Development for Peace Education (DPE) after the communication with one community leader paid a visit to the Bokong village community affected by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The purpose was to hear from the community affected whether their life had changed from worse to better and vice-versa.
The DPE team was made up of the leadership which was very much shocked to learn how negatively the community life was affected. It would be better if the project had never taken place in our area” one participant regretted.
The meeting involved those who were at the forefront of the struggle for justice. These involved the members of local government, community representatives, and business representatives. They referred to the study that was conducted by the Lesotho Highland Development Authority (LHDA) which shows that almost all the inhabitants suffer from high blood pressure due to the loss of livelihood means. The discussion was touching as they narrated sad stories such as a canoe that capsized and killed people some bodies were never discovered to date because of the indifference of LHDA to give a helping hand. Some include the refusal of LHDA to implement the plans from the treaty. An example is the water facility and other developments promised.
They were devastated at how much the existence of the project pushed the economic situation too far down the poverty line. The community lost its property to live on such as agricultural land for food and pasture for their animals. Many incidences of community members being, fraudulently cheated by project workers were narrated. Compensations were also surrounded by many controversies which made livelihood difficult.
