Education*

Millions of orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa have no access to even primary education. Orphans are often forced to abandon school for a number of reasons: inadequate funds for school fees, caring for sick family members or younger siblings, emotional distress, and discrimination. But education is the key to unlocking every child’s God-given potential.

“Teach a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22)

Hands at Work in Africa aims to provide access to education for children of all ages through services like pre-school for the youngest children, accessing local and international resources to provide school fees and uniforms for primary and secondary students, homework support for those without someone at home to assist them, encouragement to continue their learning, and mobilization of local teachers in the operation of the UNICEF-endorsed model of Community Schools.

The overarching problem with orphaned and abandoned children is the lack of guidance in their lives. Hands at Work in Africa strives to fill some of the holes the loss of a parent creates, guiding children in the way they should go through regular interactions with the child in their home and outside their home at care points where activities take place such as youth programmes and practical life-skills are taught in a safe environment.

*millenium development goal #2