Hand in Hand

Families’ Weekend Away - 2nd-4th February, 2024

A weekend retreat of encouragement, envisioning, fun, friendship, food and reflection for those raising children and young people with Jesus, justice and Hands at Work on their hearts.

Who is this for?

The goal of the weekend is to bring together families and those raising children and young people who have either been out to Africa or are supporters of Hands at Work.

What’s the weekend about?

· Fun activities that engage our children and young people in what it’s like to be a child in Africa, and to gain some understanding of the day-to-day life of the Care Points.

· Eating together and building community

· Worshipping and unpacking the Bible to figure out how justice can fit into our parenting

· Quality time to reflect on God’s vision for our individual families and the communities we’re in at the moment

· Opportunities to build friendships with other families through games/walks

Why a whole weekend?

For many of us, our experience of visiting Hands at Work in Africa has challenged and changed our outlook on life; on the values that we hold, and on what justice and care for the poor means in practice. Visiting Africa with our children may be in the pipeline, or it may be a vision for the future, or it may not be possible and practicable, but we hold the desire to parent in a way that reflects Hands at Work’s values and enables our children to connect with a larger world. The pressures on parents are huge; there are so many voices inputting into what we do and the decisions we make, and not a lot of time to sift through the noise, reflect on what we want our families to look like, and remember what we cherish most. A weekend away as a community may provide opportunities for us to do some of this.

When and where will it be?

Friday 2nd-Sunday 4th February 2024

 FRONTIER CENTRE
Addington Road
Irthlingborough
Northants
NN9 5UH

We’re aware that giving up a whole weekend is a challenge in our busy worlds, and that going away isn’t always easy with kids. We hope we’ve booked somewhere that will make this as easy as possible.

·        All rooms are ensuite with bunk beds: Group Accommodation | Frontier Centre

·        There is a communal living room and kitchenette for our group

·        We will be fully catered for over the weekend

How much will it cost?

£120 per person, with under 6s free.

How do I sign up?

Please complete the Booking Form (one booking form per family). 

In order to secure our booking at the Frontier Centre we need to send a deposit by the 18th of July. If you would like to join us for this weekend, please send a £50 deposit per family by bank transfer to:

TSB Bank plc

Halesowen Branch

Sort Code: 30-93-75

Account Number: 01054895

Please mark the transfer “Weekend Away”.

Full payment is due by 1st January, 2024.

Who is running the weekend?

Hi, I’m Hannah and I’m married to Mike and we have Eve (8) and Samuel (5). We live in St Albans and are worship leaders at a local church called St Luke’s that has been connected with Hands at Work for quite a few years. We first ventured to Africa with Katherine and Graham before we had a family when we felt called to do something “missional” with our summer holiday… I don’t think we were prepared for how this trip would change us, and not least our understanding of mission! We returned two years later to spend time with old and new friends, and subsequently began to develop our churches’ partnership with Msengeni in Eswatini.

As a teacher, I often find myself caught up in the cycle of day-to-day planning, marking, and crisis management. Likewise, as a mum, it is easy to be consumed by homework, clubs, and conflict resolution! But every time I connect with Hands at Work, I am reminded of the transformative power of real community, compassion, and vulnerability. Of values and priorities that cut through the noise and allow God’s voice to be heard loud and clear. Though we hope to visit Africa as a family soon, I have a real desire to see communities of care built here.

I’m Katherine, I’m married to Graham and we have three busy boys; Joshua (7), Ethan (4) and Benjamin (2). Graham and I both moved to Nottingham for university and then never left! We connected into a church as students, St Giles, and due to the community that we built, decided to stay a while. I’m a nurse, currently working as a Ward Sister on a busy admissions area. Life is chaotic, noisy, and always a bit of a juggle, and it is often our church community that means that we can survive!

Hannah and I first went to Africa together in 2011 - Hands at Work has been a part of both of our lives since. Graham and I have taken teams from St Giles, as well as taking Joshua when he was 18 months old. We would love in the future to visit Zambia with all our boys - we would love them to meet our friends in Malakota in Zambia, the Care Workers we speak of who give selflessly of themselves every day and the wonderful Hands at Work staff. However more than that, we would love for them to understand a little more of God’s heart for the poor, of His call to justice and that we all have a part to play. One day we will take them…but that time is not quite yet!

Please email Hannah if you have any questions.

UK International Volunteers

An update on what our international long-term volunteers from the UK are doing this year, and how you can be praying for them.

