2 June 2025 by Limpho Sello

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In a small but fiercely determined team of four midwives serving 133 villages in Nazareth, with a Population of 34 856, two women have risen to become a symbol of resilience, leadership, and exceptional care.

Mphonyane Thetso and Mantuta Thelingoane, the clinic manager’s remarkable partnership has not only transformed maternal health services in their community but also earned them national recognition.

During the commemoration of International Day for Midwives held on May 9, 2025, at their very own Nazareth Health Centre, Thetso and Thelingoane were honoured with awards by the Independent Midwives Association Lesotho for their outstanding performance and service in midwifery. Their recognition is a testament to a unique synergy they have built—not only between themselves but with every colleague, village health worker, and the clients they serve.

Speaking to Uncensored News in separate interviews, they both shared the similar sentiments that team work and collaborative efforts with the community and leaders has earned their centre and individual awards, the national recognition.

Born too soon, now saving those who are too

In a village long whispered about for its dark legends of Ha Toloane in Maseru, a baby arrives before her time — fragile, unexpected, and unknowingly carrying the power to save lives.

That baby was Mphonyane Thetso, born prematurely on August 1, 1982, at Scott Hospital. She weighed just 500 grams, while her twin sister weighed 1,200 grams. Their mother stayed in the hospital for three months, fiercely determined to give her daughters a fighting chance.

“From that weight to now serving as a midwife, I know my life was saved by midwives,” she recalled.

She quickly added: “That’s why I serve with all my heart, because I understand the value of what midwives did for me.”

Thetso’s journey to becoming a midwife was anything but easy. Shortly after completing her Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC), she made a brief detour into Maseru’s clothing industry — working long hours from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., nearly every day.

Even then, she never let go of her dream. “That’s when I started sending applications to nursing schools across the country,” Thetso recalled.

Her perseverance paid off when the Scott School of Nursing — part of the very hospital that had once fought to save her fragile life — accepted her for training as an assistant nurse.

Fate came full circle when her first nursing job placed her back at Scott Hospital. There, she chose to work night shifts exclusively, so she could use her days to improve her COSC results — determined to qualify for midwifery training.

“Because my journey was not yet over, I decided to enroll for COSC supplementary classes which I juggled by working night shifts at Scott Hospital,” she explained.

Thetso said it was the only way she could qualify for nurse-midwifery — a goal she finally achieved in 2016. Three years later, she joined the team at Nazareth Health Centre, where she met Thelingoane — the woman who would become her inspiration, mentor, and now, collaborator.

“The dedication and hard work among ourselves as colleagues have brought us this far,” Thetso said.

Thelingoane revolutionises midwifery

Meet Mantuta Thelingoane, the nurse-in-charge at Nazareth Health Centre. Now aged 43, Thelingoane began her professional journey at the centre in 2011 as a registered nurse-midwife.

Just three years later, she was awarded one of ten prestigious scholarships to pursue Advanced Midwifery at the University of the Free State in South Africa.

When she returned in 2015, her supervisor simply told her: It’s your time to lead.With that, Thelingoane stepped into leadership — and began her mission to revolutionalise maternal care across Nazareth Health Centre catchment areas – peri-urban communities and parts of Lesotho’s highlands.

“When my passion for midwifery was still burning, I began community campaigns,” Thelingoane said.

“I visited villages, talked to chiefs and village health workers, urging every pregnant woman to attend antenatal care and give birth at health facilities.”

The results have been transformative, she explained. The number of clinic-based deliveries has soared, sometimes reaching 40 births per month. Nazareth even overtook Sebetia clinic to rank first nationally, winning praise from the Ministry of Health.

Although both Thetso and Thelingoane spoke to this publication separately, the bond between these two midwives is more than professional. It is a synergy built on shared values, mutual respect, and commitment to serving mothers and newborns. Their leadership has inspired a harmonious work environment.

“We bond through shared meals, resolve work issues together, and support one another,” Thelingoane said. “When there’s a mistake, we review it as a team and learn from it.”

Thelingoane’s vision extends beyond the clinic walls. She has established strong partnerships with Village Health Workers, who help identify pregnant women in remote villages and guide them to the clinic.

“We meet regularly with Village Health Workers to track every pregnancy in our catchment area. Our goal is zero missed cases, no woman left behind,” Thelingoane explained.

Her initiatives include fundraising with community women to buy sanitary pads, baby diapers, and essentials for mothers who arrive at the clinic unprepared, often due to poverty or concealed pregnancies.

Thelingoane even planted a vegetable garden in the facility yard to ensure pregnant women waiting for delivery receive nutritious meals.

On a separate occasion marking International Nurses Day, held in Mantsonyane, Thaba-Tseka on May 12, 2025, Mantuta Thelingoane was honored with a National Nursing Award for outstanding performance in Clinical Nursing Services.

Their impact has not gone unnoticed.

At the International Midwifery Day celebration held at Nazareth, Keneuoe Nelly Fobo, President of the Independent Midwives Association Lesotho, described the clinic as a model of excellence.

“This health facility serves a very large population with only four midwives, and yet they work so well. We are here to learn from you,” Fobo said.

Cecilia Khachane, from the Nursing Directorate, echoed the sentiment, commending both staff and community health workers.

“You’ve given us tough competition,” she said.

Khechane added: “No health facility in Maseru delivers babies like Nazareth. When Nazareth had 100 deliveries, others had 40. That’s a huge gap. You deserve more human resources.”

On May 9, 2025, Makhauhelo Lenkoe, a Village Health Worker from Nazareth, praised Thelingoane’s leadership and the unwavering dedication of the health team.

“They assist pregnant women, mothers, and patients tirelessly,” Lenkoe said. “We are proud of them, but we plead for more nurses.”

Clients, too, praise the clinic. ‘Maleuta Mphanya, a mother of two, said she received exemplary care.

“They guided me so well throughout my pregnancy. I was never frustrated. Pregnant women don’t queue with others, they’re seen in a special consultation room. They know how to work with people,” Mphanya said.