Makoala V. Marake

Co-Investigator

Professor Marake is a Professor of Soil Science in the Faculty of Agriculture of the National University of Lesotho.  His qualifications and skills span the areas of agriculture and environmental management in both research and extension/outreach.  He has researched and consulted broadly in soil fertility/plant nutrition, conservation agriculture systems, land evaluation and environmental impacts of land use and participatory approaches to resource conservation, environmental management, rural development, biophysical and ecosystems interactions in relation to people’s livelihoods, agro-biodiversity for sustainable agriculture and adaptation to climate change.  In recent years, his interest has expanded to include disaster risk reduction, especially drought hazard hazards in collaboration with the local, regional and international partners of the Red Cross in forecast-based financing  of climate hazards.

Relebohile A. Mojaki

Community Liaison

Currently a lecturer of Agricultural Extension in the Faculty of Agriculture at the National University of Lesotho, Mojaki conducts the faculty outreach programme to provide advisory services to diverse audiences including farmers and herders in moving towards a broader goal of increasing farm income and improving rural livelihoods. Specifically, she focuses on indigenous and technical knowledge and skills, management skills and information services. She is serving as livelihood and multi-stakeholder participation expert in an ongoing Drought Scoping Study undertaken by Lesotho Red Cross Society and National University of Lesotho and have since developed interest in disaster risk reduction particularly on the lives of rural populations and building resilience in hazard-prone areas.

Joalane Rethabile Marunye

Climate Expert

Joanne is a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at the National University of Lesotho since 2011 with experience on climate change and climate change adaptation matters. Before joining the National University of Lesotho, she served as a Principal Meteorologist at the Lesotho Meteorological Services responsible for climate change related matters. She holds an MSc in Climate Change from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.

Grace Sello

Researcher

Grace Sello is currently a lecturer and researcher at the National University of Lesotho. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Kansas State University, USA, and a BSc. in Nutrition from the National University of Lesotho. As a proactive public health practitioner, Grace is deeply committed to addressing health disparities and enhancing health outcomes for vulnerable communities, with a particular focus on the intersection of climate change and health. Her research emphasizes critical social determinants of health, extreme temperature exposures and cardiovascular health outcomes, drought impacts on food and nutrition security, access to healthcare, and maternal and child nutrition. Ms. Sello is passionate about developing and implementing sustainable interventions that promote healthy behaviors, prevent diseases, and support resilience in communities.

Kebitsamang Mothibe

Researcher

About Mothibe under construction

Maeti Antoinette George

Researcher

Dr. George is a senior lecturer and researcher in the Department of Environmental Health. She holds MSc. in Water & Environmental Management from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, and PhD in Environmental Management from the University of South Africa. She served as an Environmentalist, then as Water Resources Engineer at the Department of Water Affairs. Some of her publications are on wetlands and water resources vulnerability to climatic variations; climate change and contribution to disease burden; and vulnerability of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to climate change. She provides education and awareness on WASH and water resources protection to schools and communities. She has provided consultancy services on ‘WASH in primary schools – needs assessment’ also investigating level of vulnerability and resilience of infrastructure to climate change. She is currently assessing “Interconnected impacts of climate change, ecosystems and disease on Health and Biodiversity”. 

Mothusi Nyofane

Researcher

Dr. Mothusi Nyofane is a lecturer at the National University of Lesotho, where he teaches courses on community nutrition, nutritional assessment, and nutrition throughout the life cycle. Additionally, he facilitates the university’s nutrition attachment program and community outreach initiatives. Dr. Nyofane holds a PhD in Nutrition from the University of Pretoria and has completed nutrition leadership training through the African Nutrition Leadership Program at the North-West University. His research primarily focuses on maternal and child health and nutrition, as well as the impact of infectious diseases, such as HIV, on nutrition. Currently, he is expanding his research to explore the intersection of climate change and maternal and child nutrition.

Mphonyane Ntlele

PhD Student

Recently selected as a committee member representing the faculty of Agriculture to participate in the Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment project in Lesotho, Ms. Mphonyane Ntlele is a Laboratory Demonstrator in the Department of Soil Science and Resource Conservation at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). Also a PhD student at NUL, her research focuses on the simulation of crop performance under drought conditions in various agro-ecological regions of Lesotho, using Aqua Crop modelling to predict future yield projections.  She has participated in the Climate Change Impacts on Wetlands and Land Degradation Assessment in Dryland Areas specifically assessing the impacts of land degradation on water resources. 

Teboho Lekatsa

Research Scientist

Food Microbiology Lecturer within the Faculty of Health Sciences, he occupies the Chair of Microbial Food Safety and leads the Nutrition Department. His research focuses on infectious foodborne and clinical pathogens, as well as the antimicrobial properties of herbal plants and various fermented foods. Additionally, he was the principal laboratory scientist in the microbiology department at the National Reference Laboratory of Lesotho from 2004 to 2015. He earned his Master’s degree in Food Microbiology from University College Cork in Ireland.

Nkeme Sehalahala

Project Administrator

About Nkeme under construction