Chris and Jo Poulsom

Chris and Jo have spent the last five years volunteering in South Africa and, from March, will spend their sixth year in Zambia, helping to establish a Hands at Work base in the Kabwe area. Chris will continue with his financial responsibilities as well as picking up some new roles, and Jo will be supporting Care Workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as well as keeping her existing roles.

The Poulsoms' two children, Riana and Barney, are off on their own adventures! Riana is working with Christian Youth Enterprises in the UK, and Barney, after completing school in December, is making plans to spend time with a church in the US and with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Australia.

We can pray for them as a family as they are spread across the world, and pray for Chris and Jo as they settle into Kabwe and build community there.

Catherine Clarkson

Catherine shares: “After serving with our International Offices and partners for the past 12 years, 2023 is going to look a bit different as I begin serving in new areas. My role this year will be working within our operations across Hands at Work and one of my responsibilities will be ensuring the well-being of the Hands at Work footprint across Africa. Having started a little of this work in 2022, this is likely to mean lots of travel across our countries, digging into the policies and procedures which guide, support and protect our work, ensuring we stay faithful to our call and DNA, and providing support for some of the behind-the-scenes operations which every ministry needs to have in place! It’s always hard to say exactly how the year will unfold, but I’m excited and willing to serve wherever God chooses to lead me. 

A couple of ways you can pray for me are for safety and good health as I travel through Africa – especially around malaria protection, and also that I would be courageous yet dependent as I serve where God would place me. Here’s to a great year ahead!”

Tommy and Morgan Malster

We are really excited for Tommy (UK volunteer) and his wife Morgan (Canadian volunteer) and their 5-year-old son Finnley, who have just welcomed their second child, Nora. After 13 years of living in South Africa and Zambia, the family travelled back to Canada and plan to stay there for the next season. We can pray for the Malsters as they settle into new rhythms and spend time with their Canadian family and friends. We can also pray for Finnley as he starts a new school, and give thanks for the arrival of baby Nora.

Dan and Jen Waspe

Dan and Jen Waspe are in their 14th year serving in Africa with Hands at Work. After spending the last seven months of 2022 in the Kabwe Service Centre in Zambia, Dan and Jen, along with their children, have moved back to the Hub in South Africa. Jen’s roles include heading up the hospitality team, and a new role supporting the Regional Support Team in the Mutare Service Centre in Zimbabwe. Dan’s roles include supporting the Management Team and a new role on the Communications Team. The boys continue to love the outdoor life and excel in sports, and Buhle has started in Grade R (Reception year). Dan and Jen became official guardians for Buhle last year.

We can pray for the Waspe family as they adjust to life back at the Hub, and pray for Dan and Jen as they start in their new roles. We can also pray for the children as they continue with school, for travel, and successful and speedy visa renewals.

If you would like to find out about how you can support any of our volunteers, please contact info@uk.handsatwork.org

Boots at Work for Chinyausunzi

In July 2022, my wife, Jane, & I had the privilege to visit the community of Chinyausunzi in Mutare, Zimbabwe. This community has some of the poorest housing conditions we have witnessed in Africa. We saw rooms that were originally built to house single men, working on the railways or in the mines, now accommodating several families. Despite this, the Care Point, supported by Hands at Work and serving 130 of the most vulnerable children of this community, is one of the most joyful and hope-filled ones we have visited. Here children are safe, well fed, known by name, listened to, and are allowed to be children through games and play.

Boots at Work logo for the walk designed by George Green

We don’t have a church in the UK to partner with this community as yet and so, in October, I walked the 109 miles of the Cleveland Way to raise funds for, and awareness of, this community.All the money raised is going towards providing the three essential services of food, education and healthcare for the children of this community.

The Cleveland Way Trail

The Cleveland Way Trail starts from the market town of Helmsley, heading on to the heather moorlands of the North York Moors National Park, before reaching the coast at Saltburn-by-the-Sea. From here the scenery is replaced by dramatic cliffs, secluded coves and sandy beaches, taking in some beautiful coastal communities and old fishing villages.  The path passes Rievaulx Abbey and Whitby Abbey, scene of the Synod of Whitby in 664, so decisive for the future direction of Christianity in Britain

There is something about doing a long walk and feeling exhausted at the end of each day that, in a very small way, is an act of solidarity with the Care Workers who, every day, on top of all their work at home, prepare fires, cook the food for 130 children, serve them, play with them, scrub the huge cooking pots, visit the children in their homes, advocate for them in school and clinics, love and care for them.  When thinking of all that these amazing women do (it is mainly women), it actually seems pretty feeble to say I’m tired after a 12-mile walk in beautiful countryside!

