Millennium Challenge Corporations
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004, MCC delivers smart U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results.
The MCC and the Kingdom of Lesotho will sign the $300 million Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact on May 12, 2022 in Maseru. The Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact — an interest-free grant agreement — is comprised of three projects.
- The Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) project aims to improve primary healthcare services and standards of care, expand healthcare financial and management systems, and modernize health data systems.
- The Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH) project aims to increase rural incomes by investing in climate-smart irrigation infrastructure and attracting commercial farmers to collaborate with local, small famers to produce high-value crops and build strong value chains. The MDIH project will also support government reforms and capacity to sustain inclusive and sustainable growth of this sector.
- The Business Environment and Technical Assistance (BETA) project plans to increase profits for potential high-growth firms, including enterprises owned by women and youth and firms in rural areas. The project will work across key productive sectors, including agriculture, creative industries, manufacturing, and tourism, to support the growth of existing and new firms through technical assistance, business development services, and linkages to financing opportunities. Grant funding will be available for select women- and youth-owned businesses to purchase equipment, goods, and facilitate business plan implementation.
The previous Lesotho Compact, a five-year, $362.6 million interest-free grant agreement, completed in 2013, focused on improving the provision of water supplies for industrial and domestic use, improving health outcomes, and removing barriers to foreign and local private sector investment.
To learn more about the Lesotho Compact, please visit the MCC website here.