15 April 2026 by Monyane Khau

When Paballo-ea-Bophelo secured funding from UNICEF to produce and publish stories aimed at increasing demand for childhood and adolescent vaccines in Lesotho, its co-founder and seasoned investigative journalist, Pascalinah Kabi, knew the team had to think beyond conventional approaches.

Paballo-ea-Bophelo, a community-based organisation specialising in media literacy for public health and environmental protection, was one of the six non-governmental organisations engaged by UNICEF, with funding from GAVI the Vaccine Alliance, to support the Ministry of Health in tracing and linking under-immunised and zero-dose children in Mokhotlong, Leribe, Berea, Maseru and Mafeteng with life-saving vaccines.

Between September 2025 and February 2026, Paballo-ea-Bophelo partnered with health facilities in Mokhotlong, Berea, Maseru and Mafeteng with resources to reach and immunise more than 1, 000 children in communities and schools.

Of the 1, 003 children reached, 71 were immunised through a partnership between Paballo-ea-Bophelo and two football teams – FC Mokhotlong Giants and Sekamaneng Young Stars, demonstrating how sport-driven storytelling can translate directly into life-saving action.

“I quickly convened a meeting with my team and shared my desire for Paballo-ea-Bophelo not just to write and publish stories, but to ensure that children receive life-saving vaccines through our storytelling,” Kabi told Uncensored News on 10 April 2026.

She added: “I asked my team for ideas, and we all agreed that we must leverage the power of sports to get communities involved and ensure that children are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.”

At the beginning of December 2025, Paballo-ea-Bophelo began scouting for willing teams and initiated talks with six developmental teams across the five districts the Ministry of Health marked as having the highest number of under-immunised and zero-dose children.

These districts are Mokhotlong, Leribe, Berea, Maseru, and Mafeteng. Only Mokhotlong’s FC Mokhotlong Giants and Berea’s Sekamaneng Young Stars showed interest and began mobilising their communities to identify under-immunised and zero-dose children.

Sekamaneng Young Stars were the first to link three under-five children with Mabote Filter Clinic in December 2025 for successful vaccination.

President Ralebenya Leboela said the primary vision of his team is to ensure that children are kept off the streets and away from harmful practices, particularly those aged 10 and above.

“Our involvement with these children is very hands-on. We are more like parents to them. Even in cases of sickness, we are involved,” he said.

He explained that the health of children in the team is an integral priority, noting that access to vaccines is discussed and encouraged at team level.

“This is especially true for girls, whom we encouraged to receive the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, and we were successful,” he said.

“We identified leaders among the players who visited the families of their teammates with under-five children and asked about their vaccination history. It was difficult for the boys to approach families and speak about health-related issues, but in the end, they identified children who were under-immunised,” Leboela said.

Kabi noted that Paballo-ea-Bophelo donated two soccer balls to Sekamaneng Young Stars as a token of appreciation for their efforts.

“We initially planned to donate bibs, but the team indicated that their greatest need was soccer balls,” Kabi said.

Meanwhile, in January 2026, FC Mokhotlong Giants coach and Lehlakaneng Primary School principal, Kabelo Mporo, began engaging parents at his school and Senqu Valley Primary School on the importance of childhood vaccines, convincing them to allow their children to be immunised.

Once consent from parents was obtained, Mporo submitted the number of children requiring vaccination to Mokhotlong District Health Management Team (DHMT). Following extensive consultations, a decision was made to conduct outreach visits to Lehlakaneng and Senqu Valley primary schools. Paballo-ea-Bophelo provided resources to enable officials from Molikaliko Health Centre to travel to Lehlakaneng and Senqu Valley primary schools and vaccinate the children.

“Initially, we were scheduled to support the vaccination on 12 February 2026, but it was postponed at the last minute due to heavy rainfall that made river crossings impossible. However, we are excited that on 20 February 2026, a total of 68 children were vaccinated with HPV and Td vaccines,” Kabi said.

The reason for postponement is one of the many challenges parents and caregivers experience in hard to reach areas, resulting in some children missing their doses.

In exchange for its effort, FC Mokhotlong Giants received training bibs and markers from Paballo-ea-Bophelo. On his part, coach Mporo said it is important for teams to make partnerships with non-governmental organisations like Paballo-ea-Bophelo so they can actively participate in children’s health.

“I know that within communities, some parents lack understanding on vaccines and sometimes they even deny children such services. When coaches step-in, because of the long established trust that we have with communities, this could help ensure that the Ministry of Health’s immunisation programme succeeds,” coach Mporo said.

He added: “As FC Mokhotlong Giants, we encourage parents and sports clubs to ensure that children receive their vaccines at the right time, during the appropriate schedules so children can grow without battling with vaccine-preventable diseases.”

As a full-time teacher, Mporo boldly said: “When a child has received their vaccines at the right time, they will be able to attend schools without interruptions, a child will perform well in sports because they will be healthy.”

Meanwhile, Paballo-ea-Bophelo also partnered with journalists—Ntsoaki Motaung (Newsday), Mosa Maoeng (Public Eye), Limpho Kabeli (Radio Lesotho), Limpho Sello (Uncensored News), Lehlohonolo Ntlale (Lesotho Television), and Mantsali Phakoane (The Reporter)—to produce human interest stories that encourage parents and caregivers to take children who missed their doses for vaccination.

Four young reporters—Paballo Julliet Kabi, Letlotlo Khali, Teboho Seutloali, and Karabo Buzi—without prior journalism training, produced six social media videos targeting young parents.

Commenting on the role the media played in reaching under-immunised and zero-dose children, the Ministry of Health Deputy Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Susan Ramakhunoane, said the media played a critical role in this project.

“The media has done exceptional work,” Susan said.

“When I started, I mentioned that I am fully aware the message has reached people because they are giving feedback. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, once people start talking, it means vaccine messages have reached them because of your reporting.”

She said the Ministry of Health was truly thankful that when it called the media for collaboration, these journalists and other publications – Newsday, Public Eye, Uncensored News, Radio Lesotho, Lesotho Television, The Reporter, The Post, Sky Alpha HD, Tsenolo FM, Mapholi FM, Radio Maria, PC FM, Moeletsi-oa-Basotho, Metro, Informative and Lesotho News Agency – came through and made sure the message on the importance of vaccines reached the Basotho nation and beyond our borders.

“In future, if there is anything you want to know about vaccines or any health-related issue, please approach Ms (Mateboho) Mosebekoa or a specific department. The EPI department’s doors are open; we would like you to approach us so the nation can be informed. Thank you to the media and everyone who made these achievements possible.”