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SMARTD held its first Annual General Conference in Ha Sekake in March 2006

Southern Mountain Association for
Rural Transformation and Development in Lesotho

 
Mission Statement

We are an ecumenical community based organisation (CBO) in the southern mountain of Lesotho, whose primary mandate is to facilitate efforts of rural communities by encouraging an integrated community development initiative that will alleviate poverty.

 

Project Purpose

SMARTD started as a project for bringing water to the villages in 1976Our purpose is to improve the standard of living of southern mountain communities through transformative development that emphasizes on the enhancement of indigenous knowledge of the environment and development.
The association was established in 1976 under the umbrella of the Christian Council of Lesotho (CCL) to supply the communities around Ha Sekake with drinking water. In the following years SMARTD expanded its operations to agriculture and to integrated rural development to address the dire poverty in the region.
In August 2004 the association became independent. Currently more than 20 local experts in agriculture, finance, education, horticulture and nutrition reach out to over 12,000 households in roughly 120 villages in the southern districts of Qacha’s Nek, Quthing and Mohale’s Hoek.

 

We believe...
  • That all persons are created in the image of God

  • That rural communities know their problems and how to go about solving them

  • In conserving God’s creation

  • That mountain people have different development goals from those of the lowlands

  • In upholding the promotion of human dignity, integrity, faithfulness, moral uprightness, transparancy and accountability

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    Area of Operation

    The area that SMARTD operates in poses a great challenge to the association. The once fertile land has depleted due to overgrazing and high stock density. Most of the lands are left bare and rocky due to high levels of erosion. The area is surrounded by mountain ranges high above 2000 metres in altitude.
    With severe cold and a high probability of snow in the mountains and heavy rains during the summer the climate is not favourable to successful farming.
    The remote mountainous areas of Lesotho are by far the poorest in the country. The degree of poverty is acerbated by unequal distribution of opportunities in education, job creation, out-migration to the urban centres and the hardy nature of livelihoods for the mountain people.
    The HIV/AIDS pandemic impacts negatively on the livelihoods as many of the people who depend on agriculture get sick and agricultural production declines. Poverty, hunger and malnutrition makes the population more vulnerable to the ravage of HIV/AIDS.

    Click here to get a detailed profile of our area of operation

    Project Components
    • Irrigation
    • Gardening
    • Eco - Income Generation
    • Natural Resources
    • Food Security
    • Nutrition Education
    • Youth + HIV/AIDS
    • Livestock Production