Since the beginning of this year, countries around the world have been facing unbearable health and social emergencies due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. In the most vulnerable countries, millions of people do not have access to critical life-saving supplies and basic primary health facilities for hand sanitation. The Water and Sanitation policy of 2007 states that “all Basotho are entitled to have access to a sustainable supply of potable water and to the provision of basic sanitation services at an affordable cost.”
Standing by the policy rise was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme to make 65 hand wash stations for the Ministry of Health and Maseru City Council to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had learnt about the excellent work that had been done by our in loco alumni 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.
Ten in loco alumni who started their own company called xyz collaborative constructed and distributed 65 hand wash stations. Fifteen for Maseru City Council for both taxi and bus stop areas and 50 for the Ministry of Health which would be installed in clinics and hospitals all over the country.
in loco alumni who have formed a company called xyz collaborative making the hand-wash structures
This project was completed in just 5 months and the UNDP hosted a hand over ceremony in Maseru, Lesotho to recognise and appreciate the work of rise, and to introduce the use of these hand wash stations to the community.
UNDP and rise team at handover ceremony
Subsequently, UNICEF Lesotho commissioned rise to build another 40 hand wash stations for health clinics and facilities in all 10 districts of Lesotho to some of the most remote and hard to reach areas of the Mountain Kingdom.
The landscape of business today is constantly changing and increasing in complexity. Innovation is critical to success, and a combination of skills is the key. Having a mentor to help manoeuvre through the business landscape; someone who has more experience, who guides a less experienced person by building trust and modelling and inspiring positive behaviours. A mentor essentially helps their mentee be accountable for their vision, their goals and plans. An exceptional mentor can help a fledgling entrepreneur think through effective strategies, crunch numbers and create realistic business plans. However, mentorship is not only beneficial to the mentee but also to the mentor. The time spent pushing another person towards being the best possible version of themselves develops one’s leadership and management skills.
The need for mentorship in Lesotho
Lesotho is a low- income, land locked country in Africa where the rate of poverty stands at almost 50%. This calls for an urgent need for the youth to venture into entrepreneurship in order to survive. Yet most start-ups in Lesotho fail due to lack of access to business support services. There are no formal leadership development programs and there is an existing generational gap between experienced and less experienced people in workforces. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that professionals are equipped and future- ready. Krynauw Nel, an architect in South Africa, who virtually mentors a young entrepreneur in Lesotho, when asked about the potential impact of mentorship on Lesotho’s economy stated “the biggest issue for a small enclave like Lesotho is exposure to wider practices. We forget that not everyone has access to the same exposure we have even in South Africa if not to the world at large. Widening the horizons for locals and increasing their networks can make a massive impact. I find a total hunger for that. When that exposure is supported by a compassionate mentor, it can make a huge difference to at least one individual.” Tshepang Thabane, Krynauw’s mentee and graduate from in loco 2018 cohort also stated that “Lesotho needs to invest heavily in mentorship programs and platforms in order to tackle the high unemployment rate as they help turn lofty goals into tangible goals.”
In this day and age where the 4th industrial revolution has almost taken over, mentorship programs have proven to be game changers and what’s more, they can be done remotely. This is all the more important as we navigate through a global pandemic.
rise mentorship program
In 2018, we launched a ground breaking fellowship program, a practical ‘learning by doing’ live design, build and entrepreneurship training program called in loco. The fellows receive business and entrepreneurial training as well as an introduction to professional networks, access to market and employment opportunities. in loco fellows practice the principles of entrepreneurship and social impact while receiving hands-on training in community designed infrastructure projects. At the end of each cohort the fellows are given the opportunity to select a mentor from everyone they would have interacted with during the fellowship, we then facilitate a mentor-mentee relationship benefiting both parties.
Celebrate National Mentoring Day with us
We are working on designing and building Lesotho’s first Enterprise Hub for start- ups in the country’s capital of Maseru as part of our rise in the city 2020 campaign. This Hub is a key component to building Lesotho’s entrepreneurship ecosystem to fight against poverty in the country. The wheels of our campaign are the creation and facilitation of a mentorship program that will award start-up architects in Lesotho the platform to be mentored by successful international architects who continue to sign up to our campaign. Watch this brief 2 minute video that explains how it works and help spread the word!
