Rural Healthcare Access in the Mountains of Lesotho
Advocating for health equity through the power of student film
At the beginning of 2026, we were lucky enough to host members from our partner organization, The Tiny Lives Foundations (TTLF) and university students. This trip was inspired by a student run organization, Extending The Link. This student group is from The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSBSJU) located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota. Extending The Link (ETL) works to share undertold stories of injustice from around the world. They capture these stories by traveling to a different location each year to share the experiences of the local people and places. When they return home, they apply what they learned to a similar local experience of their home community. In the end, ETL creates a documentary that premieres locally and online to spread awareness and inspire change.
This year, the students chose to document rural healthcare and came to Mokhotlong, Lesotho. Their decision to visit “The Kingdom in the Sky” may seem random, but the CSBSJU connection to Touching Tiny Lives runs deep. Professor Ellen Block is not only on the board of The Tiny Lives Foundation, but has spent years of her life in Mokhotlong dedicating time to researching the proliferating effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on family units in Mokhotlong. Additionally, our two active fellows are graduates of the university and were a part of Extending The Link during their time at CSBSJU. These connections helped to inspire the students to come see what healthcare is like in the rural mountains of Lesotho.
The students decided on their documentary destination and asked Professor Block to join them. While traveling with the students, Block additionally brought two TTLF members to visit. This group of 10 traveled to Lesotho and stayed with us here at the TTL guest houses! This trip also allowed the board members to come and see recent work being done at TTL. The TTLF Fellows’ job is to be the “eyes on the ground” for the foundation, as well as to learn and help with the work TTL does in Mokhotlong. It was special to have the board members get the chance to visit and see the impactful work in person.
TTL is not the sole subject of the story however, we are still incredibly grateful to have been part of their experience in Lesotho, providing transportation into rural, difficult to reach places. Issues of rural healthcare access still impact many people in Mokhotlong, and many of our clients suffer from the inability to access these clinics and hospitals. At times it is difficult to manage around, but if we can help one child, we do.
Stay tuned to learn more about what the students create! Thank you for visiting us at TTL!
The TTLF Fellow is a representative of the North American organisation The Tiny Lives Foundation. Based for one year in Mokhotlong, Lesotho, the TTLF Fellow serves in an administrative support capacity for the Basotho charity TTL.
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