ESAFF Lesotho found it necessary to have a meeting with civil society organization’s in the district, in this meeting 9males and 9 females attended. In this meeting ESAFF Lesotho shared its work through the project of Influence where it had PET’s committee in three districts in the country to track use of public funds in Botha-Bothe, Thaba-tseka and Mafeteng districts. ESAFF Lesotho participated in the National Agriculture Investment Planning meeting and had Agriculture budget Analysis meeting. In the 2018/2019 agriculture budget we found out the government invested in the production of red meat, production of mushroom, rehabilitation of wetlands and rangelands, we shared this with other organizations to see if they managed to get funding on them but we were amazed to learn that one farmer tried to go to the District Agriculture Office to ask for funds on planting an orchard as a way of rehabilitating the rangelands, he was told to organize a group of farmers because they cannot give the trees to an individual Mr. Maile organized the group of farmers in his area and told the local chief that they needed land for the orchard, the chief allocated them the land and they went back to DAO who told them they are working on it until today.
FARMERS PARTICIPATING IN THE MEETING
ESAFF Lesotho shared its history to other organizations on how it was formed as this creates a better understanding of what the organization is about this was explained by the national chairperson. She explained that ESAFF Lesotho is a FARMER LED, FARMER DRIVEN AND FARMER INITIATED ORGANIZATION. The organization aims to raise awareness to small scale farmers that they have power and ability to influence the policy makers to listen to them that is they work together as one, to make farmers talk for themselves which makes ESAF Lesotho different from other farmer organizations that represent farmers, to encourage farmers to use farming methods that are not harmful to the environment as this will sustain them for a longer time. The farmer organizations agreed to working with ESAFF Lesotho as when they work together as a group will make their voices even stronger.
Nutripower organization said it found it very helpful that they were part of the meeting as there is no nutrition without production of food in a way that is not harmful to people who are going to consume it. They said they will persuade their members to join ESAFF Lesotho as this is one of their mission.
LPPA which is an organization for family planning said it is very important for them to work with ESAFF Lesotho as it is their duty to see to it that the youth work with their own hands to get a proper meal for the better health of the unborn and born children. Tsepo ea Flory which is a new company that makes ointments, perfumes and shoes from mohair said they would not exist without farming and they need farmers to produce more for them to have a better business, as a company that uses natural vegetation to make ointments it is our pleasure to collaborate with ESAFF Lesotho as it encourages farming methods that are not harmful which is what they need for their products as they protect the skin of people who buy from them. Mrs. Mankhatho Selepe from PISA said it is their duty to see to it that everyone takes responsibility of what is happening around them and they can be very pleased if they work with ESAFF Lesotho to influence the policy makers to harmonize the policies they make.
The farmer organizations made it clear that working alone makes it very difficult for their work as they cannot achieve much but now they are very happy to have ESAFF Lesotho in their districts and they are very positive that farming in the country is going to be better than before. The meeting was attended mostly by the youth who were very happy to be part of it and they said they promise to work hard to put Lesotho out of poverty through agriculture and are very thankful.
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