An Enterprise Hub in the entrepreneurial sense is a kind of greenhouse for start-up enterprises. In this protected incubation environment, entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas can be consulted and trained. Incubation Hubs are contact points for entrepreneurial learning, thinking and connecting people where they share, network and mutually benefit from one another.
The importance of having an Enterprise Hub in Lesotho is immense; a place of this nature would be able to open up multiple doors for entrepreneurs and is currently an essential missing piece in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. With the unemployment rate in Lesotho as high as 30% amongst youth, there is a dire need for young people to go into business in order to make a living for themselves and their families. The rate of poverty in Lesotho stands at almost 50% , which calls for an urgent need for Basotho youth to be motivated, skilled and well equipped to create platforms for employment and thus fueling the country’s economy.
The Hub will represent an environment in which aspiring entrepreneurs can prosper in the entrepreneurship learning space. They will gain access to essential business development services from business and financial planning to legal and human resource spets. They will get to share their knowledge through peer to peer interaction, while at the same time having much needed space in terms of offices, meeting rooms and workshops to experiment their ideas and create prototypes of their forthcoming products and services before taking them to market. The Hub will also offer access to market and act as a referral centre linking startups to clients and potential investors, thus being a centre of business excellence acting as a benchmark for other businesses in the country. The existence of this Hub will inspire innovations that could change the livelihoods of a significant number of people living in Lesotho.
An Enterprise Hub therefore signifies a ray of hope for multiple entrepreneurs in Lesotho who have great ideas and new businesses, but lack the platform and tools needed in order to make these ideas and enterprises flourish. The Hub will also be a place of inspiration for the Basotho nation at large; a place where some of the wildest dreams are born and attained, a place to birth some of the most successful businesswomen and men to ever come out of the Mountain Kingdom. To make all this happen we need to raise $100,000 by December 30, 2020. Learn how you can help here You can read more about the plans for the Enterprise Hub here
To date the deadly pandemic known as Covid-19 has spread across all 54 African countries except for two – Lesotho and Comoros! With no cure for the virus, the best prevention is isolation and good hygiene practices. With a staggering one billion people around the world living in slum like conditions, the question would be how can African nations, especially a country on the lower end of the economic scale such as Lesotho, equip their people with adequate hand sanitation solutions to help fight the spread of Covid-19.
Single Hand Wash Station Prototype
To fill the void, a group of our very own in loco alumni, who have formed a company called xyz collaborative, have been working tirelessly to produce emergency hand-wash stations amidst the 21 day lockdown in Lesotho. Most members of vulnerable communities are without running water and as such are at risk of contracting the virus by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.
in loco alumni 2019 cohort formed xyz collaborative company working on thir first project
The first batch of hand wash stations was commissioned by an NGO called Sepheo who wanted to support the Motimposo communities in which they operate. Just before lockdown started on 29th March, 10 hand wash stations were made and distributed at strategic locations, by shops, which are maintaining the stations on an ongoing basis.
Double Hand Wash Station in use by community members in Motimposo
We are so proud of what our in loco alumni who are managing to work in a very challenging environment; with limited resources since nothing can be imported from South Africa because of the lockdown and within tight deadlines given the imminent pandemic reaching Lesotho. Moreover the procurement of the necessary materials is a logistical nightmare since hardware stores are closed due to the lockdown.
And transport, is also proving challenging as there are very few taxis and cars on the road and the taxi/ bus fares have sky rocketed, especially since one cannot share a car with so many people anymore.
Single Hands Free Hand Wash Station being developed
The struggles the in loco alumni have to face daily to make these mobile hand-wash stations for communities is a true testament to their determination, resilience and commitment to help their fellow citizens.
We are battling on and making more hand wash stations, constantly improving on the design by making them hands-free thanks to the finanical support from Action Ireland Trust. The next batch of hand wash stations are being sponsored by UNDP for the Ministry of Health with 50 stations being installed at Health Clinics and hospiatls as well as for Maseru City Council who will receive 15 hand wash stations which will be installed in bus stations and other busy areas around Maseru.
