In the communities where Hands at Work serves, a goat can be an important resource for a family; they are resilient and reproduce quickly, often having up to six kids annually. As Care Workers look after their goats and watch their goat family grow, they are essentially creating a ‘bank account’ of goats that they can sell and use the profits earned to purchase basic items for their families.

“Through spending time with Hands at Work, I came to see the greater picture of what was being done and I wanted to be a part of it. My journey with Hands at Work reminds me of where I have come from. I have walked through many challenges similar to the children that we are serving. God has taught me to continue to trust in and hold onto Him because he never fails his people. I have seen how I should be depending on God because God is the only answer.”

"I was not really interested in work. I was not. I was sick a lot of the time," Pinky recalls. "But when they called (after the interview), they said they'd like to have me. I thought, 'Ooh, these people are so crazy, really now?'"

When it's Easter time, it reminds me to say remember, you were in the dark and now you are in the light, so don't go back to the dark place again, because Jesus loves you. He died for you. He didn't do anything wrong, but the love that He has for you is so special….

Hands at Work begins each year with a Watchword; a guiding scripture that our leadership team shares with the Hands family. This scripture is a promise, a challenge, an inspiration, an encouragement and an opportunity to invite God to lead us throughout the year, expectant for what He will do in and through us.

“I’ve done many Maranatha Workshops and been to Chilabula many times and even done one in Chilabula before and not seen the fruit. We needed to depend on God, not on our own knowledge. We prayed for weeks ahead of time. We even delayed the start of the workshop so we could have more time to pray…”

…Though his aunt welcomed Misheck into her home, she was already caring for other children, making them a large family of ten. The uncle in the home tries to support the family by gold panning around the nearby city of Mutare, but rarely makes any money. The burden is heavy for this family. 

“What a joy it was to stand among this diverse group of people, representing every demographic and many different locales and marvel at how we are all knit together by God with one passion and purpose…”

In 2014, I joined the local Hands at Work team in Dedza. Since I joined Hands at Work, I have developed a heart of ‘adoption’ and am understanding what it means to ‘make it personal’….

They felt so comfortable in the community setting at the Hub, reconnecting with and making new friends. They enthusiastically engaged in play and serving in the communities and at the Care Points. Sharing meals and just spending time with people was a big highlight….

The community of Katembe is located in the mountains, several hours from any medical facilities. By God’s grace, Lina’s mother, with support from strangers, managed to get to a clinic where they did an emergency caesarean section. Though Lina survived, her mother did not have the capacity to care for her daughter on her own, resulting in a quick decline in Lina’s health….

….Over the next three to six months, we started to discern that, and the Lord spoke to us in many ways through the Bible, through friends and through strange things happening that could only be signs from God that we were supposed to be heading to Africa.

“Everything may be different and yet, stepping out of our van into the community of Maranatha, I was greeted by faces I knew and people I could greet by name. I even recognised some of the kids and greeted them by name, even though it has been four years since I saw them last. I felt joy in seeing them again and, by the faces, I believe this was mutual….”

Not only are the boys learning skills that they can use for their future, but they are reading and digging into God’s word and learning what it means to be a Godly man in their community…

I had started reaching out to the vulnerable in Mulenga, and it brought me great joy. There was a great fulfilment in my heart. I remember some people started mocking me because they had heard that I wasn’t getting paid. They didn’t know why I would do it for free.

“I became a Care Worker when I received a call from the pastor in my church. The pastor called me and he invited me to join the work of caring for orphans and vulnerable children. Right there, I said that as long as it is the work of God, I would like to support this work.”

The purpose of building resiliency is to equip them with the resources, tools, and understanding that they need to provide for their own families, so that when challenges come, they are better equipped to stand. One way that this is done is through the provision of both Care Worker and Primary Caregiver community gardens….

“We didn't know any South African Christmas traditions so instead we hastily cut the shape of a baobab tree out of two pieces of cardboard and slotted the pieces to make a tree. We wrote the first name of all the children in Zwelisha on pieces of card, tied them with a ribbon and hung them on the tree….”

Raising a large family isn’t easy but Mama Safi isn’t alone in caring for Mwete. He has a bigger family of support at the Care Point, with the Care Workers and the other children.

Over this past week many areas in Southern Africa have experienced high winds and heavy rainfall particularly Zambia in the Kabwe and Chisamba regions have been hit very hard.

There has been significant damage caused to a number of homes within the communities we serve. In some cases, homes collapsed in the night, leaving families with nowhere to go.

The Watchword brings a sense of unity, knowing that the verse being shared is being shared across Africa and around the world. We know that whilst we are here in South Africa, other people are sharing the same Watchword in other countries. There is power in being a part of something way bigger than just where we are.

…..It was as though I could hear Jesus saying to me, “Dawson, I lived and served and ministered in communities such as these. I want you to come and share the hope and the truth I have given to you.”

We faced many challenges along the way because people thought that if you were doing something like this, you should get money. They would also point to the work and say that it was for women and that men are supposed to be working for their families. But the relationships that I had built with the children made me unable to say no.

“If I could describe what happened to me while I was there in a few words it would be, ‘He changed me'. I had no idea how much this trip would affect me. I was blessed beyond measure by being there.”

“They both thought of God as a distant figure, someone not to be approached, someone whose love had to be earned. They came to Africa with thoughts of “fixing problems,” especially practical problems. However, through their first couple of trips, they began to see their own brokenness and the brokenness of the world around them, and, more importantly, they began to see God’s desire to bring healing and restoration”

Eventually, word spread throughout the community about Naomi and Miriam’s situation and so Care Workers from the Pfunani CBO visited them in their home. Hearing their story, they invited the girls to begin attending the Care Point.