On Tuesday, the Vodacom Lesotho Foundation signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding in Maseru, formalising a historic three-year strategic partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA LESOTHO) in Lesotho to combat Gender-Based Violence.
This partnership comes at a crucial moment because women in Lesotho experience an alarming 86 per cent prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV).
Vodacom Lesotho CEO, Mohale Ralebitso, stated, “Tackling GBV demands a unified front and a concerted, multi-sectoral effort. This partnership is a testimony to our shared commitment to addressing this crisis holistically, from prevention to survivor support.”
Key Pillars of Vodacom Lesotho-UNFPA’s partnership
The key Pillars of the Partnership include:
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- Safe Environments: Offering survivors and their dependents safe havens.
- Holistic survivor support: Providing all-encompassing, survivor-centred care.
- Strengthened partnerships: Improved coordination amongst multiple stakeholders.
- Rehabilitation and Reintegration: Giving survivors the necessary tools to recover their lives.
- Advocating for gender equality and human rights throughout Lesotho.
“Vodacom’s leadership demonstrates the crucial role the private sector must play in driving social change and setting a precedent for other corporations,” said UNFPA Country Representative John Kennedy Mosoti, who emphasised the importance of the private sector.
Vodacom’s commitment to deepen its long-standing partnership with Lesotho
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub concluded a high-level working visit to Lesotho last week, seeking to strengthen the long-standing alliance between Vodacom and the country.
Mr. Joosub met with Prime Minister Sam Matekane and his team to emphasise Vodacom’s dedication to investing in Lesotho’s developing digital economy.
Vodacom’s crucial role in furthering Lesotho’s national digitisation agenda was central to the strategic discussions.
Mr. Joosub described the company’s wide-ranging initiatives to create a strong digital ecosystem in detail.
These include addressing the pressing issue of youth unemployment through targeted empowerment and enabling smooth e-payment systems that speed up financial inclusion.
Vodacom’s partnership with AWS to launch Digital Skills Hub in Lesotho
A key component of this approach is the historic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to introduce the Digital Skills Hub, a ground-breaking program that offers essential digital and technology training to young people in Lesotho at no cost to participants.
During his visit to Lesotho, Mr. Joosub also held a lively town hall meeting with the Vodacom Lesotho team.
He spoke passionately about the Group’s ambitious Vision 2030 strategy to build a more sustainable and inclusive society.
The company’s Vision 2030 strategy calls for a 30 per cent contribution from non-mobile services by 2030 and intends to accelerate service revenue growth to double digits by 2028.
Vodacom continues to support its growth goals by focusing on digital inclusion through programs like expanding coverage in rural areas and providing affordable smartphone financing.