History of the Organization

RSDA was registered in 1991 and became a project holder of the Food Security Assistance Project (FSAP). FSAP had been operating under the umbrella of the Lesotho Work-camps Association (LWA), since 1982. Since its inception, FSAP continued with rural development activities such as agricultural extension work, road construction, reforestation, erosion control, communal gardens and creation of income generating activities in the rural areas of the Mafeteng district, and most of these activities were implemented by means of food-for-work.

In 1992 when RSDA assumed its responsibility for FSAP, a new participatory approach was introduced and food-for-work was completely withdrawn. Instead RSDA was established in an effort to replace the paternalistic approach to rural development which tended to take away the initiative of rural Basotho people. The paternalistic approach was replaced with the self-help oriented approach, which provides useful support without destroying the self-initiative, self-determination and responsibility of developing communities. The move was taken in order to ensure that implementation of ideas pertaining to rural development will be successful. For this reason, RSDA from the start involved and encouraged people to participate actively in the process of defining precisely their real needs for planning, implementation and monitoring of their projects

Activities

In 1995 RSDA began to implement a new project which focused on agricultural extension services, Machobane Farming system (MFS), and permaculture as its main pillars. In addition, donga rehabilitation, afforestation and communal gardening were promoted in a holistic program under the title "Sustainable Land Use Project" (SLUP). The program was extended into the second phase up until 2001. Based on feedback from rural populations RSDA pursues activities which respond well to farmers' needs and address the major agro-ecological and socio-economic problem of the region. To this end the methodological approaches and improved methods which are demonstrably suitable to the region have been adopted in the policy formulation as well in the extension approach.

Because of periodic drought conditions, water harvesting is a key to implementing permaculture site designs, and RSDA advocates and assists with the construction of roof water harvesting tanks made from locally available stone.

Contact Information

Rural Self-Help Development Association
Managing Director- Ms. Mampho Thulo
P.O. Box 0523
Maseru West 105
Lesotho

Tel.: +266 31 1279
Fax.: +266 31 0458
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