Day 25 - Meet the Lomahasha and Phophonyane Service Centres (#40Days2024)

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. - Psalm 68:5

Across Africa, Hands at Work has local teams comprising of Christian men and women who have answered God’s calling on their lives to serve the most vulnerable. Each of these teams exists to encourage, challenge and support local volunteer Care Workers as they care for the most vulnerable children in the most broken and desperate communities across Africa. We call these teams Service Centres.

In the Lomahasha Service Centre are: Bonginkozi, Ntombifuthi and Zodwa. They serve four of the most vulnerable communities across Africa.

• “Pray with us as a Service Centre, that we can be strong in the Lord and be united so we can be able to stand in tough times.” (Ntombifuthi, Local Leader, Eswatini)

In the Phophonyane Service Centre is: Mnelisi and Nosipho. They serve one of the most vulnerable communities across Africa.

• Pray as the team plans to expand our work in the region. Pray that the Phophonyane Service Centre would be regularly supported as is the plan and for those coming alongside them.

Day 24 - Meet the Hazyview and Oshoek Service Centres (#40Days2024)

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”– Exodus 14:13-14

Across Africa, Hands at Work has local teams comprising of Christian men and women who have answered God’s calling on their lives to serve the most vulnerable. Each of these teams exists to encourage, challenge and support local volunteer Care Workers as they care for the most vulnerable children in the most broken and desperate communities across Africa. We call these teams Service Centres.

In the Hazyview Service Centre are: Angel, Audres, Eunice and Loneck, Prudence, Thembi and Virginia. They serve four of the most vulnerable communities across Africa.

• “Please pray for us as a team that God will give us strength and wisdom as we are caring for our children. Pray we will continue to make it personal when our children have challenges and to act even if it costs us.

• Please pray for us as, this year, we are focusing on our Primary Caregivers. Pray that we will dig deeper into our Bible so that we can share the good news with them so that they will know the Jesus we know.” (Virginia, Local Leader, South Africa)

In the Oshoek Service Centre are: Anita, Jacob, Nokthula, Nontobeko, Penelope and Senzo. They serve seven of the most vulnerable communities across Africa.

• “Pray for us as a team to always stick the Watchword on our foreheads as we start the new year in whatever situation we may come across. Pray that we will grow in unity and in one spirit as a team as we continue serving.” (Nontobecko, Local Leader, South Africa)

Day 23 - Welcome to South Africa (#40Days2024)

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonions 5:16-18

South Africa is one of eight countries Hands at Work is serving in across Africa. South Africa has a population of 60,473,211 people, with 22% of the population living in extreme poverty. Ranking 109 out of 187 on the Human Development Index, there are 230,000 children living with HIV/AIDS and 720,000 children who have been orphaned because of this life-threatening illness.

–Sources: UNAID, UNDP, World Poverty Clock

As we start the week, please join us in praying for the country of South Africa:

• This year, we are going to have elections as a country, so there will be lots of division. There are political parties that are starting and will take advantage of the most vulnerable by making promises and making them do odd jobs. There is so much corruption in South African politics. We can pray for our children to be safe during this time, not to be taken advantage of and to not get involved in those politics because it is so easy to get involved.

• We can pray for the schools in South Africa. Pinky, one of the leaders, told us of schools in the area that have closed due to unusual and disturbing behaviour in some of the children. Some children had collapsed, others were convulsing, speaking and falling in worrying ways. “There are many spiritual attacks. In one of the schools, they opened for a week, and then they had to close. People will try to take advantage of the situation and even make money from it as they offer to “help.” We can pray for the protection of the children in schools because it is disturbing them, and some are scared to go back to school. Pray that they will have the courage to return”. (Pinky, Regional Support Team Leader, South Africa)

Day 23 - Welcome to Eswatini (#40Days2024)

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonions 5:16-18

Eswatini is one of eight countries Hands at Work is serving in across Africa. Eswatini has a population of 1,489,160 people, with 30% of the population living in extreme poverty. Ranking 144 out of 187 on the Human Development Index, there are 7,300 children living with HIV/AIDS and 57,000 children who have been orphaned because of this life-threatening illness. –Sources: UNAID, UNDP, World Poverty Clock

As we start the week, please join us in praying for the country of Eswatini:

• “Pray for our government and our King to have one mind so that we can have peace in the county.” (Ntombifuthi, Local Leader, Eswatini)

• “We can pray also for the domestic violence that is happening in Eswatini. I think the people there are so used to it, whether it’s sexual assault, domestic violence, emotional abuse, so they are okay with it. They don’t see a problem. Pray for the Service Centre team as we are trying to teach that it is not right and you cannot solve it because it is a crime. The police should be involved so that the children can be safe. We can pray that things will not be swept under the carpet but will be in the open. Pray for the women to be able to speak up for things like that and say it is not okay to live in an abusive marriage or relationship.

• This year, we have a lot of children who are dropping out of school because they are failing their grades. Please pray for that and also for the Regional Support Teams and Service Centres in Eswatini, as we find ways to support these children because there are lots of things that they can get themselves into, like marijuana and prostitution. Pray that we can help find ways to support them during this season.” (Pinky, Regional Support Team Leader, South Africa)

As you pray, remember the International Offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US who serve with Hands at Work to care for the most vulnerable in Eswatini and South Africa. Pray for each of the advocates and churches in these countries that partner with Hands at Work. Pray that they will remain steadfast in their calling to serve. Pray that they will be encouraged even in times of difficulty.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- Galatians 6:9

When Kupa (Regional Support Team Leader, Zimbabwe) was asked ‘if you could ask people to pray for one thing in your country what would it be’, she shared “My one prayer request is that we pray for rain and a good harvest. Things are tough, economically, and it’s getting harder and harder for the Primary Caregivers or even the average person to survive. The rainfall hasn’t been that great and last year’s harvest wasn’t great. So we just pray that we have more rain and are able to have a good harvest. Without that, things are going to be really tough.”

Day 22 - Care Workers and Primary Caregivers across Zimbabwe (#40Days2024)

In many communities in Zimbabwe and across Africa, the Care Workers are also the Primary Caregivers of the children they serve. A Primary Caregiver is the mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings or other relatives of the children coming to the Care Point.

• “Pray for more and more Primary Caregivers to come to know the Lord so that they better care for the children. A lot of them carry very heavy burdens and have many wounds from injustices that have happened to them or, in some cases, are still happening. Please pray that God brings healing.

• Pray for open doors for income-generating activities for the Primary Caregivers so they have enough to support their families and themselves. We pray for open doors.” (Kupa, Regional Support Team Leader, Zimbabwe)