The Everyday Feminist

6Feminists Work for Men and Boys, Too

Spotlight: Refiloe Harris and Men Engage Movement

Issue: Herd Boys

When I met Puleng (known as Pula), during an official visit to Mafeteng, Lesotho, she was wrapped in a traditional Basotho blanket. I'd been in the landlocked South African country for several months, but I was still getting used to the cold mountainous weather. In her early 30s, she looked young for her age, despite the sorrow she'd already endured. It had been four years since she had lost her only son at age 12, while he was out herding cattle.

The custom of sending boys to take care of cattle has long roots among the Basotho people, the ethnic group that makes up over 99% of the population of Lesotho. It is considered a huge responsibility and a path to becoming a man that was revered by families both rich and poor. Thousands of young boys—from the startling age of 7 until about 17—are put into the fields and hills to ensure that the family cattle are fed and cared for. According to a 2021 UNICEF report, about 22% of children in Lesotho between ages 5 and 17 are engaged in some form of child labor.¹ These are mostly boys working to herd their families' livestock.

Most “herd boys” are sent out on their first herding trip when they turn five or six. These escapades typically last three or so months at a time, depending on where there is available grass. The boys were sent with very little incidentals, making the task extremely difficult. They are often malnourished, ...