Chinyausunzi

Hands at Work Care Points are best described as Life Centres. They represent a place of peace and security. Children, who may be carrying huge responsibilities as the sole carer of younger brothers and sisters, have the opportunity to play and be children again for a moment. It was particularly moving to see how the Care Workers at Chinyausunzi engaged with the children. Not only do they prepare and cook all the food for 130 children, but they played, talked and listened to them all too. One Care Worker was intentionally seeking out and sitting with the quieter children who didn’t want to play boisterous games. Truly it is a place that brings the kind of fullness of life that Jesus talks about. The support generated by the walk is helping enable this work. My hope in walking the Cleveland Way is to put Chinyausunzi ‘on the map’ in the UK, so that we can find a partner for this community and our amazing team of Care Workers.

The Under-5s Group

Thank You!

Thank you so much to everyone who supported my Boots at Work walk, especially to those who gave anonymously and who I haven’t been able to thank personally. The total now stands at £2,715 which with Gift Aid added makes a final total of: £3,182.50. Your support will make a tangible difference: this amount will provide 13 of the most vulnerable children in Chinyausunzi with the three Essential Services of food, education and healthcare for a year.   

 David Newsome

Hands at Work UK Safeguarding Team

“Give justice to the weak and the orphan;

Maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.

Rescue the weak and needy;

Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
”

— Psalm 82:3-5

Here at Hands at Work, we believe that protecting children and vulnerable people is a Biblical mandate, and is at the centre of everything we do. We wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about our Safeguarding Team.

Supported by the Hands at Work UK Coordinators and Board of Trustees, we are delighted to introduce you to Linda Waller, our Safeguarding Coordinator, and Clare Beavon, our Safeguarding Administrator. We’ll let them tell you a bit about themselves.

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Linda

Safeguarding Coordinator

“I was appointed Safeguarding Coordinator for Hands at Work UK in September 2021. My professional background in children and families’ social work was enhanced by extra training for the role earlier this year. Together with Jane, one of Hands at Work UK’s National Coordinators, I provided training for the team leaders who visited Africa during the summer – the first teams to go for more than two years.

My involvement with Hands at Work began in 2017 when I became a prayer partner with Audrey, a Care Worker in Msengeni, Eswatini, and supported the St Albans team with their visit. Phil (my husband) and I were fortunate to be members of a team which went to Eswatini and South Africa in 2019. We also helped raise funds for two summer projects: a borehole in Zambia in 2021 and a brick-built toilet this year. Please continue to pray for the much-needed work of Hands at Work.”

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Clare

Safeguarding Adminstrator

“I first learnt about Hands at Work from my husband, Martin (before he was my husband!). Martin visited in 2019, just three months before we were due to get married. I had heard all his stories and attended various regional gatherings, and we both felt called to serve with the charity. I am involved with the Safeguarding team and my main responsibility lies in ensuring DBS checks are in place prior to teams going out to Africa. I got the opportunity to visit myself this year and it certainly helped to make all those stories a reality. We have enjoyed sharing our experiences with anyone who wants to listen.”

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We think it’s really important that everyone plays their part in keeping children and vulnerable people safe. Safeguarding is all of our responsibility. If you ever have a Safeguarding concern, please contact linda.waller@uk.handsatwork.org.

You can request a copy of our Safeguarding policy by emailing info@uk.handsatwork.org.

Hands at Work UK is a member of the Safeguarding organisation thirtyone:eight.

Zambia visit 2022

A reflection by Garry Summers, Team Leader of the Greenfinch and West Mersea Free Church Team

“Three difficult years have passed since my last visit to Zambia. Due to the pandemic, I really was not sure what we would face or experience during our return. In the past I had been focused solely on Chilabula, the community partnered by my home church of Greenfinch, Ipswich. However, this trip was different, asthe party included Andy and Heather Jones from West Mersea Free Church near Colchester, who are partnered with Amlew, an urban community in Kitwe. Our time in Zambia was going to be split between visiting both communities. Ron and Hilary Michie, also from Greenfinch Church, completed the team.

We knew visiting Africa, after a period of enforced absence, would be different from past trips. We would be the only UK team visiting Zambia in 2022, in fact since lockdown. And the programme reflected this – allowing time in both communities with a need to double up on certain aspects of the visit. But there was no need to worry as the welcome we received at Kachele and the communities was as warm as ever. It felt like coming home!

