Ambassador Molelekeng Ernestina Rapolaki
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Ambassador Molelekeng Ernestina Rapolaki

Ambassador Molelekeng Ernestina Rapolaki

H.E. Ambassador Molelekeng Ernestina Rapolaki assumed her assignment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the United States of America in December 2001 until 2008. Since the end of her term, Ambassador Rapolaki has been the Ambassador-in-Residence at Winston-Salem State University. She is also accredited to Brazil, Canada and Mexico on a non – residential basis.

She completed her BA degree in Economics at the National University of Lesotho in 1980 and obtained her MPA with specialization in Population Policy at the University of Southern California in the U.S. in 1993.

Prior to her appointment as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho to the United States,

She held the following positions in the Ministry of Development Planning:

Planning Officer, 1980-1985; Senior Planning Officer, 1985 – 1987; Director of Economic Policy, 1987 – 1992; Director of Population and Manpower Planning, 1994 – 1997 and that of Principal Secretary of the Ministry, 1997-2001.

The Ambassador led the process of establishment of the Department of Economic Policy within the Ministry of Development Planning in 1987.

She spearheaded the establishment of the Department of Population and Manpower Planning in the same Ministry in 1994.

She won a research awarded on Population Policy Communication from the Population Reference Bureau in Washington D.C. in 1993.

She contributed Chapters on Population, Health, Education and Mining Sectors in the Economic Options for Lesotho published by the Institute of Southern African Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Lesotho (NUL) in 1997.

She wrote and presented a keynote address on Lesotho’s Economic review since independence for Vision 2020 forum held in January 2001.

She also received Women who Make a Difference Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc. USA in 2002.

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