Lesotho trip (From Penarth Times)

Lesotho trip

AS some readers will be aware from previous articles in the Penarth Times, there are a group of young people from the local area who will be travelling to Lesotho, a small landlocked country in Southern Africa twinned with Wales this summer.

The Lesotho 2006 community links project is a group of 11 and we have been busy fundraising over the past 18 months in the Penarth area and further afield.

In Africa we hope to teach in Lesothan schools and take part in a community project, establishing links and goodwill between Penarth and the African town of Peka.

Lesotho is similar to Wales in some ways, for example, we are both countries of similar population and are largely Christian in faith, but there are also terrible differences.

Lesotho has an estimated 28.9 per cent rate of HIV/AIDS sufferers, a figure which is sharply increasing, and due to global trade trends up to 50 per cent of the population are now unemployed, with the same amount living below the poverty line.

Lesotho is a desperately poor country but also a very proud one with a rich history and culture.

We have decided therefore to write to the Penarth Times with the intention of raising awareness of the mountain kingdom of Lesotho and the problems it faces, and also to appeal to the people and businesses of Penarth and surrounding area for grants and support for our visit.

The team will be funding their own flight costs so all monies generated will go towards our work in African schools.

Log onto www.freewebs .com/lesotho2006 or email us at lesotho2006@hotmail.co.uk

Lesotho 2006 team

029 2070 9967