A new lease of life

Lineo Mahlomola

Habitat for Humanity Lesotho together with Land Administration Authority (LAA) recently handed over two houses and their leases to two vulnerable families in Kolojane, Berea district.

According to LAA’s director of corporate services division, Tankiso Sephoso, LAA was approached by one of the beneficiary families for housing assistance backed by their area chief.

They then approached Habitat to work together in assisting the needy family.

“We received a request for housing assistance from the Molooa family backed by the area chief,” Sephoso said during the handover ceremony of the two houses this week.

“We then asked Habitat to work with us, and luckily they were already working in the same area assisting another (Seisa) family, and were able to add a second family in their programme,” said Sephoso.

He said the leases, which were issued by LAA free of charge, legally protect the right to land for the vulnerable beneficiary families.

‘Mathato Moreboli, the national director of Habitat explained that their job is to ensure that people live in decent houses.

She said they help every needy family regardless of their location around the country.

“Our main objective is to ensure that people live in decent houses. Lesotho has ten districts, and we don’t choose location but vulnerability determines where we operate,” Moreboli said.

On his part, the vice president of Habitat for Humanity Africa, Makoloo Maurice said the new houses have given their inhabitants a new lease of lease.

“Today we might be talking about the houses, but it is not two houses but two families that now have different experience of life, that is an opportunity of a child to dream about the future that is different from all the past that they have experienced.”

“Home equals prosperity and peace. Peace in the heart, peace in the community. Home equals happiness. Home is protection of rain, all kinds of rain, whether is a rain that pours us with water or the rain of fear that comes upon us when darkness comes. Home equals to strength,” Maurice added.

Minister of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police, Lebona Lephema, who also graced the event, said they came to celebrate with the Seisa and Molooa families receiving their houses and leases.

Lephema said land is the most precious thing that should be taken care of for future generations.

“Land is the most precious thing ever; it can also be used for the next generation. It must be protected, and we can do that when we have legally registered it with LAA.”

The minister also pledged to buy groceries worth M2500 for each beneficiary family.

“I will personally give M2500 for grocery for each family,” he said. 

On behalf of the receivers, TÅ¡eliso Molooa thanked everyone who contributed in building of their homes.

“I am very proud today, but mostly I would like to thank God for this because it would not happen if it was not for Him,” Molooa said.