Monday, October 8, 2012 at 11:17AM Hands at Work in Africa believes something powerful happens when people in a comfortable and conveient society choose to discomfort themselves in order to serve the poor in another part of the world. Friends and family from across the globe visited Hands at Work in Africa this year to learn, serve, encourage and participate in God’s transformation of Africa.
Check out these teams in action!
Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 12:42PM 
Florence and Paul Chong travelled with their three children from Toronto, Canada to South Africa in March 2012. For two weeks, they exposed themselves to life on the other side of the world. Here Florence Chong reflects on "the best experience they have ever had as a family and as individuals."
The Chong family's relationship with Hands at Work was sparked by the eldest of their children, 8-year-old Nathan Chong. Nathan decided that, in lieu of gifts for his birthday, he would raise support for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa through Hands at Work. He raise $300 CAN for the organization, but not just that, he inspired his family to make the trip to South Africa to see the results of his efforts for themselves.
We had never thought about going to Africa, not even for a vacation. We had always financially supported missions in Africa, but we thought that going there was for the called passionate few.
Then God moved us by using our 8-year old son Nathan. It started with Nathan's 7th birthday party. Instead of receiving gifts, he raised a small amount of money for Hands at Work. From there, God led us into a friendship with Hands at Work. Eventually, God prompted us to take our three children, aged 3, 5, and 8, to visit the Hands at Work Hub in South Africa. Initially, we were hesitant, but God was increasingly clear about His intentions. We knew we’d better obey.
(CAN), (SA), Advocate, Hands at Work in Africa, South Africa tagged Beautiful Feet, CAN, Canada, Nathan Chong, SA, south africa Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 02:09PM Sipho, 15, bakes in the sunlight as he lays sprawled on a trampoline after a busy weekend. He is participating in a camp for children of the community that are of his age – a treasured opportunity. His smile has not ceased since he joined with thirty other campers in a dancing and singing session, which ended moments ago. The sun warms his body, and the memories of the weekend warm his heart.
Kids’ camps were introduced in South Africa by Hands at Work in 2005. Children aged 10 -18 arrive by taxi during holidays to Sanderson Farm in Mpumalanga, where they are shown to a comforting room in which they will stay for three days. The days will include lessons centered on relevant life issues for these children, such as HIV/AIDS awareness, safety and precaution in their communities, relationships with God and each other, and what it means to be a leader. The children are invited to explore their communities and to consider the problems in which they can have an impact.
(SA), Children, South Africa tagged Children, Kid's Camps, SA, south africa Friday, April 6, 2012 at 10:43AM 
McKenna and Maleah (left) raised funds for Hands at Work through their love of basketball. They also joined the UK team on a trip to South Africa in February.A 10-member team from Locks Heath Free Church in the United Kingdom recently returned home after a two-week stay in our South Africa offices. The group represented their church, which has been supporting a community in Belfast, South Africa for four years. They visited the community to see first-hand who their support and prayers were affecting, to encourage the care workers who volunteer there, and to gain a new perspective from the other side of the world.
“During our time there we met the volunteer care workers from the local church and the orphaned children who will benefit from the funds raised here. We joined the care workers in their daily visits to the vulnerable people in the community and quickly grew to admire and respect their commitment.”
Prior to leaving the UK, the team organized a fundraiser to benefit Hands at Work. They staged a ‘free throw’ basketball contest with a goal of making 3000 baskets over the course of eight consecutive hours. The event was successful, as 3002 baskets were made, in addition to a total of £735 donated to support Hands at Work. Upon reflecting on their experience in South Africa, and visiting the community they were supporting, Sharon, a member of the team, felt that the things they had seen and felt in their hearts would leave a lasting impact on their lives.
“There is so much that I want to take back with me. We went out [to Belfast] on Monday, and we came across this little girl named California. This little girl was so precious, like a diamond. She really shouldn’t be alive and she sang to us. Her hurt and her pain was in her singing, but she was singing that she was only bearing the pain that God had carried and that He had gone to the cross so that she could be saved. She was such a thoughtful person to meet, and God has given her life. I will take that memory back among many other things.”
The group was inspired by what they saw, and concluded their stay with a promise to share the memories with their friends at home, and eventually a return visit.
“The scope of the problem is huge in Africa, but we’re grateful that our family and friends could make a difference by contributing financially and personally to encourage the care workers and orphaned children in Belfast.”
Fundraising, Hands at Work in Africa, South Africa tagged SA, UK, south africa Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 02:22AM 
10-year-old Londi and his gogo live in a small, run-down mud hut in the rural village of Siphamandla in north-eastern South Africa. He is a friendly boy who says he loves his grandmother very much and hopes she will live a long life, especially because she has taken care of him since his mother died when he was very young. The grandmother cannot work, and the two survive on a meagre government child care grant.
