A young boy tending a flock of sheep in the rocky, mountainous terrain of Lesotho. © Giacomo Pirozzi (Panos)
Completely surrounded by South Africa, the landlocked kingdom of Lesotho is a small, mountainous country, with only 13% of land suitable for farming. Formerly known as Basutoland, the constitutional monarchy gained independence from Britain in 1966 and is one of the poorest countries in the world with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS. It is greatly dependent on South Africa, and relies on preferential trade agreements and the garment sector, both of which are vulnerable.
With a programme managed from Pretoria in South Africa (with a field office in the Irish Embassy in Maseru), DFID is one of Lesotho's largest donors, contributing some £12 million in the three years ending in spring 2009.