Summit 2017-Mashaleng Council COE

Mashaleng Community Council is found in the Mohale’s Hoek district. It is the first council in Mohale’s Hoek to join the COE process in 2010.

The council has a total of 13 councillors. Women represents 38% of the councillors compared to men at 62% representation in the council. However, women still participate at an equal level during council meetings. The council is chaired by a man and deputized by a woman. There are four committees two chaired by women and one a person with disability.

There has been notable change in the council and the community in which they each work in. The women are more aware and practice their rights more often than ever before. The youth, women and PWD are engaged through public gatherings where they are given equal opportunity to participate. Women and youth are mostly the majority in public gathering between 76%-100% especially when issues are support groups, aids and water.

There are eight council employees which 75% are women and the two top managers are also women.

There is a provision of three months maternity leave and nursing hours for another three months after the maternity. The council does not have sexually harassment policy, but cases are reported at the police station. Most of the time the Councillors bring such incidents to the gender committee and the gender violence victims are advised to report such cases at the police. The council situated in a place where is accessible to everybody and facilities are disability friendly.

Mashaleng Community Council substantial budget to gender-related projects for the 2017 to 2018.

The council has no designated market place, but CARE Lesotho through the council trained community members on finance scheme (mokhatlo oa teranka).And also  the council has representation in some schemes that benefit the community such as chicken breeding, funeral schemes to assist the poorer members of the community to bury their loved ones. There is a grocery and blanket scheme that the council manages; these schemes are open to both men and women. The council also runs a community garden used to feed orphans and those living and affected by HIV.

The council does not have its own policy on climate change which outlines the challenges and the plans that the council have in place to combat climate change. However the council does partake in some activities that contribute to nurturing the environment and these include rangeland management.

There are also catchment projects all over the council where people engage in planting trees and waste management. They also get financial benefit from these projects. Community members are also encouraged and supported to practice conservative farming, locally known as temo ea mantloane.

Dialogues to discuss water use and another project that the council has undertaken involves preventative measures on spreading water borne diseases and a washing of hands campaign. This is because of the high numbers of people who get sick from TB.

The council promotes SRHR by training the support groups and youth on HIV/AIDS. There is equal access to treatment as there is a clinic within the council and there are several campaigns by PSI to ensure that people know their status and access treatment. Also the council has given   land to those care groups that work with people living with HIV and AIDS. There are lists of all the care workers in the area and the support groups. The council takes part in awareness campaigns and provides condoms to the community in an effort to promote healthy sexual practices.

Councilors and Social development officers’ conduct public gatherings to create awareness and also encouraging people to work together and report GBV cases. For support and empowerment of victims of GBV, the council had a fun walk from Maphohloane to council office. They also visited at the Mants’ase children’s Home where they planted vegetables, and did laundry during 16 days of activism against gender violence.

There is sex disaggregated land allocation in the council. For 2017/18 financial year water maintenance projects at the villages of Ha Makhate, Ha-Seterekemane and Maphohloane were in the process of implementation.

Click here to read more about the Mashaleng Community Council.