Day 18 - Education

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. – Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Hands at Work’s dream for our children is not just to help them survive today, but to equip them for their futures. One of Hands at Work’s three essential services is access to education. We seek to encourage and advocate for the education of our children both formally – in school settings – and informally. Pray for each child going to school to study well and be treated with grace and kindness by their teachers. Pray for Hands at Work as we seek to continually grow in our understanding of how we can invest into the lives of our children, helping them to develop into healthy and whole adults who love Jesus.

"We know our children can grow up to be healthy adults who love the Lord and can provide for themselves and their families and can make a positive impact in their communities. That's our dream for them! Imagine what an impact our children can make as they grow up healed of such a past of brokenness and start to model a new way in their community! But it is demanding a change in the way we think about education and learning." - Busie Sityatha-Jones, Hands at Work leader (South Africa)

#40Days2022

Praying for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Malawi

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

A huge challenge in the DRC is the cost of school fees. Pray for open doors for our children to attend school and for the local Hands at Work teams in the DRC as they support their children in this area. 

The local Hands at Work teams in the DRC want to help our youth grow in skills like gardening and construction, recognising that these skills will be beneficial in the future. Currently, plans are being made to start discipleship programmes to teach these skills and also share about the heart of Christ. Care Workers who are skilled in gardening and construction will be involved in these projects. Additionally, this year, there have been Maranatha Workshops for the youth in Luhonga, Buhimba and Kambove communities with the purpose being to share about the ‘Jesus We Know’ and what it means to grow into a healthy adult. Pray for the seeds that were planted during these workshops to bear fruit and pray for continued spiritual growth and an eagerness to serve their community. 

In Malawi, many families struggle to see the importance of their children receiving an education and, in some cases, take them out of school so that they can help their families work in the fields to earn a living. When children are able to attend school, they often have to walk a long way and, in many situations, on an empty stomach. Just a few weeks ago, schools reopened in Malawi for the first time since they closed in 2020. Pray for the most vulnerable families as they hear from the local Hands at Work team in Dedza the importance of their children receiving an education. Pray that they will have receptive hearts. Pray for the children to be safe as they walk to school, and that they will have strength and endurance. 

Understanding the importance of the healthy growth and development of the most vulnerable children, several Care Points in Malawi have under-fives programmes. Here, children under the age of five receive breakfast and have an opportunity to play with their friends while learning basic things like letters and numbers. Pray for these programmes to continually grow and develop into

Praying for Zambia

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

Many challenges make obtaining an education for the most vulnerable children in Zambia difficult, from simply a lack of access and overcrowding in classrooms, to families struggling to understand the importance of their children getting an education. Some families instead prioritise their children working over the safety and security that going to school can provide. Pray for the local Hands at Work teams across Zambia as they continue to invest into the most vulnerable families and emphasise the importance of children receiving an education. Pray for parents and grandmothers as they grow in their security and understanding of the role that the Life Centres, Care Workers and the children’s daily meal play in their lives. 

Wanting to be intentional about investing into our children, the local Hands at Work teams in Zambia host youth camps for small groups of our youth from our communities throughout the year. These are set-aside times to dig deeper into the word of God and learn about what it means to be a servant leader while giving the space for our children to simply be children, free from the responsibilities at home. Pray for these camps to be a safe place where the youth can learn about Jesus and His love for them.

Praying for Nigeria

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:17

With a limited number of schools and teachers in Nigeria, schools are often overcrowded, leaving teachers with limited capacity to provide one-on-one care for their students. In some families, boys attending school is seen as a greater priority than girls, while in others, children are forced to work and help provide for the family instead of attending school. Pray for the local Hands at Work team in Lagos as they speak into these situations, that they will have wisdom and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. 

One way that the Lagos team have been investing into the youth in their communities is by involving them in building projects when the need arises. Having this time with the youth teaches them basic life skills like carpentry, and also gives the Lagos team the opportunity to have a Bible study with them. Pray for the Lagos team to have wisdom and discernment as they build into the youth, both practically and spiritually.

Join Us in a Week of Prayer for Holistic Education (May 24th to May 28th)

Join us for a week of prayer from May 24th to May 28th, focusing on holistic education and the role that it plays in the lives of the most vulnerable children. 

Follow along with our prayer guide as we share some of the challenges surrounding education in each of the countries that we are serving and how we are committed to helping the most vulnerable children grow into healthy and whole adults who hope and believe that they have a future.

Download the prayer guide or follow along with our prayer app for daily prayer requests.

Day 19 - Education

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6

For much of 2020, schools across Africa and around the world were closed due to the pandemic. This is a massive challenge in the Africa context, and many of our children will never be able to finish their education as a result. Please pray for Godly people in government positions to protect our children with relevant measures.

#40Days2021