REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: MENTAL HEALTH & PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT (MHPSS) SERVICES TO CAREGIVERS, TEACHERS AND CHILDREN AND CONVERSION OF LEARNER PACKS INTO ACCESSIBLE FORMATS
1. BACKGROUND
The Government of Lesotho has declared a national state of food insecurity disaster, as the most severe El Niño-induced drought in currently ravaging the country and the broader Southern Africa region. The scale of this disaster is overwhelming. Across Southern Africa, 40 to 80 percent of the maize crop has been lost, but the impact on Lesotho is particularly devastating. An alarming 700,000 Basotho; nearly one-third of the country’s population, faces severe food insecurity. This marks a distressing increase from 582,000 just a year ago, highlighting the rapidly deteriorating situation. World Food Program Lesotho’s Annual Country Report 2023
Nearly half of the population (49.7 percent) lives below the food poverty line, with a stark rural-urban divide in poverty distribution, affecting over 80 percent of the poor residing in rural areas. Of particular concern are children, with 65 percent classified as multi-dimensionally poor, and over a quarter being orphans. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity analysis further illustrates the gravity of the situation.
From July to September 2023, approximately 245,000 people in rural Lesotho (16 percent of the analyzed population) were experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above Crisis or worse). Out of the 10 districts analyzed, five were classified as IPC Phase 2 (Stressed), while the remaining five were in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis). These findings underscore the urgent need for action to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods, and prevent acute malnutrition. Food insecurity persists as a significant challenge, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as children, women, individuals living with HIV/AIDS, persons with disabilities, unemployed youth, and rural dwellers. The consequences of this drought reach far beyond empty fields. Families are being torn apart as people migrate in search of better opportunities, heightening their vulnerability and susceptibility to human trafficking.
Children are dropping out of school, their futures hanging in the balance as malnutrition rates soar. The El Niño-induced drought threatens to have devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities. It may lead to loss of life, injury, disability as well as have repercussions on livelihood, property, purchasing capacity, and financial security. If it is not managed accordingly, it will disrupt routines, isolate from support systems, force displacements, and erode normally protective supports, increase the risks of diverse problems, and amplify pre-existing problems of social injustice and inequality. Planning for inclusion of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) along with other essential services provides holistic support that responds to the problems listed above and promotes individual and community recovery when a disaster occurs. Thus, mental health and psychosocial health form the crux of El Nino-induced drought response. Additionally, to counter the effects of lost learning hours, irregular attendance and ultimate drop-out especially for the most vulnerable groups, there is need to provide physical learner packs to ensure continued learning. Children with disabilities are usually disproportionately affected during emergencies as they are often left out.
Closing date: 16 December 2024