Hands Free Hand Wash Sation
We will continue to make as many hand wash stations as we can before the funding and resources run out. It is vitally important we give these vulnerable communities the lifeline they need.
Here is some fascinating reading from Dr Sean Maliehe (PhD), a postdoctoral research fellow in the Human Economy Programme, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria.
Dr Maliehe works on the economic history of Lesotho and on the development of mobile money in southern Africa (Lesotho and South Africa).
He gave a fascinating lecture in Maseru on Entrepreneurship in Lesotho, only his third time presenting the subject in his native country.
Click on links below for each paper:
Potential Colonial Commerce
An obscured narrative in the political economy of colonial commerce in Lesotho 1870 – 1966
It has quite literally been a ground-breaking week for rise, as we FINALLY got out the spade and dug the first foundations for the residential center and business hub for vulnerable youth in Lesotho. Over 70 people turned up to celebrate with us and it was amazing to have the support of the Ministry of Social Development, local and international corporates, the local Chief and community members. Not to mention some of the inspirational youth who will benefit from the new building! None of it would have been possible without our awesome sponsors, stakeholders and partners that give their time, expertise and materials to our cause. Feeling proud here at rise!
Here is an artist’s impression of the residential center that we are NOW BUILDING! It was designed entirely by our in loco fellows and will house 6 girls and 6 boys, age 14+ who will be moved here from the desperately overcrowded GLC Orphanage close by. As well as being a safe home for the youth to live and finish school, the residence will help them transition to independent life as they will be launching their own sustainable small income generating activities. It’s so inspiring to be part of their ideas and to genuinely know that these initiatives will not only support them, but others in the community, for many years to come.
International Workshops – July & August
True to our core values, we work hard to build relationships and link expertise from around the world to make lasting change happen. There is no part of this project that isn’t living and breathing social enterprise and at every turn we equip the fellows, graduates, mentors and young orphans with skills that they can benefit from long term and share with others in the community. We believe this is a dignified and long-term path to development.
Part of this is our International Design & Build Workshops in July and August. These act as a hands on knowledge exchange between local fellows and international students, as well as help raise essential funds to make this project possible. We’re excited to see the results of this as our first cohort of adventurous students arrive from all over the world in July. We have a few places left to fill the workshops, so have extended the deadline for applications until 30th May. More information
Making your dollar stretch even further
BIG NEWS on the fundraising front; our co-founder and principal sponsor BOND events, who run networking events for the architecture industry in North & South America, have agreed to donate $1.67 for every $1 we raise.
Shop on Amazon and do good for the world!
This is doubly exciting, as we’ve signed up for Amazon Smile USA. So if you’re purchasing on Amazon PLEASE use Amazon Smile and put rise international as your charity of choice. What better way to feel good about your shopping! Start now
Words from the fellows….
We thought you might enjoy reading about our Lesotho project first hand; our local fellows have been bravely writing their first blogs, sharing some of their experiences of what it means to them to be part of the rise in loco fellowship team. These heartfelt and often witty words, offer an insight to the huge learning curve and day-to-day adventure these guys are on.
Finally, our founder, Daniela Gusman, is going to be attending the Real Estate Weekly Women’s Forum, in NYC on June 5th. It’s an honor to be invited as the only not-for-profit sponsor to this event, and to be able to share the innovative ideas and work of rise international with the leading innovators across the business spectrum. Daniela will be looking for industry experts with vision, who are keen to build a CSR program within the architecture and design community by partnering with rise. She will also be unveiling the exciting news about the launch of our architecture competition…designing residential houses for low-income families made from locally sourced materials! More about that to come….but if you’re in New York and interested in getting in touch to find out more, pop by and say hello at the event or email directly on [email protected]
Follow us live
Thank you for reading our newsletter and supporting us all here at rise International. Keep your eyes open for news on our build and ongoing work, as well our first step into Facebook LIVE, where we will be screening our guest lecture series at Lerotholi Polytechnic! These fascinating lectures, presented by industry experts, have included some interesting debates exploring many issues, relating to the significance of architecture, building from local materials, sustainable development in vulnerable communities and design failures when customers are not an integral part of the design process of any building, product or service.