Our schedule was full-on, but exciting and varied. Although the two communities are quite different, both face severe poverty and vulnerability. Many people simply do not know where their next meal will come from. They rely so much on the care and continued support of Hands at Work. We experienced Care Worker Foundation Training and Relationship Groups in Amlew. We walked with the Care Workers in both communities on Holy Home Visits, where we could spend time sitting and praying with those we were visiting. We enjoyed time with the children and were able to lead art and craft sessions, which the adults enjoyed as much as the children. It was good to spend time finding out about the new 0-5s programmes. There was plenty of opportunity for games which, of course, included many-a-side football. We were able to help at mealtimes, serving the daily meal provided to the children at the Care Points. Care Worker appreciation time felt particularly important on this first visit after three years. The Care Workers did seem tired at times, so we felt that by splitting the time between the two communities, we were not causing too much of an increased workload for them.

So, what are my favourite memories of this visit? Meeting new children and having our hearts broken all over again by their stories. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that lives will be changed by the work of Hands at Work in both communities. I have always had a special place in my heart for the amazing Care Workers, and it was incredibly special to spend time showing our appreciation. To be able to encourage and thank them, and to pray for them, was such a privilege. We were also able to leave each Care Worker with a care package. I also must mention the fun we had visiting as a two-Partner team. Spending time getting to know each other better, exchanging a bit of banter, learning to laugh (and cry) together. Once again, I have left a bit more of my heart in Africa.”

UK Visit by George and Carolyn Snyman

“Isn’t it good to be able to meet together?” This was the comment of so many of the Hands at Work UK Advocates at our first ‘in-person’ Gathering since 2019. Meeting at St. Luke’s Church, St. Albans, we were pleased to welcome George and Carolyn Snyman, Hands at Work’s Co-founders, too. Their presence energized and informed us, sending us out renewed in our commitment as Advocates.

The Advocates’ Gathering was one of an exhaustive programme of events when the Snymans visited the UK for 11 days in September from 16th to 27th. It took them all over the country to partner churches and Hands at Work supporters. Starting in Bristol, George preached at three of the churches in the Woodlands Group. He and Carolyn met supporters at regional meetings in the West Midlands and East Anglia. The final Sunday of their visit was spent at the Forge Community Church in Debenham near Ipswich. They met recent team members and listened to their experiences, talked with new partners, and encouraged long-standing supporters.

George and Carolyn shared stories of the work being done in our communities this year, especially the development of our programmes for 0-5s, African Leadership Development, community gardens and Youth Discipleship. They inspired and challenged us all. At Highgrove Community Church George, lighting a large candle, reminded us, ‘It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness’.

 David Newsome

3/10/22

Reawakening in South Africa: Mafambisa Visit – July 2022

After a three-year gap due to the pandemic, our team from St Andrew’s, Biggleswade, was finally able to travel again to South Africa and visit our partner community of Mafambisa. I had supported from home my two eldest children and my wife, who were part of previous teams, and seen the effect it had in their lives. However, hearing stories and seeing the change in others didn’t quite prepare me for the impact of actually being there….

 The whole experience, from our initial arrival at the Hands at Work Village, where we were overwhelmed by the welcome from our hosts and a group resident for Foundation Training, to the Care Point and community visits, the times of prayer and worship, and the interaction with the children, gave our visit added impetus and purpose. 

 The obvious presence of God with us on the trip led me into a depth of relationship with Him that I hadn’t realised I had drifted from over the last couple of years. The thread running through our journey was God’s positive power underpinning our very human, and sometimes feeble, endeavours, to serve Him in the communities which we visited. This was seen most vividly in the words from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength’, which consistently recurred in our prayer, thought and song. He did indeed give us the strength, gifts and encouragement to do His will in all aspects of our trip. 

 Each day at the Care Point, and each Holy Home Visit, was surrounded with God’s presence. The days were all so different – often with laughter, sometimes with tears, sometimes with hard graft and sometimes waiting and listening, but each full of God’s blessings.

 A new dynamic for our church was under-eighteens being part of the team this year. Ben, aged fifteen, and Jack, eleven, contributed greatly and played a big part in every facet of the team. Their mature approach to preparation and prayer, and their insight into the joy and needs of children, were inspirational and valuable lessons to us adults. As one of the local Pastors from White River said, “they are the church of today”.

 During our time in South Africa, Jack often led us in poetic prayer. Here is the prayer he composed at the end of our visit:

As we have been at the Care Point

We have played and sung

Which was really great fun

It has been wonderful to be here for two weeks

Some children have been a bit of a cheek

So all I want to say is

Thank you Lord for this amazing opportunity. 

