Hi, my name is Linda Weller and I have had the privilege of being introduced to Hands at Work through the enthusiasm of Nick and Heather Lawrence when they shared their passion for the organisation and their heart for Africa at our church, through sermons, meetings, and times of prayer. As my daughter had spent half of her gap year in Mozambique many years ago and some of my family had also been to different African countries, I was keen to know more.
When an opportunity came to accompany them both on a two-week whistle-stop tour of some of the communities supported by Hands at Work in Zambia, in July 2017, it was too good an opportunity to miss!
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Staying at Kachele Farm, Luanshya, and then visiting centres near Kitwe and Kabwe and Malakota community (having some sponsorship from our church), I was introduced to the vision of Hands at Work and their excellent structured system of support for each community. Humility and servanthood in action impacted me wherever I went, from the Caregivers, Care Workers, staff in the service centres and those in leadership. The commitment of those who face the daily grind of long walks to cook and serve meals for the children and then visit families to give support was both beautiful and humbling! The children too, who had so little, but were so special and so responsive in singing and games – it was an incredibly moving experience! So much so that, when a second opportunity came to visit again in 2019, returning was a priority. I wanted to see the Caregivers again; would the same ones still be there? Would I recognise any of the children? What changes would have taken place?
It was during this second visit and the changeover of flights at Johannesburg airport that I spotted the most stunning wall hanging/banner in one of the shops, that had panels representing so many different aspects of African life. It was so colourful and striking that I was determined to find it again on our return visit to the airport to take a photo of it. The more I looked at it, ideas for creating something similar to represent Zambia, and the community of Malakota in particular, started to form in my mind. To be able to capture some of the scenes commonly seen, the people visited, and the flavour of everyday life there would be a useful reminder to pray for them.
Having collected some photos from our trip and selected a few significant ones, I contacted a few friends who are experts at banner making, who have stayed or lived in South Africa and who are very artistic. With their inspiration and help in photocopying the prints onto fabric, suggestions in use of lettering, and gifts of more African-print fabrics (plus a suitable animal print duvet from a charity shop), a small team of us set to work to create the panels. Then Lockdown came! Initially that delayed everything as other sewing needs demanded our attention, but latterly it helped as there were fewer distractions to our time. Advice from a quilting friend of highlighting panels by mounting them on black fabric was the final touch I needed to bring it to life before assembling it all.
Looking at the photos reminds me of the Holy Home Visits and the prayer requests made. Seeing the team of Care Workers, I remember some of the needs they shared, and their responsibilities. Images of their homes and the shelters for serving food remind me of their poverty. The minibus reminds me of the incredibly bumpy tracks and long journeys made for the daily visits. I wish I could also capture the birdsong but the poinsettia had to be enough to represent the beautiful and stunning flowers often seen along walls and in trees. And the monkeys… well, they are just so cute and mischievous!
The banner now hangs to one side at eye level at the front of our church. As services have now resumed, it gives people the opportunity to ask about Malakota and will, I hope, remind others to pray too. My final task is to give names to the photos and then to pin prayer requests to it to keep it up to date and remind us of the prayer needs of the community.
The banner has been both a challenge and a labour of love and I hope it will encourage others to have a go. It isn’t perfect and is deliberately child-like, as was the one that motivated me, but it has blessed me to produce it and will hopefully bless others too.