The Story of Amlew Community

In 2008, Hands at Work connected with church leaders in Amlew, sharing the vision of Hands at Work and encouraging them to follow the Biblical mandate to care for the poorest of the poor. Boyd Chishimba, a local pastor, grasped the Hands at Work vision and, inspired to mobilise his church, called a meeting to share his dreams with the community. He shared that while it would be difficult for one person to feed all of the vulnerable children in Amlew, they could make a difference if they each contributed a spoonful of mealie-meal to support children.  

Boyd and a small team of Care Workers began walking through the streets of Amlew, identifying children who were in desperate situations and in need of love and care – marking the beginning of the Twikatane Community Based Organisation (CBO). Initially, they were caring for ten children, having identified them through Holy Home Visits. They were committed to providing food and other basic necessities for the children from their own pockets. 

Amlew.png

150 Children currently supported

12 Care Workers coordinated by grace Mwila

Basic Services Started in 2011

8 KM  from the KITWe Local Office

In 2010, Hands at Work provided Care Worker training for several local volunteers, teaching what it means to care holistically for the vulnerable children in the community. In 2011, Hands at Work began officially partnering with the Twikatane CBO and supporting the Care Workers in providing a hot, nutritious meal daily and support with education and basic health care to 100 of the most vulnerable children in Amlew – a number that has since increased to 150 children. 

Visiting orphaned and vulnerable children in their homes is the foundation of everything that Hands at Work does. Regularly, Care Workers visit the children in their homes, thus building strong relationships of love and trust. Having developed strong relationships with the children enables the Care Workers to support each child’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs on an individual basis. 

The Twikatane CBO is partnered with the local clinic who help with medication and bringing awareness to the dangers of alcohol abuse and prostitution – challenges that many in Amlew face. Boyd shares, “The children have completely changed. They are being accepted into government schools after graduating from our community school. Children who would have died of hunger are now happy and healthy.”

Today, Grace, strongly supported by 12 other Care Workers, is leading the Care Worker team in unity thanks to the years of investment from Boyd. They are committed to not only knowing each of the children by name but also the unique challenges that each child and their family faces. 

In August 2020, a dream of moving the Care Point to a separate property started taking shape. Phase one of construction was completed, including the renovation of the current structure and the installation of new secure toilets on the new Care Point land.

Meet Paul

Walking on a Holy Home Visit through Amlew, the Care Workers came across a large family. Sensing their vulnerability, they listened to their story, quickly realising the urgency of inviting the children to the Care Point. Shy and quiet, four-year-old Paul* takes time to connect with people but Care Worker Rosemary has learnt that perseverance rewards her with a big smile. The family has suffered immensely.; Arriving with their children to nurse their sick mother, Paul’s mother and aunt were left to support a family of nine with no income after their husbands were killed in a boating accident. Paul* became malnourished. After receiving food consistently, Paul’s health and prospects have greatly improved. He loves to learn about God and enjoys being a child again, experiencing the love and care of the Care Workers.

The local Hands at Work team in Kitwe currently supports seven Community Based Organisations, which exist to care for the most vulnerable in their communities. The office provides training, networking, and encouragement to those Community Based Organisations like Twikatane. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.  

BE INSPIRED BY UPDATES FROM AMLEW COMMUNITY

MORE FROM ZAMBIA 

Stories
Our Calling - Gideon and Ritha Mbuzi
Our Calling - Gideon and Ritha Mbuzi

“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.”

Trust the Lord
Trust the Lord

“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…”

My Calling - Blessings Sambo
My Calling - Blessings Sambo

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.

An Urgent Call to Prayer
An Urgent Call to Prayer

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.

Staying Connected to Africa
Staying Connected to Africa

The two of us who had previously gone to Africa through Hands at Work shared stories of what we might have experienced while there — stories of Holy Home Visits, attending local churches, and building relationships with long-term volunteers. At the end of the two weeks, the team realised that we would have arrived home. We agreed that we did not want to stop meeting.

Meet Rosa
Meet Rosa

When the Care Workers of Chibote community started to notice a line of four younger siblings following Rosa into the Care Point, and then huddled around Rosa’s one plate of food, they realised this was a home that needed visiting to understand more about the family.

My Calling - Michael Mwila
My Calling - Michael Mwila

Through serving and working with different people, I am a changed person. Not just in the communities, but in my family. I am a leader at my church because of the things that I have gone through and now people can trust me. If I was where I had been, than maybe I wouldn’t be alive, but God saved my life. That's why I also want to serve, to give life to other people.

Watchword Reflections 2019
Watchword Reflections 2019

“This year, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the two Watchword meetings that were held, first in South Africa and then in Zambia. Despite the passage being the same, what was shared was distinctly different from one another. As such, I learned different lessons from both.”

Our Calling - Lisa and Brian Dalley
Our Calling - Lisa and Brian Dalley

As the years quickly went by, early retirement became an option for us in September 2014. At that point we began to earnestly seek God about what our next steps would be. With many ups and downs, questions, concerns and conversations with our family about this big decision to make, we knew that God was calling us to Africa.

A Vision that Keeps You Coming Back
A Vision that Keeps You Coming Back

I was surprised, moved and thankful for the things that had changed. New additions to the team. New Care Points serving more children than was previously possible. New dreams and imaginative possibilities for partnership with the international church.