The Butterfly Sanctuary in partnership with the Heritage organization implements a project titled: Empowering Communities: Sustainable Tourism, Heritage Preservation and Economic Empowerment Project at Kome Caves – Leribe, Lesotho.

The project’s purpose was to enhance visitor experiences by installing solar power in the traditional huts within the caves and repairing these huts to preserve Basotho cultural authenticity. This included maintaining and restoring the traditional paintings and smearing techniques. Additionally, the project aimed to empower the community by facilitating comprehensive training programs in hospitality, tour guiding, and tourism management, enabling them to effectively host and accommodate tourists. In partnership with Heritage Foundation, Lesotho Tourism development  Corporation  (LTDC) the project was able to achieve the following:

Milestone 2:  Repair and Enhancement of 6 Pilot Traditional Huts: Carry out essential repairs and improvements to the traditional huts within the Kome Caves, ensuring the preservation of Basotho cultural authenticity to accommodate tourists. To date, the project has successfully engaged women skilled in traditional smearing and painting to carry out the smearing and soil painting of the 8 huts within the caves. The entire process, including the repair and replacement of doors, was completed by local artisans and residents of Kome Caves. The women participated through their respective groups, contributing labor and designs for the smearing of the huts. This phase has been completed, with the final step awaiting the painting of the doors using traditional colors. The women have also been engaged in providing food for the community and paid for their services.

Process of Renovation of Huts and Door Replacements:

The project team consulted with community members who had expertise in traditional door replacement, as well as in the painting and smearing of huts using colored soil. A group of both women and men from the community was selected and assigned the task of renovating and repairing the huts. The local project committee provided oversight throughout the process, while Butterfly Sanctuary handled payments and quality assessments, with support from LTDC.

Both men and women were actively involved in all aspects of the project, including the renovation and smearing of the huts within the caves.

Figure 2  L-R local artisans and women involved in painting the huts

Milestone 3: 5 solar panels procured and installed on at least 5 Huts as pilot project. 

Four street solar lights and six portable solar lights with batteries have been procured from the supplier, and the installation has been successfully completed.

The community has committed to ensuring the security of the solar panels and lights installed across the eight huts within the caves. Initially, the plan was to equip only five huts, but it was later confirmed that the caves include eight huts, including kitchen areas.

Security concerns have been effectively addressed, with reassurances provided by the local authority and the area chief to safeguard the installations.

BEFORE installation of the Solar panels in the cave vicinity

              (Above)Photo of the Caves taken at around 7:00 Pm 

Process of Installation 

Figure 3(Above): Excited Communities witness the installation.

After the installation – Picture taken at the same spot same time 

(Above)Current view of the huts after the installation

Figure 4(Above): Outlook view

On the day of the solar installation and hut renovations within the caves, an elderly community member was overheard expressing profound gratitude, saying:

“This Butterfly Sanctuary project has transformed how we view development initiatives. We have been misled so often by people who make empty promises and never deliver. But this is a dream come true in our lifetime. They made promises, and we have witnessed their fulfillment within the same period.”

This sentiment reflects the impact of delivering tangible results and fostering trust within the community.

Milestone 4: Conduct quarterly community training and mentoring sessions for   families and tour guides on hospitality management 

Upon receiving the grant, the project staff decided to visit the heritage site as tourists as part of the initial assessment for the project, prior to engaging with the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC). The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate customer care, the surrounding environment, and the site’s suitability as a tourist attraction.

As part the project meetings, the Butterfly Sanctuary took the Kome Caves Community through a visioning exercise that focused on assessing opportunities, risks, Resources,  and future aspirations. A broader joint vision was intended to rally the community alongside the same objective and with a clear risk analysis and mitigation plan.

Visioning, Resource Mapping & Risk Analysis exercise

Above: L-R Female youths and Male adults in visioning exercise 

Above: L-R Female adults and Male Youths in visioning and risk analysis exercise 

4. Challenges Faced:

The project was initially designed to include just four meetings. However, the dynamic and at times volatile nature of the community necessitated holding more than five meetings. These additional meetings aimed to address conflicts among community members, the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC), and the LTDC-appointed committee overseeing the Kome Tourism initiatives. Furthermore, the meetings sought to manage tensions with other community members who felt excluded from the tourism-related benefits.

   a)  Identifying Community Contacts:
Initially, it was challenging to identify community contact persons who could facilitate engagement. This difficulty stemmed from reports of ongoing conflicts between the community and LTDC, creating concerns about safety and the potential risks of engaging without security personnel.

 b) Navigating Community Dynamics:
The process was lengthy and confusing, as there was apprehension that visiting the community alongside LTDC might provoke anger and lead to rejection. To mitigate this, the project team opted to first visit the area as tourists to better understand the environment and assess the situation.

c)  Rebuilding Trust:
Once introduced to the community by LTDC, the Butterfly Sanctuary staff adopted a humble and respectful approach. Promises made to the community were consistently fulfilled within agreed timelines, helping to rebuild trust.

d) Overcoming Historical Manipulation:
The community, having been manipulated for years, had lost trust in the government and other tourism sector partners. However, initiatives like the visioning exercise and the installation of solar panels have fostered joy and renewed trust, marking a significant step towards restoring the relationship between the community and stakeholders.

SECTION 3: IMPACT AND OUTCOMES

Project Impact:

The project has already begun to make a positive impression within the community and beyond:

• Community Gratitude and Renewed Trust:
  During the solar installation and hut renovations, an elderly community member expressed heartfelt appreciation, stating:
  “This Butterfly Sanctuary project has transformed how we view development initiatives. We have been misled so often by people who make empty promises and never deliver. But this is a dream come true in our lifetime. They made promises, and we have witnessed their fulfillment within the same period.”

The Chairperson of the Kome Management Committee also shared positive feedback, saying:
“Our clients truly appreciated the developments you made in the caves and are eager to visit during the December holidays.”

• Strengthened Partnerships:
  The Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) has shown strong support for the project, marking a significant step toward sustainable partnerships for tourism development.
• Restored Hope and Future Potential:
  Although the project is still in its early stages, the positive feedback from the community highlights restored hope, trust, and appreciation for the project’s contributions. These sentiments suggest a promising future, with increased interest from tourists and potential for further economic opportunities in the area.

The project’s early success demonstrates the transformative potential of collaborative and community-centred approaches to development.