God, before I came here I knew some about you

But as I have been here I now know what you always do

You have blessed us all

Who are big and small

 So here is a prayer for you to say

Thank you Lord for being here today

 Amen

International Office Gathering 2022

 In August there was the opportunity for representatives from the various Hands at Work International Offices to gather, hosted at the Hub in South Africa. These are important opportunities for the UK to meet with the US, Canada, Australia and Germany to build relationships, share experiences and learn from each other. They are also great reminders that we in the UK are part of a global community of people just like us, committed to supporting the unique model and work of Hands at Work in Africa.

 With everyone gathered in one location it was also a good opportunity for Africa to lay out the plans and priorities for the next few years and for the International Offices to discuss opportunities for the global Church to support those plans. You’ll definitely be hearing much more about these over the coming months, but we were excited to hear about:

0-5s provision – Expanding provision at Care Points explicitly supporting mothers and Caregivers to enable 0–5-year-olds to develop well and give them the greatest chance of success as they start their young lives. The programme of support includes important development issues such as sleep, play, eye contact and verbal interaction. 

Youth Development provision (initially for young men) – Children who approach the end of their schooling and start to lose regular contact with the Care Point face huge pressures and challenges. The Youth Discipleship Programme is designed to nurture and support these young adults in order that they can become men of integrity and maturity. It builds practical skills, attitudes and disciplines to encourage them to be a husband of one wife, to provide for their family, to contribute to their community and to follow Jesus. 

Community gardens – Care Points have often provided a good environment for communities to work together and nurture community gardens that can provide some additional food for the Care Point. With the volatility in food pricing and the likelihood of increased scarcity, the plan is to further encourage and incentivise this by paying for produce from community gardens at the same rates paid in the open food market. This obviously helps keep money within the community, but also encourages working together and the development and employment of practical skills to the benefit of the community.

 Investment incentives – Hands at Work is exploring ways to provide additional practical support to communities through the provision of incentives to Volunteers who serve the Community Based Organizations to support an investment initiative. These may take the form of money with which to buy seeds or livestock to generate a small sustainable income, enabling the Care Workers to support their families whilst remaining a Volunteer at the Care Point.

Although these are exciting developments, there was also no avoiding the inevitable discussions concerning the global economy and the pressures facing supporters of Hands at Work from across the world. We are really grateful for your committed support and realise that this generosity comes at a cost to you - thank you. We strongly believe that God is in this work and in these plans, however, and so we are committed to supporting them, including raising additional funds where we can. We’ll keep on asking and trust that God will provide! 

Dreams and Visions for Under-Fives

Those of you who have visited some of our partner communities in Africa will be very familiar with the sight of babies and toddlers tied to their granny’s or older siblings’ backs.  I guess that, like me, you will have marvelled at the skill with which they are attached so securely. But perhaps we haven’t thought about what long hours of being carried in this way does both to the child and to the granny or older child.

During their recent visit to the UK, Carolyn and George Snyman, the Co-founders of Hands at Work in Africa, shared with us some of Hands at Work’s dreams and priorities for 2022, one of which is for work with under-fives.  Carolyn asked us to think about what it is that the child sees when s/he is attached to her Gogo’s (grandmother’s) back, and of course the answer is “just her Gogo’s back”! Carolyn reminded us that a child’s early years are vital to their physical and emotional development, which is why Hands at Work is creating a programme for under-fives in the Care Points across all of the eight countries where we serve. The idea is to make the Care Points safe, nurturing places where toddlers are fed, able to play, learn and grow, and have space to sleep, which in turn gives their grannies a few hours of freedom to tend their crops or fetch water, and their siblings the freedom to attend school, or just to play and be children.

Alicia Ralph, one of the Canadian long-term Volunteers based at the Hub in South Africa, was given the task of making this dream a reality across Africa.  She began by appointing Under-Fives Champions in all of the Service Centres across Africa, and communicating to them the five principles underpinning the work with under-fives, which are: security, food, love, sleep and play.

These Champions have the task of appointing a Care Worker for the under-fives in each of the Care Points, and of teaching, supporting and encouraging them in their work.

During our visit to Hands at Work Care Points in Zimbabwe in July, David and I had the privilege of seeing what the under-fives programme looks like in practice. We saw Care Workers who had really caught the vision of nurturing the little children at their Care Points. One of these is Florence at the Chinyausunsi Care Point, one of the communities supported by Hands at Work UK which does not yet have a partner.

