We annually host meal-packing events at more than a twenty schools and churches in the Miami valley. I would estimate that nearly 2,000 people in the region volunteer to pack meals for Lesotho every year. Numerous members of the Springfield community have supported our efforts over the last decade. In 2018, the King of Lesotho was the commencement speaker at Wittenberg University, illustrating the strong connection between his country and Wittenberg. After taking a number of Springfield Rotarians to Lesotho in 2009, the club funded the construction of an orphanage in Lesotho. Many of those Rotarians still regularly return to Lesotho.
You might ask, why I have dedicated so much of my life to Lesotho? Lesotho may be one of the 30 poorest countries in the world, but I can safely say, for the thousands like me who served there in Peace Corps and for the hundreds of students and area Rotarians I have taken, the Basotho people have given us more than we gave them. They welcomed us into their homes and communities, touched us through their kindness of spirit and made personal connections that we will cherish for a lifetime. Despite their poverty, I have never met people so warm and welcoming, who truly value community and helping each other. The fact that their language has no word for stranger demonstrates the welcoming nature of the Basotho people. Lesotho is a nation that deserves our continued support.
The dramatic cuts to USAID are already having profound and life changing consequences for the people of Lesotho. Over 1,500 health workers have been suspended, clinics have closed across the country and lifesaving ARV medications are in some cases no longer available. This means that we will soon see an increase in babies born HIV positive, who will likely die before they are 5, the adult rate which is 24% of the population will go up and so will deaths. All of this can be prevented by restoring USAID programs in Lesotho.
I have watched hundreds of my friends in Lesotho die from this disease, and for a long time I worried about whether the nation would survive AIDS. Over the last decade, US-funded programs through PEPFAR have turned the tide, mother-to-child transmission has been significantly reduced, and overall mortality rates have dropped.
Now, all this good work and progress is about to be undone. The suspension of USAID not only threatens to undo the work done to combat HIV/AIDS but will also halt efforts aimed at economic development and good governance in Lesotho. Beyond the benefits these would bring for the people of Lesotho, economic development and political stability are in our best interests as well.
If you are interested in hosting a packing event or donating to the Lesotho Nutrition Initiative, please check our website at lesothonutritioninitiative.com.
Dr. Scott Rosenberg is a Professor of African History, the Director International Studies and Chair of the Peace Corps Prep Program at Wittenberg University. He is also the President of the Lesotho Nutrition Initiative and Honorary Consul to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
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