My name is Liteboho Loke. I am 20 year-old from the rural area of Mafeteng. My father died when I was young and mother is unemployed home maker. When I reached form-three (grade 10) I could not go further due to financial constraint.

I stayed home until 2008 when I joined vocational school at Bethel where I learnt business studies, home economic and solar energy. I will complete my study on June 2010.

At school we learnt to use solar bread making to produce large quantity of bread. This technology was a wake-up call to me and I thought I should use this skill to start my own business.

Caption: Liteboho and her lecturer at Bethel Business and community Development Center

Last year I used this idea and developed it into a business plan. My dream is to start a solar bakery at my home village in rural Mafeteng where there is no electricity. My plan is to establish a bakery that uses solar energy. The whole idea cost R10,000 (US$1,300). My lecturer helped me to get a donor to support by business idea.

I thank Ministry of Education and Global Fund for paying school fees for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. Even if I dropped school at grade 10, but the skills I have gained from vocational school will help me to start my own business and take care of our family and my future.

In 2009, the Ministry of Education through Technical and Vocational Division paid for 450 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) from different local vocation schools with the support of Global Fund Round 7 HIV grant worth USD $ 242,028.09 (R1,870,385.00). The objective is to empower destitute and vulnerable children with knowledge and skills to earn a living and have brighter future. Among the skills provided at vocational schools include building, carpentry, metal work, solar energy and home economics. Meanwhile computer applications and business studies are compulsory for all students.

There are 180,000 orphans in Lesotho (UNAIDS 2004) whereby 100,000 of them are due to HIV/AIDS. Therefore most of the needy orphans attend free primary education and can not proceed to higher education due to financial constraints. According to UNICEF 2005, 30.5% of school going-orphans are out of school. Therefore in order to facilitate mitigation of the impact of HIV & AIDS to orphans and other vulnerable children the Government through line ministries provides care, support and protection. Therefore skills education is part of impact mitigation to ensure children have equal opportunities and bright future despite the absence of their parents.