The outgoing Global Fund Portfolio Manager (FPM), Mrs. Tatjana Peterson paid an official visit to Lesotho starting from 24^th to the 28^th January 2010. The aim of the visit was to bid farewell to Lesotho Principal Recipients(PRs), Sub Recipients (SRs), Government Ministers and Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) and to introduce the New Fund Portfolio Manager – Mrs. Patience Musanhu.

Mrs. Tatjana and Mrs. Musanhu were accompanied by Local Fund Agent (LFA) Senior Manager Advisory Mr. Sean Collins from South Africa. During their visit, the three-people delegation paid a courtesy call to the Minister of Finance Dr. timothy Thaane, the Minister of Health Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Principal Secretaries of the two Ministries and other high ranking officials.

The delegation convened meeting with PRs, SRs, CCM and at the end they conducted a field visit to the central Tubercloisis (TB) laboratory in the capital Maseru, Bophelong ART clinic at Queen Elizabeth hospital and Sisters of Charity orphanage home at Khubetsoana in the outskirt of Maseru.

Speaking at the farewell occasion held at Global Fund Coordinating Unit (GFCU) of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on January 27, 2010, on behalf of GFCU/MOFDP staff Mr. Mukhothu Makhalanyane attributed the success of the Lesotho Global Fund implementation to the leadership of Outgoing FPM Mrs. Peterson.

“You were always available when we needed you and you opened very flexible communications channel with Lesotho and always interacted on our behalf and rescue projects from the difficult stumbling blocks.  Lesotho could not achieve these high rates without your assistance and guidance,” he stated.

“You will always be remembered and stay in our hearts forever. The legacy of your leadership will countinue to be evident especially to the country performance at all the time,” he added.

In her remarks, Mrs. Peterson said Lesotho program is my baby because I started managing it at its initial stage on 2005 until 2009. “I remember the challenges that the first grant faced but now it is all history because of our collaboration and determination.”                                                                                                                  

“Today I bid farewell to the people I trusted so much. You always shared with me everything, your challenges and constraints and I had to do whatever I could to help you to overcome any problems in order to move forward,” said Mrs. Peterson. “I feel proud and privilege to work with GFCU in Lesotho.”

“Some of the projects were not included in the initial programs’ plan but because of the flexibility of this organization we manage to include them and today we are all proud to say these activities have transformed the lives of the needy to the better,” she continued.

She mentioned that at the moment many of Lesotho’s human interest stories are shared in Geneva and therefore Lesotho is well known because of its good performance.

Mrs. Peterson thanked the GFCU staff for their knowledge, experience and determination that made the Lesotho GFCU to be a young but highly respected institution locally and internationally.