread in traditional ovens, holes dug in the ground, selling dusty food to our community. It was a challenge, but with support from donors, we built a tin house and received stoves, tables, shade nets, fruit trees, and dual-purpose chickens for eggs and meat.”

With the arrival of the GEF, our engagement in conservation was strengthened, a development that attracted even more support through the SGP. Through the SGP support, the Nutrition Club is venturing into ago-forestry and has acquired food processing machinery, including a dough kneading machine, a fermentation tank, a juicer, a weighing scale, and a camera to document progress. “Our baking process is now faster, cleaner, and much more efficient. We’re also building a kitchen to move out of the shack and expand our operations,” Ms. Thetela shares with pride.

Fighting Unemployment and Poverty

Young people in Tosing have also benefited, as Tebello Khalane from the Tosing Youth Development Group, a grantee partner, explains: “The GEF grant enabled us to take a study tour to Thaba-Tseka, where we learned about trout farming, something we’re very interested in for our community. This intervention has complemented our conservation efforts that are supported still by GEF through the Sebapala project, which provided shade nets for vegetable production; and our efforts in land conservation are helping us fight unemployment and poverty.”

Championing Environmental Stewardship

The Quthing Wildlife Development Trust has been instrumental in protecting natural and cultural heritage resources in Tsatsane. Notably, they have safeguarded nesting areas for the Bearded Vulture, a species listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Near Threatened globally. This the Trust is achieving by, among other things, resuscitating the vulture restaurant and installing appropriate fencing, as well as protecting spiral aloe habitats, another species of national as well as global significance, that is indigenous to Lesotho.

Motlalepula Moteuli of Quthing Wildlife Development Trust expresses gratitude: “Thanks to the GEF grant, we’ve preserved our grazing land, intensified brush control and fire management; and even set up a vulture restaurant where tourists can observe these magnificent birds. We’re developing by-laws for sustainable rangeland and wetland management to ensure our natural resources support our livelihoods for generations.”