Florence had created a kind, safe and caring atmosphere for the children and was teaching them through play and song. They even had a special song which they all sang as they trooped off to the lavatories together! There was a designated space for under-fives work which the Care Workers had created by sectioning off part of the children’s shelter, with blinds made from mats, rush mats for them to sit on, and mattresses for their afternoon nap.

The work that we witnessed at Chinyausunzi and some of the other Care Points we visited in Zimbabwe is being replicated throughout all of Hands at Work Care Points in Africa. The under-fives programme is just one of the 2022 Hands at Work ‘Dreams and Priorities’, which are making a real difference in the lives and future prospects of some of the most vulnerable children in Africa.

Jane Newsome

October 2022

Mafambisa Fortnight

Action during the Pandemic

During July 2021, when a team from St Andrew’s, Biggleswade, should have been visiting Mafambisa and other communities in South Africa, the church put together a Mafambisa Focus Fortnight to raise awareness of their partner community, to pray for the children, the Care Workers, the Caregivers and the Service Centre team.

The Fortnight included posts on social media and the setting up of a Just Giving site to raise funds for one of the capital projects that had been highlighted in Mafambisa Community, our partner community which is a rural village in the east of South Africa. This project was to raise sufficient funds to build a house for one of the Care Workers.

The Care Point has 100 children on its books – the most vulnerable children within Mafambisa. Since 2015, St. Andrew’s has supported around half of the children at Mafambisa Care Point alongside a few other churches.

Let's Raise the Roof

Moray Coast Trail 18th-21st October 2021

The sight of the Maposa Care Point without a roof and with the walls broken down that Jane and I witnessed in 2019 has been a symbol of vulnerability and need that has stayed with me as I walked the coastal trail. It rained for the greater part of each day of the walk, and so I was really thankful for Gore-Tex and good equipment! Proper shelter is a basic human need and even more so as the poorest communities feel the full vagaries of weather patterns affected by climate change. The children of our communities need protection from the extremes of heat and drought, through to the impact of heavy rain or cyclones.

Maposa is just one community with this basic kind of need and so the money raised from this walk will go towards funding a variety of projects in the coming year within the different countries we work in.  These will include not only such things as a new Care Point, but also children’s shelters, kitchens, play structures, etc… 

It was great to be able to visit our newest Hands at Work Partners, Turning Point Church in Forres, not far from Inverness. This year they started to partner with Matsinho B in Mozambique and we were able to forge new relationships with them as well as friends in Filling Station Scotland. Visiting the area also gave the opportunity to walk the Moray Coastal Trail. The route runs 71 km from Forres to Cullen beside the Moray Firth, combining beach walking, coastal paths, quiet roads and old railways. It is a beautiful part of the world and in the course of the walk I saw dolphins cavorting in the sea (apparently the furthest North they venture), seals and a variety of birdlife. The wind picked up on the final day and there were some spectacular seas.

Thank you again for your interest. We are delighted to announce that David raised the total sum of £3,400! If you would still like to support this appeal, it’s not too late to do so on:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/David-Newsome5

Diversity Day at Wolgarston

Diversity Day at Wolgarston High School is organised to take place in the summer term each year and its aim is to bring the students into contact with a wide range of activities and talks from a variety of cultures.

As we have a link with the community of Mafambisa in South Africa, we thought it would be helpful to ask Hands at Work to come in and talk about the lives of the children and their families in communities like Mafambisa to help our students understand their situation better. Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to have Jane and David Newsome lead these sessions and be willing to answer questions from the students.

Hundreds of students have developed a better understanding as a result and this has gone on to help us with our fundraising, because the students know where their money is going and how it will be used to improve the lives of the children in Mafambisa. For the last few years we have also been lucky enough to arrange Zoom calls with the Hub in South Africa, which has brought a whole new dimension to things and provided an even better feeling of connection between those at Wolgarston who took part, and Hands at Work.

Borehole for Miswa

Chrystalla Spire shares with us how the St Albans team organised an event to raise money for a borehole in the rural community of Miswa in Zambia.

“We found out about the Hands at Work Community Investment Projects during a (virtual) Hands’ Team Gathering in May this year. David Newsome from Hands at Work UK explained that teams were being asked to consider raising funds for one of the many community projects being undertaken by Hands at Work during 2021.

As a team we had remained informed of, and continued to pray for, the very many challenges being faced by Hands at Work and the communities during the pandemic. Fundraising for one of the projects seemed like a good opportunity for the St Albans team (made up of people from The Abbey and St Luke’s Church) to regroup, demonstrate our ongoing support, and raise awareness for Hands at Work.

