Many gardeners will tell you how good it is to spend a day tending a garden in the company of friends. The community garden in the isolated rural community of Miswa in Northern Zambia is no exception. It provides a focus for friendship and for the sharing of burdens, as well as much-needed vegetables to feed some of the most vulnerable families in this area.
Like most of the communities supported by Hands at Work, Miswa is ‘off the tar road’, which means that a trip to secondary schools, the clinic, shops and other amenities is a 14-mile journey on bumpy dirt roads. Those living in this community face many challenges, amongst them lack of clean water, food shortages and unemployment.
Walking alongside local volunteers, Hands at Work provides basic food, healthcare and education for 110 of the most vulnerable children in this community. This is done around a Life Centre, where children come each day to receive a hot nutritious meal and where they are known by name and cared for by local Care Workers.
The effects of climate change have the greatest impact on the poorest of the poor, and in Miswa the lack of rain means poor harvests and not enough food for families to feed their children.
In 2021 two boreholes were installed in the Miswa community, ensuring safe and clean access to water, and providing irrigation for the newly-planted community gardens.
This has enabled the Care Workers to plant various vegetables, which are cooked and served to the children as part of their daily meal. The Care Workers also support the young people from the community in managing the income from their youth garden.
This is all part of the Hands at Work strategy of building resilience and sustainability in the isolated communities where they work. With continued challenges such as lack of rain and little access to water beyond the boreholes, there is hope found at the Life Centre and amongst the amazing men and women who are following God’s call to care for the most vulnerable.
You and your community are invited to join us as we support these dedicated Care Workers. For more information go to: www.handsatwork.org