Rural Self-help Development Association (RSDA)

RSDA supports smallholder farmers to be able to stand together, speak as one voice and advocate for their needs and economic empowerment. RSDA is a leading agricultural advisory services agency that supports farmers by providing strategic services, capacity building and advocacy support for sustainable climate smart agriculture, value addition and marketing of farmer’s products. RSDA enhances livelihoods and builds climate resilient Basotho communities by helping people to help themselves, working collaboratively and in partnership with other stakeholders. Over the past 32 years of existence RSDA has worked with smallholder farmers and farmers’ associations and has a unique experience engaging with farmers at community level. In the process RSDA has good knowledge of mobilizing communities, organizing and providing advisory and technical support to the smallholder farmers in Lesotho. In the process RSDA have gained a good knowledge of both NRM, agricultural production and marketing constraints for smallholder farmers and over time, development approaches have been piloted. RSDA is bringing tested business models for introduction, development and dissemination of new technologies and business models. RSDA focuses on transferring technical knowledge and supporting the establishment of well-coordinated farmers groups and umbrella organisation and district level farmers forum to enable them to advocate for their needs and concerns. RSDA has a unique understanding of the CSOs in Lesotho and the SADC region as well as value chain systems as they impact smallholder farmers and applies innovative solutions to market linkages which often are the crux of project success or failure. Furthermore RSDA has implemented and gained experience in implementing internationally financed projects as both national projects and regional projects. RSDA has a proven reach in the 10 districts of Lesotho.