A happy evening was spent selecting the project for which we would raise funds and coming up with an appropriate fundraising idea. Given we had chosen the Miswa borehole project, we felt a water-themed family afternoon in the summer (by which time we hoped the pandemic restrictions would be lifted) would be a good idea.

St Albans Cathedral very kindly gave permission for us to hold the event in the Deanery Garden on Saturday 24th July, so we were all set.

Plans got underway. We had Zoom meetings to discuss the format of the event and the games and activities we would have. In the build up to the event, we received a very generous donation of £200 from the St Albans Lions Club – a great start!

Following a week of cloudless skies and balmy temperatures, we awoke on the morning of 24th July to a sky full of rain-filled clouds. Luckily, we had set up gazebos the previous day (we had seen the weather forecast!), but we knew people wouldn’t turn up if it rained.

As we arrived at 10am to finish setting up it was raining, but as the morning drifted into the early afternoon the clouds disappeared. All that remained of the rain was droplets on the gazebos, as if to echo our water theme for the afternoon.

At 2pm people started to arrive. Adults and children participated in the games and activities, including stocks (with Cathedral clergy volunteering to be the ‘victims’), hook the duck, pin the borehole and more. We drank tea and ate cake, candy floss and popcorn. There was a lovely, happy atmosphere of a summer fete, almost forgotten from a pre-pandemic time! 

Linda's Story

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.

Hampers for Chilabula

Greenfinch Church in Zambia

When we discovered that our Greenfinch team could not travel to Zambia in 2020, we were keen to bless the Care Workers in our partner community of Chilabula in lieu of a visit. So we arranged, with the support of Hands at Work, for the purchase and delivery of ‘hampers’ containing items ranging from toiletries to fertiliser, as well as a bible in the local dialect of Bemba.

Hands at Work was able to send a video back from the Care Workers singing with joy about their hampers and bibles, which really engaged everyone at Greenfinch.

We have a whole bunch of people in our wider church family who knit blankets for distribution from Kachele. They all knitted for England (or should I say Zambia!) over Lockdown – so much so that the church was overrun by blankets. So our knitters have turned to hats as a new project, keeping an engagement with our African outreach.

We have also previously published a Facebook page for the times we run a trip to Zambia so that our church family and other supporters can follow our teams. However, we have now started posting general updates such as news about the COVID pandemic from Zambia, just to keep people focused on our partnership even if we cannot visit.  

We are also asking those who have been out on teams to make short video messages which we have sent to Chilabula as an encouragement via WhatsApp.

As, sadly, we will not be able to send a Greenfinch team in 2021, we have been able to fund works in Chilabula to improve facilities for the children – water-filtering equipment and repair of the Life Centre windows and doors.

We have shared this with the church through regular communications, and Chilabula features on our weekly prayer request email to the whole church.

Out of sight but never out of mind! 

Rachel & Garry Summers on behalf of Greenfinch Church

Curry on Fundraising!

The restrictions of the last year or so have meant that fundraising has been more complicated to organise than in previous years. But Hannah, a Hands at Work advocate from St Luke’s Church in St Albans, came up with a plan to raise money for Hands at Work by selling tickets to a virtual cooking masterclass where professional chef, Doug Crampton, led people through how to cook a delicious 3-dish Thai meal one Saturday night.

Impacted by her experiences on previous team visits to South Africa and Eswatini, Hannah shares: “Hands at Work is a charity so close to my heart. The amazing Care Workers in Africa faithfully cook every day for children who wouldn't eat otherwise, often when they themselves have little to eat. But they also sit to eat with them, and offer them a safe place to play, be known, and be loved”.

This online event was a great opportunity to share about Hands at Work, advocating and raising money for some of the most vulnerable children and families across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Classed as an essential service, Care Points, where children come for food every day, have been able to remain open throughout the pandemic, providing children with much-needed nutrition and love from the Care Workers. 

With messy kitchens, new cooking skills and tasty food to eat at the end of the event, it was a great evening, made even more fun by getting to see how everyone else was doing on Zoom and the accompanying WhatsApp group. 

The total amount raised for Hands at Work came to a fantastic £1,400! 

If you would like any support with fundraising for Hands at Work, or you have a fundraiser that you would like to tell us about, please email becci.leung@uk.handsatwork.org.

Yasmine’s Story

Here at Hands at Work we love to hear people’s stories and today we have a great, inspiring story from the UK to share with you. So grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy as we chat with Yasmine Morson-Mills who, at 19 years old, has set up a business during lock down with her mum, Esther.

