Dear Friend of Lesotho,
Thank you for your interest in coordinating a Walk-a-Thon to benefit the Friends of Lesotho Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Tuition Assistance means providing funds to families to send their children to school. Primary school is free…Grades 1 to 6. Secondary….Grades 7 to 12 requires tuition and fees that many families cannot afford.
Your generous support to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) will enable Friends of Lesotho (FOL) to provide scholarships to students in Lesotho.
First, what and where is Lesotho? Lesotho, officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, completely surrounded by its only neighboring country, the Republic of South Africa. It is just over 11,583 sq. mi in size with a population about 2,000,000. Of the population, about 25 percent live in urban and 75 percent in rural areas.
Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name Lesotho translates roughly into the
land of the Sotho people and their language is Sesotho. About 40% of the population lives below the international poverty line of US $1.25 a day.
Lesotho is severely afflicted by HIV/AIDS. According to 2009 estimates, the prevalence is about 23.6%, one of the highest in the world. In urban areas, about 50% of women under 40 have HIV. The UNDP stated that in 2006 life expectancy in Lesotho was estimated at 42 years for men and women.
Second, who and what is Friends of Lesotho?
Friends of Lesotho (FOL) is a registered 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization formed in 1986 by a small group of Washington, D.C. RPCVs, most of who served in Lesotho in the 1960s and 70s. FOL now has nearly 400 members from almost every state and from abroad. The volunteer board of directors and committee members guide the organization’s activities by meeting regularly via teleconference. An annual meeting is also conducted in March via teleconference.
FOL Goals
Since its formation, the goals of FOL have remained consistent:
• Provide a forum for Peace Corps Trainees, Volunteers and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (PCTs, PCVs, RPCVs), and others with an interest in Lesotho to connect, share and learn from each other’s experiences
• Provide funding for small development and education projects in Lesotho, primarily through current PCVs.
• Promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of Lesotho and North America
You can find out more at www.friendsoflesotho.org
This information package contains resources you can use to plan and conduct a successful fundraising project to support many deserving and in- need Basotho students:
· Tuition Assistance Program Fact Sheet
· Walk-a-Thon Project Overview
· Sample Walk-a-Thon Flyer
· Pledge Form
· Donation Summary Form
· Educational Resources
Contact our Membership Chair on the “Board of Directors” page of our website to help locate a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Lesotho in your area to serve as a resource for your educational activities.
Contact our Fundraising Chair on the “Board of Directors” page of our website if you have any questions or need any assistance.
Both are at: http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/aboutfol/board-of-directors/
With much appreciation,
FOL Fundraising Committee
Board of Directors
Friends of Lesotho –Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
§ Recipients are selected by the Tuition Assistance Program Committee of current Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Lesotho
§ Low-cost public education in Lesotho is provided only for Primary Schools.
§ About 80% of Basotho children attend Primary School with just 60% completing it. Only about 30% are able to attend Secondary school, usually due to a lack of funds.
§ Tuition costs alone $200 USD for Secondary school per student per year, with additional costs for uniforms and other fees.
Walk-a-Thon
Project
Overview /
The following is an example of a walk-a-thon process that has been used successfully by school teachers and other group coordinators. Your walk-a-thon project can be adapted for other organizations and age groups, including scouts, churches, civic groups, or other agencies and friends.
Step / Activity1 / To kick off the effort, the coordinator/ teacher can show slides of Lesotho. Where possible, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer is invited to give a presentation with age- appropriate activities. The project is then explained in detail with the help of the other teachers on the team.
2 / Each student receives a pledge sheet. The students gather pledges per lap around the school track from relatives and friends or a one-time donation to the cause.
3 / Each student will walk around the school track or other park area for 1 to 1.5 hrs. The student can run, jog, or walk. For each lap completed each student is handed a “popsicle” stick to keep track of the number of laps.
4 / At the end of the Walk-a-thon, the coordinator verifies the number of laps by counting the number of sticks and signing the pledge sheet.
5 / Now the student returns to those who pledged money, collects the pledges and turns the pledge sheet and all pledges in to the teacher.
