rise was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to make 105 hand wash stations for the Ministry of Health and Maseru City Council to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho. These stations have been installed in all 10 districts of Lesotho at health clinics, hospitals, child care facilities as well as busy town areas.

UNDP and UNICEF had learnt about the excellent work that had been done by our in loco alumni, xyz collaborative, in making and distributing hand-wash stations earlier in the year when an NGO called Sepheo had commissioned rise to make and install 10 emergency hand-wash stations in the Motimposo communities in Maseru, Lesotho. This project continues to help many members in vulnerable communities who do not have access to running water thus are at the highest risk of contracting the virus.

Watch a brief documentary released at the 2020 Lesotho Film festival, illustrating not only how this hand wash station project has helped address the pandemic but also how it has helped create jobs at a time of a national crises with youth unemployment and poverty in Lesotho.