The Story of Mulenga Community

Mulenga is an urban community within the city limits of the mining town of Kitwe in the Copperbelt province of Zambia. Most of the people living in Mulenga survive by doing occasional work in the community, often leaving them with an income too low to support their families. The economic struggles in Mulenga mean that few people can afford basic necessities let alone school or clinic fees. Often prostitution and substance abuse are perpetuated by difficult financial circumstances. The devastating effects of HIV/AIDS have significantly impacted the community. Family support systems have crumbled under these hardships and many parents have abandoned their families, leaving children without adequate parental care.

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100 Children currently supported

13 Care Workers Coordinated by Elizabeth

Basic Services Started in 2008

4 km from the Kitwe Local Office

When Reuben Chileshe met a previous Hands at Work leader, he was challenged by the call to help the poor and vulnerable children in Mulenga. Following this meeting, Reuben joined the Breakthrough Care Group Community Based Organisation (CBO) in Mulenga with a vision to help the most vulnerable children in his community. Life was not always easy for Reuben - a lack of employment opportunities forced his family, including his wife and four children, to survive on the meagre earnings that came from selling small baked goods. In spite of these challenges, Reuben was passionate and dedicated to his work. He spent much of his time visiting the sick, spending time with children who lacked parental care, teaching at the local community school and bringing the hope of God to those around him. Pursuing the vision to serve the poorest of the poor across Africa, Hands at Work began partnering with the Breakthrough Care Group CBO in 2008.

Currently, Care Workers from the Breakthrough Care Group CBO care for 125 of the most vulnerable children in their community, providing them with a nutritious meal daily, and support with their education and basic health care. By visiting the children in their homes, Care Workers are able to build strong relationships of love and trust. Having strong relationships with the children enables the Care Workers to support each child’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs on an individual basis. 

After many years of operating the Care Point out of a home, the Breakthrough Care Group CBO now have their own piece of land. In 2020 and 2021, a kitchen, eating shelter, secure storeroom, toilets, and a house for the CBO coordinator, who will also act as on-site security, was constructed. Having this land gives the children and Care Workers a safe place to call their own where they can come knowing that they will be loved and accepted. 

Every few days, the Youth Leaders in Mulenga meet together for Relationship Groups, a safe place where they can share their challenges, hear from God’s word and pray together. This is such a beautiful testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness in Mulenga. 

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 Breakthrough Care Group. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors. 

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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.