Lesotho is a tiny kingdom within South Africa. It is very mountainous and is often referred to as "The Mountain Kingdom." In fact the majority of villages within Lesotho are in the highlands that can only be reached by foot, horseback or light aircraft. Lesotho has remained hidden away and untouched my the modern world, this comes with both its benefits and problems. Having a large wealth of natural resources is a benefit but the lack of access to modern education and health care is causing significant problems. Due to its small size it's struggles have gone relatively unnoticed by the rest of the world.
Unfortunately one of the things Lesotho has attracted attention for is the HIV/AIDs virus. 40% of the 2, 171, 318 people living in Lesotho are living with the HIV/AIDs virus, this makes it one of the highest rates in the world. In 2009 it was estimated that around 290, 000 people of all ages were living with this disease. In 2000 Lesotho's King Letsie declared the HIV/AIDs pandemic to be a national disaster and the country's number one enemy.
HIV/AIDs is not Lesotho's only problem, the UN has stated that 40% of the Lesotho population are living in "ultra poverty." The lack of modern health care and education in the country is the main cause for this. Young children are often forced to drop out of school at a young age to help support their family but by not getting a proper education they do not have access to good paying jobs and the vicious cycle of poverty continues. The HIV/AIDs pandemic also plays a role in the poverty this nation suffers from. Children who loose their parents at a young age to this disease must drop out of school to support younger siblings and relatives who take them in. Also, by dropping out of school early the young miss the chance to get educated about the disease and what they can do to stop it so HIV/AIDs continues to plague the next generation.
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