Creating space for the Link to grow

Date: July 2022
Category: The Link in Lesotho

As the work of the Lesotho Durham Link continued to develop, so did the need for more space.

By 2022, the centre in Maseru was hosting increasingly large groups for conferences, workshops, weddings and other events, placing growing demands on its existing facilities.

The kitchen was also in need of improvement.

A new space for gathering

The answer was a new lapa and an upgraded kitchen.

A lapa is a traditional Southern African structure made from poles with a roof and open sides, with canvas panels that can be added when the weather requires them. The word lapa comes from the Sesotho word for a homestead or courtyard.

The new lapa was designed to seat more than 100 people, creating a flexible space for groups to meet, eat, celebrate and spend time together.

Building for the future

The development was more than simply a building project.

It was about creating the facilities the Link needed to welcome growing numbers of people and continue serving the communities and groups who use the centre.

Alongside the lapa, the new kitchen would provide much-needed improvements to the centre's catering facilities.

Together, the developments represented another step in the continuing growth of the Lesotho Durham Link — creating space for people to come together.

And that is at the heart of what the Link has always been about.