Shepherds expose mental health crisis 

…as they recount sexual abuse, hunger and harsh working conditions 

Bokang Mofoka 

SHEPHERDS from across Lesotho have laid bare the harsh realities of their lives, describing abuse, exploitation, dangerous working conditions and childhood trauma that they say are fuelling a growing mental health crisis among one of the country’s most neglected sectors. 

The emotional testimonies emerged during a men’s mental health dialogue organised by the Earth Care Alliance in Thaba-Bosiu, Maseru, over the weekend to mark the end of Men’s Mental Health Month (June). 

The gathering gave shepherds a rare platform to openly discuss the psychological burdens they face both at work and at home. 

For many participants, stress is rooted not only in the demands of shepherding but also in years of neglect, discrimination and abuse stretching back to childhood. 

Shepherds stationed at remote cattle posts painted a grim picture of life in the mountains. 

One participant said access to food was often a daily struggle. 

“Sometimes when I cannot get supplies from the livestock owner, I survive only on plain maize meal without anything to eat with it.” 

He said hunger was only one of the dangers they faced. 

“Cattle rustlers are everywhere. We constantly fear being shot or injured while protecting livestock.” 

Even severe weather offered no respite. 

“Even when there is heavy snow or strong rain, we are expected to continue checking on the animals. Some shepherds have lost their lives because they remained on duty during extreme weather.” 

Participants said life at cattle posts exposed shepherds to physical danger while isolating them from emotional support and essential services. 

Perhaps the most alarming revelations involved allegations of sexual abuse. 

One shepherd claimed young herd boys were sometimes sexually abused by older shepherds at remote cattle posts. 

“The young boys are abused sexually by older men at the cattle posts. They remain silent and many never report the abuse or seek medical help.” 

Participants said fear, shame and isolation often prevented victims from reporting the abuse. 

The discussion also highlighted poor working conditions. 

Several shepherds complained that employers expected them to perform physically demanding work without providing adequate clothing or equipment. 

“We are expected to work professionally, but employers do not always buy us proper boots or blankets that we need to survive in the mountains.” 

Others questioned the low wages they receive despite working throughout the year without guaranteed leave. 

“The money we receive is very little considering that we never get leave from work.” 

One shepherd said raising children had become a major source of anxiety. 

“My greatest source of stress is my own children. They constantly disobey me and come and go whenever they please. When I try to discipline them, they threaten to report me to the police. Today parents are afraid to correct their children because they are accused of abusing them,” he said. 

Several participants echoed his concerns, saying changing attitudes towards discipline had left many parents unsure how to raise respectful children without risking accusations of abuse. 

However, some of the most disturbing testimonies centred on the treatment shepherds receive from employers. 

One participant described what he called degrading and discriminatory treatment at the household where he works. 

“I herd livestock and also do all kinds of household work. But when it is time to eat, I am not served inside the house like the rest of the family. I am told to take my food outside at a kraal.” 

He said the family’s sons were never expected to perform the same demanding duties. 

“The boys in that family do not do the work that I do. They are never treated the way I am. No one helps me. Sometimes I am even given rotten food that the family themselves refuse to eat.” 

Participants said such treatment was common, with many young shepherds viewed merely as cheap labour rather than members of the households they serve. 

Many participants also reflected on painful childhood experiences that had shaped their lives. 

One shepherd said becoming a herd boy had never been his choice. 

“I did not become a shepherd because I wanted to. My parents forced me into this life.” 

Although he has since accepted the profession, he said it had taken years to come to terms with it. 

“Today I have accepted shepherding because I now understand that livestock require someone who is alert and responsible.” 

Participants said many children enter shepherding at an early age after being sent away by parents who see livestock herding as their only option. 

Another participant said disputes between traditional leaders and grazing associations also placed enormous pressure on shepherds. 

“The way we are treated in the villages is difficult enough. But chiefs and grazing association leaders also place enormous pressure on us.” 

He said shepherds were often caught in conflicts over grazing permits and communal grazing rules. 

“Very often chiefs and grazing committee members disagree among themselves, but it is shepherds who end up suffering the consequences of disputes that have nothing to do with us.” 

The dialogue further revealed that many shepherds continued to carry emotional scars from childhood. 

Facilitators heard that some participants grew up without stable families, while others spent their childhoods working in private homes instead of attending school. Many said they never benefited from wages earned while working as children and were deprived of both education and parental care. 

Addressing the gathering, Earth Care Alliance Programme Director, Malefane Matele, said childhood experiences play a critical role in shaping adult mental health. 

“A child learns from the people around them. If a child grows up in an abusive environment, they often come to believe that abuse is a normal part of life.” 

Mr Matele said many shepherds had experienced violence, neglect and emotional deprivation from an early age, making it difficult to develop healthy relationships and coping mechanisms later in life. 

He stressed that improving men’s mental health required society to address the conditions in which boys are raised rather than focusing only on problems that emerge in adulthood. 

Throughout the dialogue, participants called for greater recognition of shepherds as workers deserving dignity, legal protection and access to mental health services. 

They argued that although shepherds safeguard one of Lesotho’s most valuable economic assets—its livestock—they remained largely invisible in national discussions on labour rights, healthcare and social protection. 

The testimonies also highlighted the need for stronger safeguards against child labour, workplace exploitation, sexual abuse and unsafe working conditions at remote cattle posts. 

For many participants, the meeting was the first opportunity to speak openly about experiences they had carried for years. 

Their stories revealed that behind the familiar image of Lesotho’s mountain shepherd lies a workforce burdened by poverty, trauma and isolation, underscoring calls for reforms that protect shepherds’ rights, improve working conditions and expand access to mental health support. 

The post Shepherds expose mental health crisis  appeared first on Lesotho Times.