Child Protection In Drought March 2016 Product of the CHILD PROTECTION in EMERGENCIES RAPID ASSESSMENT (CPRA)

Hungry Boys Resort to Stock Tri-Organisation Assesses The Child Theft Protection Impact Of Drought he Ministry of Social Development Ttogether with UNICEF and World Vision visited Lesotho’s six rural dis- tricts to determine the nature and ex- Page 3 tent of drought on child protection. This was done in two teams. One Sores And Diarrhoea Take visited Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka and Advantage Of The El Nino Outbreak Qacha’s Nek while the other Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek and Mafeteng districts. Both the teams used a guiding tool which teased child protection issues out during the interviews. Page 4 The findings were collated at the end to establish the emerging child protec- Most children are left by them- Father Contemplates Leaving tion issues that need attention during selves or with grand parents Children Amidst Drought Hike the national response to drought. while parents pursue employ- With the Ministry of Social Devel- ment in South Africa views. opment’s presence across the country, The team that went to Mokhotlong authorities were sensitised to prepare visited Makalong and Tšila-ntšo com- communities for the assessment inter- Continues on page 2 Page 8 2 CPRA

Tri-Organisation Assesses The Child Protection Impact Of Drought From page 2 munities. the Thaba-Tseka district. Owing to Some of the Findings Monday being a school holiday schedule constraints, the team had • Children married at a young age children had gone to schools. Ear- to split into three groups. The first lier Monday morning parents were went to Maboloka village, the sec- • Child labour rose during drought present for interviews. Children ond to Ha-Laka and the last group • Children were sexually abused as a were later visited for interviews by to Maboloka Primary School. result of drought the team at schools. After a long day, Mohlanapeng There was also another session Primary School and village were • Children were separated from their with teachers because they work the last stops. Both at school and in usual caregivers with children on a daily basis. the village child protection issues On Tuesday the team went to were spotted by the teams. • Weak child protection referral system Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka & Qacha’s Nek Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek & Mafeteng The last day was spent at a general assessment which Water deficiency is a ment was to probe on how Qacha`s Nek, Ha-Sekake will assist the government matter of life and death the calamitous El Nino af- and Ha Mohlapiso commu- and development partners because water is one of the fected the Basotho Nation, nities. This time the team respond in a manner that basic human needs. It came especially children in the re- interviewed a representative does not leave children out. to the concern of UNICEF, mote parts of this country. of Child and Gender Protec- The issues include but World Vision and the Min- The team divided itself tion Unit amongst the com- not limited to physical and istry of Social Development into two divisions, by three munity members. sexual abuse, separation of to go to six districts of Le- districts per team respec- The rapid assessment children from their usual sotho to conduct a rapid tively. The other team went on child protection discov- caregivers, child labour & assessment on child protec- to the low lands while the ered child protection issues marriage. tion. The aim of this assess- other ventured into the high which can easily slip through 3 CPRA Hungry Boys Resort to Stock Theft 11 year old Semenyane recounts home. the cattle, sheep and goats “My 10 year old because there is nothing to friend together with eat at home.” other colleagues were As the boys, sent to the shot dead as they mountains to take care of crossed the Lesotho the animals, they find it borders attempting difficult to survive without to steal cattle for the food there. South African farmers” “My friend told me that Semenyane, a 10 year when they go back home old boy from Mokhot- their parents tell them there long recounted. is nothing to eat at home. It was later discov- “They are told that it is ered that Semenyane’s better in the mountains as friend and his peers they will be able to hunt in ran out of food while order to eat,” he added. Boys are worried of what could become of them at the cattle post and Stock theft has become should drought persist they were trying find other rampant during the drought means of survival while they period, even amongst the lo- Lack of food has left many The impact of drought wait for food to be delivered cals. rural families startled, not was felt by the rural folk from home. “Sometimes they say knowing how else to feed in November 2015. As per Semenyane says, “... they hear gun shots of oth- their children when their the norm, schools close for young boys are forced to er herdboys fighting back to only means of survival has holidays and