Londi is in Grade 3 at Mpakeni Primary School, but because he has no one to help him with his homework, school is an uphill battle for him. Londi’s biggest concern, however, is the state of their home. The stick and mud shack is likely to fall apart when the heavy summer rains pound down on it.
(SA) tagged Orphan Care, SA, south africa Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 09:25AM 
Esther is a careworker at Siphumulile Home Based Care in South Africa“I was spending my life sewing comforters for a living to support my 3 children with my husband. I have always had a place in my heart for the children, especially those living below their means. In my community, if a hungry child came to my house, I would always feed her. God had blessed me with food every night and I was happy to share what I had with any child in need. It hurts my heart when a child tells me he’s hungry, it makes me feel like I am hungry also. So when a local clinic member told me about the group of Christian volunteers going out to care for those in need, I left my sewing behind to join them in becoming a careworker. I worked with several other women who cared about children as much as I did to fundraise so that we could feed the children of our community who needed it the most. We pooled together what we had raised and bought potatoes and machines to make chips to sell, and used the money to buy food parcels and other necessities to give to the children.” –Esther, a careworker from Siphumulilie Community Based Organisation who recently was involved in the Careworker training, Walking with Wounded Children.
(SA), Photos, stories tagged Orphan Care, SA, south africa Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 10:37AM On December 1st and 7th, conventions were held in Clau-Clau and Bushbuckridge for World AIDS Day 2011. Children gathered to perform plays, songs, dances and poems in order to increase awareness and to take a stand together against the negative stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. Two-hundred children, aged 10 – 14, attended each event. Both days began with breakfast prepared by local careworkers and ending with lunch and fellowship. Maggie (18), a local youth leader, prepared the following speech to commemorate the occasion:
A day that is an opportunity for people world-wide to unite in the fight against HIV, showing support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.
It started on the 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away and that there are many things still to be done. HIV today is a threat to men, women, and children around the world. The theme for World AIDS Day 2011 is “Getting to Zero”. After 30 years of the global fight against HIV/AIDS this year the global community has committed to focus on achieving 3 targets: zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. Remember if you are not infected, you’re affected. Let’s beat it! Make your move...
Click to view pictures from the event.
Children, Kid's Camps, SA Monday, September 26, 2011 at 08:36AM 
Elvis Mahlanya, a self-portrait
Today Elvis Mahlanya, a strapping 22-year-old, is rather known as a passionate social change-maker, than an orphan. The product of the close relationships Hands at Work volunteers forged with him, Elvis shares his story below as only he can tell it.
No one can tell this, only me. I am Elvis, the eldest son of the late Sinah Mahlanya who was basically a single parent. She passed away in 2004 when I was just 15-years-old. In her absence I had to take over responsibility for my younger brother, Africa, who was just 13 and my sister Tebogo who was just 6 years old. I had to make sure that I could address their needs all by myself. Everything from fetching water down by the river and providing food for us became my responsibility. Most of the time I had to ask help from my family members or friends. I remember being scolded and shouted at by my own uncle as I tried to advocate for my brother who needed school shoes. His were torn in such a way that he could not wear them. Some days he just went to school barefoot.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 08:09AM 
In the past we have done two conferences, both in South Africa. An Africa conference with our African service center partners and an international conference with our African partners and many international churches and donors as well.
This year instead of having the conferences in just South Africa we will be holding four regional conferences that will be open to anyone interested in attending. The Hands at Work family is growing at a rapid rate which means that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get everyone to South Africa. This means we can bring the conferences closer to home for the Service Centres involved, also allowing our international visitors flexibility and possibly allow them to attend in the country of their interest. In the past we have only been able to have a very small number of community based organizations (CBO) representatives present. By holding regional conferences it will also enable greater CBO participation and give more people exposure to the vision of Hands at Work.
The conference schedule is as follows:
South Africa & Swaziland | March 24-27 | Hands at Work in Africa near White River, South Africa
Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo & Malawi | April 15-18 | Luanshya, Zambia
Mozambique & Zimbabwe | April 22-25 | TBD
Nigeria | May 20-23 | Lagos, Nigeria
We are excited about the new opportunities that hosting regional conferences will bring. All are welcome to come and be a part of the different regional conferences. If you are interested in attending or helping fund the conferences please contact us at info@handsatwork.org.
View more of last year's conference in photos
(AUS), (CAN), (SA), (UK), (USA), 100,000 by 2010, Conference, Democratic Republic of Congo, Hands at Work in Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe tagged AUS, CAN, DRC, Malawi, Moz, NIG, SA, Swaziland, UK, US, Zam, Zim