MASERU – Poor infrastructure and widespread poverty continue to undermine the well-being of residents and the education of learners in Mosoang Ha Toka-Mojela, Matsieng in the district of Maseru with community leaders calling for urgent government intervention to improve access to water, electricity, roads and essential social services.

In an interview with the agency,Area Chief of Mosoang , Lengau Mojela, said the village continues to experience serious shortages of clean water, electricity and proper roads, making life difficult for residents.

Chief Lengau said although the community was provided with water pipes, many have burst over time, resulting in significant water losses and leaving households with limited access to clean water.

He added that elderly people who live alone are among the most affected, as they have to walk long distances to collect water from natural springs.

Despite these challenges, Chief Mojela said security in the area has improved following the establishment of a Community Policing Committee.

He explained that the village previously recorded a high number of murder cases, but crime has since declined due to close cooperation between the committee and the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS).

He appealed to the Government to invest in roads, water supply, electricity and other essential infrastructure, including facilities that are accessible to people living with disabilities.

Meanwhile, Mosoang Government High School Principal, Mrs. Malitlali Lefaso, said poverty remains one of the greatest obstacles to learners' education.

Mrs. Lefaso said the school enrolled 79 students at the beginning of the academic year and closed the year with 75 pointing out that of those learners, 54 are sponsored by the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development.
She said many parents struggle to pay school fees and in some cases, settle their fees with sorghum due to financial hardship.

She added that some learners attend school without proper uniforms, shoes and stationery, prompting teachers to share responsibility for assisting them with their basic needs. She noted that the school also provides meals to support vulnerable learners.

She identified child marriage as another major challenge, saying it is driven largely by poverty and contributes to school dropouts.

She added that some herdboys who earn an income persuade schoolgirls to leave school by offering them money.
Mrs. Lefaso said while the school has access to water, it has no electricity, poor road infrastructure and limited mobile network coverage.

She explained that although the school received a donation of 20 computers, they cannot be fully utilised because there is no electricity or solar power.

She further said poor roads prevent some learners from attending school during rainy weather, while others walk between three and four hours each day to reach the school.
She stated that to ease the burden on learners travelling long distances, the school has established a hostel for some students.

However, she said a fully equipped boarding facility is still needed, as many learners leave home as early as 4:00 a.m., with some accompanied by their parents for safety.
Mrs. Lefaso added that the lack of electricity makes it impossible to hold morning and evening study sessions, negatively affecting learners' academic performance.

While acknowledging the support provided by the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development, she appealed for additional assistance, including school uniforms, stationery allowances, sanitary pads, solar panels, batteries to power the donated computers and improved mobile network coverage through the installation of a telecommunications tower.
She said addressing these challenges would improve learning conditions, reduce school dropouts and give learners in Mosoang an equal opportunity to succeed.