At MFDF
Nothing for Youth without youth
At MFDF
We advocade for Youth rights, inclusion,
participation and representation
NOTHING FOR YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH
At MFDF
We work with youth in their diversity
Welcome to Mosepele Foundation Development Forum
About MFDF
Mosepele Foundation Development Forum - MFDF is dedicated to advocating the rights of the vulnerable groups in Lesotho, with a specific focus on Adolescents and Youth. We Mobilize and empower young people to create their own collective voice, participate in demogracy and governance issues, acheive leadership positions at all levels accessible and contribute towards youth's for genuine economic, health, political justice and gender fair communities. We strive to champion the programs that are youth-friendly, age-appropriate, gender diverse, accessible and affordable.
Our Story
Mosepele Foundation Development
Mosepele Foundation Development Forum (MFDF) is a human rights and social accountability youth-led organization advocating for inclusion and representation of young people in key decision-making platforms. MFDF champions programs that are youth-friendly, age-appropriate, gender-diverse, accessible, and affordable to promote the engagement, participation, and advocacy of youth to ensure their voice is amplified in health, economic governance, and public space. MFDF was registered under the society’s act of 1966 in June 2015, the year UNAIDS published the GAP report.
Realizing the plight of young people in Lesotho, like-minded individuals came together and formed MFDF to act as a platform to empower and advocate for the rights of vulnerable adolescents and youth to participate in efforts that enhance access to youth friendly services in Lesotho including Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. MFDF has partnered before with youth leaders, activists, and youth-serving organizations, local and international donors, and the Government of Lesotho to engage young people as key decision-makers on issues that affect them.
At grass-root level, MFDF acts as a human rights watchdog. Our members act as awareness agents linking youth to community empowerment programs. At national level, MFDF represents the wide majority of Basotho adolescents and youth in key forums like the Lesotho Country Coordinating Mechanisms (LCCM), Technical Working Groups, and we also take part in health forums like the PEPFAR-COP meetings. We are currently partners with Community councils, Defense and Security Departments, Human rights defenders, Media houses, Government ministries, and other local CSOs.
MFDF has an established reputation in the areas of youth mobilization, empowerment and human rights advocacy. MFDF has a growing membership base with over 3200 youth from diverse backgrounds including marginalized youth from rural and urban areas, educated and uneducated, including Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) and Adolescent Boys and Young Men (ABYM).
Our Vision
We at MFDF envision a society where young people are valued as an important part of humanity, where every young person is free from exploitation and all forms of violence, production and reproduction.
Our Mission
Promoting engagement of young people in the design and implementation of programs to create space for advocacy; promote youth-friendly services, increase uptake of youth focused health and socio-economic services and undo barriers affecting access to services.
Core Principles
- Youth Led
- Youth Serving
- Youth Focused
Our Focus Areas
S H E L
Socio-economic
Enhancing economic opportunities and livelihoods.
Health
Promoting health awareness and access to services.
Education
Improving educational access and quality.
Leadership
Fostering leadership skills among youth.
What We Do
R A L S
Representation
Advocating for the rights of vulnerable groups.
Advocacy
Raising awareness on critical issues affecting communities.
Leadership Training
Equipping individuals with necessary leadership skills.
Peer-to-Peer Service Delivery
Facilitating community support networks.
MFDF DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMMES
Mental Health Peer to Peer Program
Through this program, Mosepele Foundation mobilize, sensitize and provide Psychosocial support (PSS) to the Adolescents and Young People in order for the to identify early signs of Mental health and develop coping mechanisms for survival.
Community Development Revolving Fund
The Community Development Revolving Fund program is designed to support young entrepreneurs and youth in general by providing funding opportunities to start and scale their businesses. By offering mentorship and financial assistance, we aim to empower youth to realize their economic potential and contribute to the growth of their communities.
Economic Strengthening Program
Adolescents and Young people suffer economically as a result, they resort to illegal activities that eventually put their lives in prison or rather they die. As a response, Mosepele Foundation empower and identify economic opportunities for young people to start and sustain their businesses. It also closely monitors youth businesses to make sure they comply with tax laws in Lesotho
Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
Through SRHR program, Mosepele Foundation empower Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) living in rural areas about their sexual health, sexual rights, amplify their voices and make sure they become part of decision making regarding the issues that affect the directly.
Condom programming
To fight new infections of HIV amongst young people, Mosepele Foundation provides safe sex education and distribute condoms in Key populations hot spots. Our organization has collaborated with other international organizations (UNFPA) and local partners such as LPPA to facilitate condom programming.
Lapeng Anti GBV Program
GBV is a serious issue and it affects Adolescents and Young People in Lesotho resulting in them being less productive or not productive at all. Mosepele Foundation mobilize and sensitize young people about GBV, how to report it and how to take care of GBV survivors in our communities. It also makes sure that perpetrators are held accountable.
Waste Management Program - Plastic Pollution Reduction
Climate Change is a serious issue today, it affects everyone and every country in the world and Lesotho is not exceptional. Mosepele Foundation identified waste management as a root cause of climate change and it combats it through plastic reduction pollution. We also educate people about climate change and how it affects young people in deferent levels.
Community Led Monitoring
Adolescents and Young People get services from Health Facilities in our communities. As recipients of health services, they are at the front line to determine the quality of health services and recommend solutions to the Ministry of Health through District Health Management Teams. Mosepele Foundation also advocate for the inclusion of young people in the health facility managements for youth health rights representation.
Her Voice Fund
This program is meant to amplify the voices of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in key decision-making platforms. Through this program, Mosepele Foundation promotes the meaningful participation of AGYW in the Technical Working Groups, National Strategic Planning, Lesotho Country Coordinating Mechanisms and other platforms.
