Landscape in Lesotho

A lot of people today are getting more involved in ‘development’; or are beginning to think about working in the ‘developing world’; but what exactly does this mean? Comhlámh (2005) define development in terms of ‘empowerment’. They believe it is about ‘local people taking control of their own lives, expressing their own demands and finding their own solutions to their problems’ (Ibid.).

In 2000, the United Nations put together a list of eight priority areas which need to be addressed in order to combat world poverty in the new millennium. These were subsequently known as the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ (MDG’s).

Different Cereal Crops Growing on Ledged Hillside

These goals are:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development

Community of Houses in Lesotho

Ireland too, signed this document, promising to do our share in eradicating world poverty. Subsequently, Irish Aid funded such initiatives as this Centre for Global Development through Education in the hope of beginning to realise this ambitious target. We feel that through education, we have the ability to make inroads on all eight goals, particularly the goal of achieving universal primary education. We feel that together, in partnership with others, we can achieve these ambitious goals.