Spend a year of your life: impact communities forever.
Begin the journey with 10 weeks in rural South Africa preparing your ministry by engaging in cross-cultural experiences and learning about Hands at Work community projects. Then travel—with one or two others—to spend 9.5 months serving as a Hands at Work team member in one of Africa’s most vulnerable communities.
Project activities include administrative, health, construction, teaching, management, agricultural, and more.
Community Placement
Our Footprints volunteers are like scaffolding: temporary, yet essential aids in building a project and leaving it stronger than upon arrival.
Sent out in pairs, Footprints volunteers spend 9.5 months serving as a team member at the Hands at Work project location most fitting their talents, passion, and calling. While some bear specific skills, our volunteers in the field have an incredible impact on communities simply by the loving, encouraging, committed effect of their presence. Hands at Work project locations currently include: Swaziland, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria.
Prep & Cultural Exposure
Prior to your outreach, over 10 weeks you will:
- Learn by participating in the operations of the Hands at Work base in the rural South African village of Masoyi.
- Experience African community and living first-hand.
- Build relationships and experience life with orphan-headed households.
- Learn realities of African culture from local leaders, including tribal chiefs, witch doctors, and Christians.
- Prepare your 9.5 month development project to make an effective and sustainable impact.
Footprints in Africa accepts volunteer intakes twice per year: August and February. Please contact us for specific dates and application details: footprints@handsatwork.org
FOOTPRINTS STORY
A year of my life...
Lyches, mangos, cashews, amazing sunsets, and prawns by the sea…these are merely small delights in comparison to the joy of getting to know and love the Mozambiquan people. By far our most treasured moments here are in the community. Being nurses on the mission and in the community, where the need is so great, can be trying. Multiple times throughout a day people are knocking on our door click here to read more »
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Map of Johannesburg International Airport
FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)