most boys are stay out in the mountains protect their herd,” he con- been growing food from the sent to tend animals at the on their own to look after cluded. fields. mountains far away from 4 CPRA Sores And Diarrhoea Take Advantage Of The El Nino Outbreak Makoala is 40 years old native of Qala- bane in Mafeteng district. She tells of how difficult it has become since drought hit her area. “... instead of living and enjoying our lives, we crapple for water and not to mention the scarcity of food seeing fields are our only means of living,” She says. Drought has had a negative impact on every living creature, animals and people alike. “Since we started drinking water from the unprotected water sources and a dam nearby, children suffer from diarrhoea Lack Of Food Pushes Boy to Seek Herding Job and sores all over their bodies,” Makoala says. Mothobi Ralenkoane “I came and we wel- tions at the boy’s home, She believes the sores are caused by hails from Thaba-Tse- comed the boy into especially lack of food” taking a bath in dirty water. Some of the ka. He says around No- our home because he Ralenkoane added. children have developed sores in their vember, 2015 a young looked vulnerable,” Few days while liv- throats, and this scared parents in Ma- boy aged 15 came to his Ralenkoane said. ing with Ralenkoane’s koalas’ community. house because of hun- The boy looked after family, the boy fell sick. “We were frightened this was going to ger. his cattle while Ralen- Ralenkoane contacted cause our children throat cancer, “I received a call koane was busy trying his parents who failed “The water is so scarce that our com- from my wife as I was to locate the boy’s par- to come fetch the boy. munity is forced to drink dirty water away from home. She ents. “The boy fell sick from ponds where animals drink,” she told me that a boy had “I finally located his because he was severe- concluded. come to our house parents and confirmed ly dehydrated,” Ralen- looking for a job. the dire living condi- koane recalls. 5 CPRA

Editorial School Takes Initiative to Curb The Weight of Drought on Children Editor ’Matšotetsi Matiea is the principal Atang Likotsi at Khatleli Primary School. She tells a story of a mother who left two children to look for a job in Copy Taster Maseru and never to return. Lipotso ‘Musi “We discovered that the girl does not come to school anymore so we followed up, only to discov- Reporters er that the girls were left with their grandmother and an ailing father. Boys and girls are grateful for Mamohale Thato Maluke “One of the girls is two years old the suport they get from Khosi Mafisa while the other is six years old,” the school says Mrs. Matiea. that will cater for vulnerable children She continues, “We told the girl in the evening and in the morning, as Design & Layout to come to school. The school has well as on the weekends,” she says taken it upon itself to take care of She says that they have social clubs Atang Likotsi the girls as well as the grandmoth- at school on Fridays where kids come er,” she says. together with teachers and talk about Matiea says they ensure that their needs. girls have food and all the basic In that way, it becomes easy for needs. them to locate needy children. She “We ask our teachers and learn- concludes by saying they have heard ers to bring clothes so that we give that the mother is now married in Ma- the young ones. At school, we al- seru and is living good while the chil- ways leave a certain portion of food dren struggle. 6 CPRA Children Boycott School As Children Defy Local Authorities Drought Intensifies To Feed Starving Animals, Risking Their Lives It is a common range man- field, until it is dark. They agement practice for the do this so that they could chief to reserve a certain sneak into the reserved stretch of land , in order to place to feed their animals,” allow the grass to grow for explained ...Ha Moletsane feeding community animals. area chief. Children of He said Ha Molet- “It is very dan- the boys who sane in Mo- gerous for boys that do this are Boys and girls at school during the break hale’s Hoek, young to be travelling aged 9 and The impact of El Nino has on empty stomachs. disregard alone at night time, 10. affected different districts “On numerous occasions this practice. there are dangers asso- “It is very in much the same way but we have had to literally force Children ciated with... dangerous the people’s reaction varies children to go to school,” re- are sent to for boys that from district to district and calls Jankane Tsitsi, a mem- tend animals over school young to be travelling alone place to place. ber of the Qalabane commu- holidays to relieve their fa- at night time, there are dan- For Qalabane communi- nity policing forum. thers and older brothers. gers associated with this tysome children are report- Tsitsi says they have fo- “We always set aside a behaviour. They may be kid- ed to refuse to go to school. cused their attention on the piece of land for a certain napped, killed or animals The children claim that their parents, to encourage their time of the year in an effort may be stolen from them be- school lunch rations have children to go to school and to allow grass to grow, cause they are too young to since been reduced due to that they will be fed while “Since the drought start- fight back criminals who are lack of water. They there- there. ed in September, 2015, the often far older than them,” fore find it difficult to learn boys tend to stay late in the ... added. 