Background: Many children in the world today grow up under very challenging circumstances. In Lesotho, the issue of HIV/AIDS, food-insecurity and poverty has caused the country several problems and statues a threat to the wellbeing of its young inhabitants. In those circumstances, adolescents’ capacity to face these challenges becomes a great part of the nurses’ work in the country. Aim: The aim of this study is to describe nurses’ experiences from strengthening capacity in vulnerable adolescents in a southern African nursing context. Method: Four qualitative, semi-structured interviews was conducted with nurses working at two different health care clinics for youth in Lesotho. The findings were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results: In the results, Resilience was identified as a core theme. This core theme was found to be encircled by four main themes: Nursing care, Strengthen capacity, Identify the whole and Challenges. Conclusion: Resilience was a concept used by all interviewed nurses and also the over-all goal of various nursing interventions. By using a holistic approach, the nurses viewed the whole person in his or her cultural and familial context. Thereafter different methods and techniques were used to build capacity in the adolescents and help them to face and overcome difficulties. Clinical relevance: Describing how nurses can help adolescents to build capacity can inspire nurses in all health care settings to implement nursing interventions and hence build resilience.