Analysis of services for orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho: a desktop review

Abstract

This background document will provide inputs into the drafting of the Situation Analysis of Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Lesotho. It provides a desktop review of the nature and extent of OVC services in Lesotho. The aim of this review is to assess the nature and extent of services provided to OVC in Lesotho, and to identify gaps and challenges. Lessons have also been drawn from regional and international experiences. In the first place, the report provides brief background information on Lesotho. It then highlights the extent of HIV and AIDS and orphan prevalence in Lesotho. Special emphasis is placed on some of the challenges faced by OVC and the response mechanisms of the state and civil society organisations, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - international, national and local - as well as faith-based organisations (FBOs), in the third and fourth sections of the report. The policy framework to protect OVC will be analysed in the third section of the report. Section five discusses types of services provided to OVC in Lesotho. This is followed by an analysis of the role of civil society in providing services to OVC in the sixth and final section of the report. As a desktop study, this section of the report is based on the review of existing data obtained through database searches and documents obtained through government and civil society contacts in Lesotho. The search methods used are explained below.