7 CPRA I know of children who have been left by parents Most families at Makalong, in search of herding work. in Mokhotlong survive on According to Hlasoa, these livestock-rearing and crop were aged 16 and younger. farming. But the recent- “The children were com- ly-declared drought emer- ing from our neighbouring gency has left family bread villages seeking employ- winners with no option but ment. They claimed that to abandon their children to there was nothing to eat at seek employment in the Re- their homes,” Hlasoa fur- public of South Africa. ther explained. “I have a personal ac- Hlasoa has also wit- count of the two children Hlasoa during the interview with World nessed cases of children who were left by their par- Vision’s Lineo Pheello invited by their peers, em- ents to work in South Af- duce from their fields to ue to live with their relatives ployed as domestic workers rica late last year because earn a living as well as pay within the same neighbour- in South Africa, to join them they could not afford to feed for their children’s hood who take care of their and ease the burden of food them,” said ‘Mamotšela tuition and medical fees,” wellbeing. insecurity in their families. Hlasoa (61), Makalong Day She explained, “These are She said, “...children who “There is a story that Care Centre teacher. not the only children who are abandoned by their par- when these children arrive Hlasoa said the parents were left by their parents for ents are equally girls and in South Africa, they are not who left their children with employment in South Africa boys.” paid the amount of money relatives were also strug- during drought, “...I know of Makalong has experi- they were promised. Often gling to pay fees for their five other children aged be- enced unusual pattern of this happens because they children at her pre-school. tween five and six years old children – mostly boys are not properly The cost per child per who suffered the same fate.” - whose identify was un- employed,” Hlasoa diag- months is M30.00. Often when their parents known (unaccompanied mi- nosed. “They used to sell pro- leave them, children contin- nors) approaching villagers 8 CPRA Father Contemplates Leaving Children Amidst Drought Hike wait until they are worse,” “We provide them with Palo said with an expression meals, sew clothes and en- of grief on his face. sure they are taken to clinics Palo’s children constant- if they are not well, ly show diarrhoeal symp- “Efforts by the Ministry toms. He says these signs of Social Development have began showing towards the paid off. They built some of end of last year after expe- the children homes to live in riencing severe shortage of at Popa and Makaoteng vil- Community members at a community gathering water in his area. lages. during the CPRA “I am a member of the I have noticed that chil- The thought of crossing Le- survived on ploughing and support group here at Ha dren aged 9-11 months are sotho’s borders to South growing food, both from his Popa. We have experi- affected the most during this Africa for employment has garden and the field, enced about 10 cases at Ha drought emergency. I see never crossed the mind of a “I often harvested 3 bales Ramoruti, about 7 at Maka- them a lot at health centres. father of two children, Palo of maize from my fields. oteng, 10 at Mabothong, and They are suffering from (38) until this year’s drought These were sufficient for us 4 families at Ha Phohla. The diarrhoea and many other hits his area, Ha Popa, in the to grind at the milling sta- affected children who have nutrition related sicknesses. district of Mokhotlong. tion for our domestic con- been left by their parents are With this scenario unrav- Palo is of the numerous sumption and selling to pay boys and girls aged 15 years eling before his eyes daily, men and women who were for my children’s school and and younger. Palo is seriously consider- forced by drought that has medical fees,” He explained. Children are left to live ing crossing the border into severely affected Lesotho six “My children, 3 and 8 with their relatives. Support South Africa to seek alterna- districts to consider migrat- years old, are not as well fed group members however tive means of livelihood. His ing to South Africa for em- as they used to be in the pre- provide care and nurture for is but a single case repre- ployment. vious cropping season. They the orphaned and vulnera- senting the majority of men For many years Palo has are very weak, and I cannot ble. in his community. Product Of The Child Protection In Emergencies Rapid Assessment (CPRA)

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