6 / The coordinator sets the last day for collection (about 2 - 3 weeks after the Walk-a-thon), writes a check payable to the Friends of Lesotho (Tuition Assistance Program) and sends it to the FOL Treasurer with the Donation Form.
Lesotho Tuition Assistance Program
Walk-a-Thon
Help us raise money to send African children to school!
Date:
Location:
Contact:
Friends of Lesotho –
Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) /
Pledge Form
Name: / School:Number of Laps Walked: / Verified by:
Donor Name / Address / Phone Number / Pledge per lap / Total Donation
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
Total Donations / $
Friends of Lesotho Inc. (FOL) is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization registered in the state of Maryland. Contributions to FOL are tax exempt to the extent permitted by law. For more information, visit us at www.friendsoflesotho.org .
Friends of Lesotho –Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) /
Donation Summary
(to be submitted by Walk-a-thon organizer after the event)
Name
Years in Lesotho (if applicable)
Organization
Address
Walk-a-Thon Contribution
(total amount raised) / $
Please include this form with your check and mail to:
Friends of Lesotho
4110 Denfeld Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895
Friends of Lesotho would like to highlight your Walk-a-Thon in our next newsletter.Please send digital photos and any write-ups, marketing tools, and activities you have to share by contacting our newsletter coordinator identified on the “Contacts” page of our website. Rea leboha! Thank you!
Lesotho – Resources /
Most of the following resources can be found on www.friendsoflesotho.org . If not, how to access the items is indicated in the column labeled “Location.” Please note that the educational materials available from the Worldwise Schools Program and The Africa Adventure Resource Box are specifically designed for schools and youth groups.
Resource / Description / LocationFOL Contacts / Board of Directors and Committee Chairs with emails
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/aboutfol/board-of-directors/ / FOL website
About FOL / BoardofDirector
Local Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) / Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Lesotho to assist with educational resources and/ or program
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/aboutfol/board-of-directors/ / FOL website
About FOL / BoardofDirector
Contact any Board member
FOL Brochure / General information and membership information / At the end of this Kit
FOL Presentation / PowerPoint slides with background information on Lesotho, who we are, what we do, how you can help us support grassroots projects in Lesotho
See Worldwide Schools at the bottom of this link:
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/aboutfol/25th/ / FOL website
25th Anniversary Page
FOL Newsletter / Wide variety of articles of interest to our members and others who wish to learn more about our projects
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/membership/newsletters/ / FOL website
Newsletters
About Lesotho / Summaries of history, politics, culture, health, climate and other interesting information
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/about/ / FOL website
About Lesotho
World Wise Schools – Lesotho / Lesson plans developed by the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA)
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/educators/lessonplans/ Enter keyword: Lesotho; click Submit Search / Worldwise Schools website
World Wise Schools – Lesotho Video / Video on Lesotho to be used with the World Wise curriculum and lesson plans / DVD format
Royal Wedding Video / Video of the King’s wedding, of interest to an adult audience / DVD format
Sesotho Language Learning / Common words and phrases with audio clips
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/about/sesotho/ / FOL website
About / Sesotho
Maps, Photos, Letters / Variety of educational materials
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/about/maps/
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/about/photos/
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/about/videos/
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/?s=Letters&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
http://www.friendsoflesotho.org/project-funding-support/letters-and-reports-from-funded-projects/ / FOL website
About / Maps, About / Photos, About / Videos
About / Project Funding
Also, keyword :
Letters
Photos and more videos / Extensive collection of photos available at:http://images.google.com; search on Lesotho. And many videos at YouTube / Google Images
You Tube
Keyword:
Lesotho
Africa Adventure Resource Box – Lesotho / A guide for teaching third to sixth grade children about Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Zaire and Lesotho. The five-session project is organized around themes from children's lives: food, families, storytelling, work and worship. The resource box contains audio cassettes of African music, maps, photos, a poster, book, brochure and Africa Adventure, a 33-minute video. The video contains three African fables and stories of children in Zaire and Lesotho.
The resource box can be borrowed/ purchased:
http://www.mbicresources.org/resourcecentre/ResourceView/14/572 / Mennonite Central Committee Resource Catalog
Feedback: Please send your comments and suggestions to improve this package of materials to our Fundraising Chair identified on the Contacts page of our website.