Registered in Lesotho as a non-government organisation since 1991, Rural Self-Help Development Association (RSDA) exists to eradicate extreme hunger and improve the lives of rural Basotho by supporting sustainable agriculture, facilitating self-help and enabling rural communities to become sustainable.

RSDA works with over 5000 small-scale farmers in the 10 districts of Lesotho: Mokhotlong, Butha Buthe, Leribe, Berea, Maseru, Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek , Quthing, Qacha’s Nek and Thaba Tseka district.

Rural Self-Help Development Association (RSDA) is a Non-Governmental Organisation registered in Lesotho in 1991. RSDA works to empower smallholder farming and rural Basotho communities to develop their self-help, self- initiative, self-determination and self- responsibility.  Since inception RSDA has supported smallholder farming community and has built competence on food security and sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, and environment, also integrating climate, gender and HIV and AIDS. RSDA prides itself on working collaboratively with other stakeholders and Government of Lesotho. At the moment RSDA is touching ground through Farmers’ Forums and Associations in all the 10 Districts of Lesotho. Hence, the main objective of RSDA is to initiate, empower and facilitate development of smallholder farming communities in the 10 districts of Lesotho.  RSDA is empowering smallholder farmers’ voice and integrating farmers into agriculture value chains. Integrating smallholder farmers into agriculture value chains bears a promise to Lesotho’s economic growth and poverty reduction. To this end RSDA is already promoting nutrition sensitive value chains to this end. RSDA is supporting milk, bio-fortified beans (NUA45), village poultry,  eggs, and  fresh produce in collaboration with value chain actors.

RSDA offers technical support to these communities through its experienced, rural-based project staff. We do this thanks to the generous support of the research, crops and livestock departments of the Lesotho Government’s Ministry of Agriculture and various international partner agencies.