Hi Yasmine! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Yasmine Morson-Mills, I’m 19 years old and I live in Stafford. I finished my A-levels in Summer 2020 and I am currently setting up my own business whilst continuing studies online.

And what’s your connection to Hands at Work?

I first heard about Hands at Work in a school assembly at Wolgarston High School in Penkridge, which is part of the Link for Life Partnership. I desperately wanted to go on the first visit with the school but there was a lot of interest. Three of my friends were picked to go, which was hugely exciting, so I helped them to fundraise and listened to all their experiences, until I was able to go myself in August 2019.

What did you do on your visit in 2019?

We visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, which was an incredible experience, and then we headed to the Hands at Work Hub in White River. After settling in, we visited Care Points from Monday to Friday. We visited the communities of Mafambisa, Share and Zwelisha, as well as attending the morning meetings at the Hub, including ladies’ prayer. On the last weekend we visited Kruger National Park and Kaapsehoop.

How did this trip to South Africa impact you?

The trip I took to South Africa massively impacted me and my whole future. The drastic differences between our ways of life changed the way I look and feel about a lot of things. For example, I think about a little girl at Mafambisa who watched me write with a pen and she commented, saying how beautiful my pen was. It drastically impacted the way I thought. Such a simple object in my life was a treasure to her, which was extremely difficult to accept.

Is there a particular family or child who you met on your visit who has stayed with you?

A particular story of a child who impacted me was of a little girl named Thobile* from Mafambisa. Towards the end of the day on our second visit to Mafambisa, a little girl came up to us and started playing. Although she was very shy at first, she ended up playing with our hair and sitting with us, and it really stood out to me. On our last visit to Mafambisa (the next day) we were making Holy Home Visits and Trudie, a member of my team, and I went with Prudence and Melody, two Hands at Work volunteers, on a long walk – and it was to Thobile’s house! I couldn’t believe that we were going to the home of the little girl who had made such an impact on me the day before. Her house was right on the edge of the community, a good half an hour’s walk from the Care Point, which this little girl walked alone. Thobile lives with her aunt and other family members and they all share a hut made out of corrugated metal sheets leaning up against one another, one of the worst buildings I saw on my home visits. We spent a long time chatting to Thobile’s aunt about their situation, and learnt that they were refugees from Mozambique. We walked back with Thobile to the Care Point where she would receive a hot meal, and spent the rest of the day with her.

What are you doing now?

As well as continuing to advocate for Hands at Work at events and churches, during lockdown my mum and I set up a business selling ethically sourced tea and coffee called The Tea Bees. We have included Hands at Work in the business in many ways, such as through social media, blogs on our website, and fundraisers. We also have a unique code for anyone involved with Link for Life and Hands at Work to use at the checkout that gives 10% of that purchase back to Hands at Work. I wanted to include Hands at Work in the business because I really want to continue my support towards them as well as advocate to our customers by sharing my support and stories.

I am also a part of the Link for Life group, which holds meetings to organise fundraising, events, and to share updates from Africa. We support one another to advocate for the children and families cared for by Hands at Work.

This sounds great. Where can we find out a bit more about The Tea Bees?

We have an Instagram page called @Theteabeesuk and our website is www.theteabees.com

What’s next for you?

When it’s possible, I hope to return to South Africa for an extended time. I will continue advocating for Hands at Work through my business as well as in my everyday life.

Thank you for chatting to us, Yasmine, and for all that you do for Hands at Work. Wishing you all the best with The Tea Bees!

*child’s name changed

Hands at Work UK is supporting a new community!

Waiting in line at Chinyausunzi Community, Zimbabwe

Chinyausunzi can be found within the greater community of Sakubva, in the town of Mutare in the east of Zimbabwe, close to the Mozambique border. The many one-roomed homes in this community were originally built for migrant industrial workers but now house multiple generations of families, leading to massive overcrowding and very poor sanitation. Extremely high levels of unemployment and high rates of HIV/AIDS, TB and infection within Chinyausunzi have a devastating impact on the thousands of families who can barely afford food for a single day, let alone clinic fees.

The Chinyausunzi CBO was started in 2016, after Care Workers from the nearby, existing Sakubva CBO realised that some of the children were walking long distances to get to the Care Point. Chinyausunzi was established on the other side of the community and now cares for 150 of the most vulnerable children, led by Care Worker Florence.

Although Hands at Work in Africa has been in Zimbabwe for many years, this is a new country for Hands at Work UK to be partnering with and we are looking forward to bringing you more news and updates from Chinyausunzi in the new year.