Dreams Program
Dreams means Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe. DREAMS provides a comprehensive, multi-sectoral package of core interventions to address key factors that make girls and young women particularly vulnerable to HIV. These include structural factors, such as gender-based violence, exclusion from economic opportunities, and a lack of access to secondary school. DREAMS layers multiple interventions at once so that AGYW are surrounded with critical support to keep them safe from HIV and other risks.
Our Projects
Lead Africa with Mosepele Foundation
Funded by UNDP Lesotho
This project aims to empower unemployed youth by providing necessary skills and resources to help them find employment or return to school, focusing on leadership training and community involvement.
HER Voice Fund
Funded by Global Fund, ViiV HealthCare Positive Action and GNP+
Aims to strengthen the meaningful engagement and leadership for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in decision-making spaces, reducing HIV infections and improving health and rights.
CSO Engagement in Grand Making
Funded by EANASO
Provides oversight technical support to ensure civil society organizations’ priorities are reflected in the national agenda for HIV/TB Global Fund 2020 - 2022.
Community-Led Monitoring
Funded by PEPFAR
Aims to improve the quality of HIV prevention and treatment services through community engagement and monitoring efforts.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
Funded by Global Fund for Children
Provides psychosocial support to youth in Lesotho to help them withstand pressures during their formative years.
Consultant for COP 22
Funded by USAID
Provides technical support to civil societies for effective engagement in PEPFAR COP 22 for Lesotho.
About Volunteering
Become part of MFDF team through volunteering and be part of young people sharing a common vision to impact young people's lives.Join Mosepele Foundation
Latest
BUDGET SPEECH DEBATE WORKSHOP
COMMUNITY-LED MONITORING NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Commemoration of World AIDS Day: Theme: My Health, My Right: Choose the Rights t Path
SADC Regional Meeting on the Implementation of CSW Resolution 60/2
BUDGET SPEECH DEBATE WORKSHOP
COMMUNITY-LED MONITORING NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Commemoration of World AIDS Day: Theme: My Health, My Right: Choose the Rights t Path
SADC Regional Meeting on the Implementation of CSW Resolution 60/2
BUDGET SPEECH DEBATE WORKSHOP
By Ntsoaki Sesing, Molemo Liloro - Social Work interns
28 March 2025
Democracy Works Foundation held a workshop that aimed at discussing the Lesotho recent budget speech and to what extent it aims to address issues of Lesotho youth with an intension to influence the 2026/27 budget. Mosepele Foundation Development Forum (MFDF) as a youth led and youth focused
organization, was privileged to be represented in this gargantuan occasion.
Ms. Lawrence from Transform Lesotho Initiative shared her research regarding the current progress and loopholes of Lesotho’s 2025/26 budget as compared to South Africa and Botswana. Her presentation emphasized that the European Union dialogue on Youth Participation in Budgetary Processes and
Avenues available in Lesotho highlights the importance of integrating young voices into economic and social policy making. Her research revealed that approximately 39% of youth in Lesotho are unemployed, with the figure rising to 40.8% among young women with an indicates that there is a critical
need to empower young people in budgetary discourse and decision-making.
She also stated that with the current landscape of youth participation, despite the increasing recognition of youth as key stakeholders in governance, their direct involvement in Lesotho’s budgetary processes remains limited which reveals that there is a need for structured and sustainable
mechanisms to include youth in financial planning and policy discussions.
Ms. Lawrence further presented the lessons from SADC Countries starting with South Africa which she said that its National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) actively involves young people in policy formulation and budgetary allocations. The NYDA provides platforms for youth engagement with
policy-makers, ensuring that their perspectives shape national development plans. Moreover, she indicated that Botswana’s Youth Development Fund (YDF) offers financial assistance to youth-led projects and enterprises, addressing unemployment and fostering entrepreneurship.
MFDF questioned: What can we do differently for ease of access for resources allocated for youth? What can we do differently to hold duty bearers accountable, how can we bridge the gap between policy makers and the youth? , what mechanisms can we utilize to ensure maximized participation of youth in
budgetary processes?
MFDF emphasized a strong need for youth inclusion in the key decision making and budgetary matters. It also indicated the need for a youth council that is directly connected to the government structure to ensure youth participation. To ensure youth meaningful participation, there should be youth
representation/ youth desk(s) in every government ministry to make sure that youth are part of decision making hence strongly believe in its slogan: Nothing for youth without youth.
#EuropeanUnion
#UNICEFLesotho
#MosepeleFoundation
Upcoming events
Our Impact
Empowering communities and transforming lives through our programs.
Male Condoms Distributed
Reducing the risk of new HIV infections and unplanned pregnancies.
AGYW Trained on Advocacy
Amplifying voices of young women.
AGYW Trained on Public Speaking
Building confidence and communication skills.
AGYW Trained on Communication
Enhancing their advocacy efforts.
Community Engagement Meetings
Reaching over 180 participants.
Counseling Sessions
Providing support to youth and AGYW.
Regional & International Meetings
Representing youth voices globally.
Radio Sessions Held
Raising awareness and amplifying youth voices.
Get in touch
MFDF STAFF
Maliehe Mosepele
Founder and Executive Director
Morephe Santi
Programs Director
Mokitimi Matšeliso
Programs Manager
Pooke Kabelo
Finance and Admin Manager
Mahao Khoai
Finance Manager
Ntjoko Pusetso
Finance and Admin Officer
Makholela Teboho
Programs Officer
Ralejoe Retselisitsoe
Information Technology Specialist