WFP LESOTHO Monthly Report

January 2014

WFP is working in line with the Government of Lesotho's goal of improving national food security and reducing malnutrition through three programmes:

Emergency Operations, the Country Programme and the School Meals Programme.

The Country Programme has been designed to enhance the resilience and responsiveness to food security shocks, and to enhance the nutritional and so-

cial wellbeing of vulnerable groups. This programme began in January 2013 and will continue until December 2017 and includes three components: Nutri-

tion and HIV, Support to Education (pre-schools) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). WFP continues to seek funding partners for DRR activities. The

Country Programme intends to reach 124,500 beneficiaries in 2013 and 447,600 people over the 5 year duration of this programme.

The purpose of the School Meals Programme is to assist the Government of Lesotho to integrate and scale up the delivery of "Education for All" inter-

ventions to the most vulnerable children in the mountainous areas of the country, and contributes to the second outcome of the United Nations Develop-

ment Assistance Framework (UNDAF) – “to achieve improved and expanded equitable access to quality basic health, education and social welfare services

for all by 2012. This programme was originally designed to assist 110,000 children but due to the donation made by the Republic of South Africa, the pro-

gramme has been scaled up. In mid-2013 the programme expanded to assist 125,000 children and in 2014 the programme will reach 150,000 children.

Overview

RESULTS: Total Beneficiaries Reached

230,642

Total Food Distributed 2931.15 mt

HIGHLIGHTS

This school in the district of Qacha’s Nek is one of the more than 700 schools that WFP is supporting with the support of the Republic of South Africa.

(Photo: WFP/Rabolou Mafaesa)

“Our students are so much healthier since WFP began assisting us with meals, it has made a big difference in our community” said the teacher at

this Berea based pre-school (Photo: WFP/Catherine Robar )

WFP is now reaching 150,000 students in more than 700 schools due to an expansion of the School Meals programme. Previous to January, WFP was

assisting 125,000 students in more than 600 schools. This expansion is due to the support of the Government of Lesotho and the Republic of South Af-

rica. WFP has successfully secured funds for component two of the Country Programme: Enhancing Resilience and Responsiveness/Disaster Risk Reduction.

Due to contributions made by the Government of Japan and the Russian Federation, WFP has now rolled out the programme, beginning with capacity

building and preparation exercises, and leading to the implementation of Food for Work activities in May 2014. This programme will increase the resil-

ience of 10,000 people living in food insecure regions which are negatively impacted by weather related shocks. In addition, a World Bank consultant

will arrive in March to support the Government of Lesotho with developing an Early Warning System in order to have an effective food security infor-

mation system in place for the country.

Challenges in the procurement process continue to hinder operations. Commodities which were due to arrive in January have been delayed until March,

as a result WFP has made substitutions in the food basket for the School Meals programme which assists primary schools; students have not been signifi-

cantly impacted. Rations have been reduced in pre-schools until commodities arrive in March, resulting in one meal per day, as opposed to two, for pre-

school students.

School Meals

WFP continues to have a shortfall in pulses, vegetable oil and salt which

has affected the School Meals Programme and support to pre-schools under

the Country Programme due to challenges in the procurement process.

These commodities were expected to arrive in January however they have

been further delayed until March.

In the case of the School Meals Programme which supports primary school

children, canned fish has been used to substitute for the missing pulses. As

a result, primary school children have not been significantly impacted.

In January WFP expanded the School Meals programme from 125,000 in

more than 600 schools, to 15,000 students in more than 700 schools. Post

delivery monitoring was conducted in the districts of Berea and Leribè to

newly enrolled schools, whereby 30 schools were visited. Deliveries for

these schools were successful despite not receiving the full basket due the

delay of vegetable oil, salt and pulses as mentioned above.

Nutrition

In January, WFP had planned to provide intensive training on the Manage-

ment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition to nurses in three southern districts

(Mafeteng, Quthing and Mohale’s Hoek). This training was part of an effort

to improve programme implementation. However, the training was post-

poned at the request of the Director General so as to not conflict with the

HPV (Human Papillomavirus Virus) vaccination campaign taking place

during the same period. As a result this training has been postponed until

March.

In January, WFP was successful in expanding the beneficiaries reached

under the Supplementary Feeding scheme to more than 8900 pregnant and

lactating women; a number greater than the total number of beneficiaries

reached in all of 2013. This was due to the expansion of clinics reached in

the district of Maseru, from 12 to 23 clinics served. The current trend sug-

gests that WFP is on target to reach all 2014 targeted beneficiaries.

Main Food Commodities and Fuel Prices

Maize meal prices remained unchanged at M59.29 per 12.5kg package

when comparing December to November 2013, however prices have

dropped by 2% when compared to December 2012. In 2013 prices of maize

meal remained stable, but for most of the year were higher than 2012

prices, lowering only in November 2013.

Fuel prices in December 2013 remained almost unchanged compared to

prices in November. However, compared to December 2012, there is an

increase of 9% for petrol, 10% for diesel and 13%v for paraffin.

Enhancing Resilience and Responsiveness (Disaster Risk Reduction)

WFP has been successful in obtaining the funding required to implement

Disaster Risk Reduction activities. Food for Work activities are scheduled

to begin in May 2014. In the meantime WFP is working with a DRR spe-

cialist to increase the capacity of the Disaster Management Authority of the

Government of Lesotho.

Positive Deviance (PD)

WFP is currently working with stakeholders to review the 2014 Positive

Deviance methodology. This activity will enhance the cost effectiveness of

the programme, and increase the positive impact made to PD supported

communities. PD encourages communities to find local solutions to nutri-

tional challenges, such as through storing, preserving and fortifying foods.

The Nutrition department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

are pleased with the Positive Deviance initiative and have encouraged WFP

to expand the project. In the last week of February PD will expand to cover

two additional areas in the district of Thaba Tseka.

Support to Pre-Schools

A lack of commodities forced WFP to prioritize the School Meals pro-

gramme over support to pre-schools. As a result pre-school children have

experienced reduced portions due to the lack of commodities. Pre-School

children are still however receiving porridge made from Super Cereal.

Produced by WFP Lesotho Send comments to wfp.maseru@wfp.org Page 2/2

*School Meals and Pre-School figures are consolidated quarterly due to the remote locations of supported schools. Therefore planning figures are reflected in the above table

2014 Allocated Funding Per Programme

Country Programme Total (USD)

South Africa DIRCO 5,664,057.00

Japan 1,881,188.00

Russia 1,000,000.00

Total Received 8,545,245.00

Shortfall 60.1%

School Meals Total (USD)

South Africa/DIRCO 4,279,244.54

Total Received 4,279,244.54

Shortfall 0%

January Output Results

Programme Project Beneficiaries Reached (individuals)

Food / Cash Delivered

(USD$ / metric tons)

Country Programme

(CP 200369) Nutrition and HIV 30,729 207.07

Enhancing Resilience and Responsiveness (DRR) Food for Work activities are scheduled to begin in May

Support to Education (ECCD/Pre-Schools)* 51,068 750.08

School Meals Programme (200199)

School Meals* 148,845 1974