Lesotho Red Cross Society Introduces Psycho-Social Support Programme for Vulnerable Families
The Lesotho Red Cross Society (LRCS) has partnered with the District Disaster Management Team (DDMT) to introduce the Psycho-Social Support (PSS) programme, courtesy of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The initiative aims to provide emotional and psychological support to food-insecure families while also supplying them with dignity kits containing essential health items.
According to LRCS Divisional Secretary, Mr. Maphoma Mosaola, the three-week programme will not only assist vulnerable families with necessities but also assess the challenges they face despite receiving various relief efforts. He explained that this initiative follows a discovery made during the Forecast-Based Financing (FBF) project, where LRCS repeatedly encountered the same individuals as beneficiaries. This raised concerns about underlying issues preventing communities from achieving self-sufficiency, even after receiving food aid, cash support, or agricultural inputs.
The programme will be implemented in Qhoasing, Thibella, Boritsa, Tlhabeli, and Kori, where beneficiaries, including child-headed households, will have the opportunity to openly discuss the difficulties they encounter in their daily lives. Mr. Mosaola emphasized that the initiative will reach approximately 3,075 vulnerable individuals, including 1,025 people in the childbearing stage.
By addressing both material needs and psychological well-being, the PSS programme aims to create a more sustainable approach to humanitarian aid and empower communities to break free from cycles of dependency.
