By: Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MAFETENG
Tucked away from the Mafeteng town lies Reisi an isolated community encircled by rivers cut off by treacherous terrain. Reaching it is no simple task only a sturdy 4×4 vehicle can manage the journey.
For the people of Reisi, essential services are not a right but seemingly a distant hope.
In these remote villages, women continue to endure the indignity of giving birth on roadsides, at home, or in other compromised settings not by choice, but because there is simply no accessible health facility nearby. Their nearest health facility is Motsekuoa which is also hard to reach.
Expectant mothers often walk long distances, even in the final stages of pregnancy, just to reach the nearest clinic. The situation becomes worse when it rains: the already poor roads turn to mud, making it impossible for vehicles to access the area. This is despite the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying primary healthcare facilities should be within five kilometres of the communities they serve.
The 2017 National Health Policy aspires to ensure that all Basotho have equitable access to healthcare services, but for communities like Reisi, that promise remains out of reach.
Some are reportedly missing critical antenatal check-ups and at worst are forced to deliver without medical assistance not because they want to, but because they have no other option.
In Reisi, pregnancy is more than a personal journey it is a test of endurance, resilience, and survival.
‘Mapoloko’ (not her real name), from Reise, recalled the day she gave birth as a teenager in 2013. It was 10 December, and she was just 17 years old when she began to feel unusual movements around 4 am.
“The pains would come and go,” she said. “Then at around 9:30 am, I gave birth at the Tsoaing River. I was with my mother and brother. When the baby came, my brother panicked and ran away but he returned. Thankfully, my sister, who is a nurse, came and helped me.”
Heavy rains had made it impossible to cross the river to reach a health facility, and she found herself delivering her baby in the open.
That child, a girl, is now 13 years old and in Grade 7.
Asked how she felt about the experience, she said she had little emotion at the time. However, it taught her a lesson now she relocates closer to healthcare services from the seventh month of pregnancy. But this poses a threat to gender-based violence incidences as some families and children are left exposed.
‘Mapoloko hasn’t told her daughter the full story yet, saying, “She’s still too young.”
She mentioned another mother in her village who recently gave birth while en route to a clinic. For her, this points to an ongoing struggle.
‘Mapoloko appealed to the government to improve road infrastructure and access to electricity in remote areas. She also urged for availability of contraceptives, to help prevent unplanned pregnancies.
“Sometimes nurses try to reach us, but they can’t. And things haven’t changed much. Girls who are falling pregnant after me are still facing the same difficulties,” she said.
With each unsafe delivery, a threat to the baby’s life grows. Maternal mortality remains a concern to the Ministry of Health and to WHO as per who reports, Lesotho’s current mortality ratio sits at 566/100,000 live births, a figure above the regional average of 545/100,000 live births
‘Malintle (name changed for privacy) also shared her ordeal of giving birth to her third child back in 1990. She recalled how, during labour, they were both carrying the child and the burden of their circumstances.
“We lay down a blanket to assist with the birth, and even herdboys witness what they should not see,” she said. “If we had proper roads, such things would not happen. We give birth on the roads because we have no roads. This place feels forgotten; it’s as though we don’t exist.”
Her voice was full of emotion: “We love Lesotho, and we will die here. We are pleading for mercy. We are pleading for mercy.”
Member of the Parliament Women’s Caucus, Honourable ‘Malelaka Lehohla Malakane, said they have taken note of the plight facing the Reisi community. She acknowledged that such challenges are not unique to Reisi but are also present in many other areas. She emphasised that the role of the Women’s Caucus is to support the government in addressing these issues.
Malakane recalled her last visit to Reisi in the 1990s and expressed concern that, rather than improving, the situation has since deteriorated. She shared a troubling experience where she once boarded a van in Morija with a new mother, only to find that, by the time they arrived at their destination, the woman’s wound had reopened, having recently given birth.
She also noted the concerning distance children in this community must walk to access school distances far greater than those prescribed by the Ministry of Education.
“We want to make a change as women,” said Senator ‘Mawinnie Kanetsi. She expressed disappointment that despite successive governments being elected into office, many of the concerns raised by communities remain unaddressed.
Kanetsi, who also serves as Chairperson of the Petitions Committee, encouraged affected communities to formally write to the committee so that those responsible can be held accountable. She highlighted the work of the Assurance Committee, which has been established to provide oversight over government ministries and agencies.
“Keep us busy. We are here to serve you,” she said.