Lieketsemg, eleven years old, is standing in front of the truck that brings this monthly food ration to herself, her older brother and her grandmother, with whom she lives. Lieketsemg's parents died "a long time ago". How many years ago she does not know, as she was too young to remember.


Lieketsemg's grandmother is smiling with tears in her eyes and adds "I am now taking care of my grandchildren, who have suffered a lot since the tragic death of their parents due to HIV/AIDS. We usually did not have enough to eat. In order to survive I worked on other peoples' domestic plots, which gave us a minimum to eat." This became more and more difficult as the harvest in September 2002 was the worst in over ten years and Lieketsemg grandmother is old. She can not tell how old she is as she stopped counting the years, but her tired eyes and wrinkled face tells us something about the hardships that she went through during her long life.


More and more children and elderly are gathering at the distribution point in front of the primary school in Ha Lesitsi village in Leribe district. Most of them are on the list of beneficiaries but others are only drawn to the place by curiosity and the social event that this monthly "happening' represents in the calm village. The project side coordinator from CARE and the field officer in charge of the distribution are greeting the newly arrived as old friends inquiring about the agricultural development since the last distribution.


Thabiso, eight years old and his older brother Tankiso join Lieketsemg at the distribution site. Tankiso lives with his brother and three sisters since the death of his parents and says that he is happy for the maize meal that is distributed because his sister is now able to maker his favorite meal "papa" (maize porridge). Lieketsemg prefers to eat rice and is helping her grandmother in the kitchen and around the house when she is coming back from school. She is already in fifth class and likes to go to school, especially for the lessons in math. Since the food distribution started in December she is no longer going hungry to school but can concentrate on learning and focus on her dream- to become a teacher. She says that she likes coming to the distribution with her grandmother. "Now I know that there is always food at home if I am hungry", she says and looks to the bags of maize meal, pulses, corn-soja-blend and oil in front of her.


Approximately 650,000 people in Lesotho, 30% of the total population, were affected by the famine that struck Southern Africa at the end of 2002. CARE Lesotho- South Africa is conducting food distributions targeting the most vulnerable population such as HIV/AIDS orphans, elderly, chronicle sick and handicapped to ensure their survival during the current food shortage crisis in Lesotho. After coordination with other humanitarian actors it has been decided that CARE Lesotho- South Africa is responsible for the food distribution in Leribe district, one of Lesotho's ten districts. CARE is monthly covering the need of 12,500 orphans and 6,000 elderly, handicapped and chronicle sick persons through a family food parcel including 50 kg maize meal, 12,5 kg corn-soja-blend, 6,25 kg pulses and 2,5 liters oil per month.


The food crisis is also fuelled by an extensive HIV/AIDS epidemic. Lesotho has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates worldwide reaching 31%. In Leribe district the infection rate is even higher than the national average with 42%. HIV/AIDS has extremely negative implications for the food supply of the population in Lesotho. Persons who are already suffering from HIV might have difficulties to ensure regular income in support of their families and HIV/AIDS infections further stretches the possibilities of a family economy due to increased medical costs. Another consequence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the high number of orphans often left to care for their own survival and future. Currently, there are approximately 125,000 orphans, which is 5% of the total population in Lesotho. To mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS in Leribe district, one HIV/AIDS peer educator accompanies each food distribution in order to sensitize affected communities.


The food distribution project is CARE's emergency response to the current food crisis and is complementing CARE's regular projects including community capacity building, income-generating activities and establishment of local relief funds for potential crises in Leribe district. In addition, CARE is developing a home gardening project based on the traditional crop sharing system targeting families hosting orphans in the same district.