Healing the inner wounds of the most vulnerable children

Siyathuthuka, South Africa

One day Wandile was playing out­side in his community of Mafwam­bisa when he cut his foot badly on a broken bottle. His mother, Siphiwe has serious health issues and was not able to leave the house and take him to a clinic. She found some glue and tried to glue Wandile’s wound shut. For Wandile, 7, his sister Lungile, 12, and their brother Philane, 2, this story is one of many where they were in need of an adult who could properly care for them.

In South Africa, Hands at Work supports Community Based Organisations (CBO’s) such as Siyathuthuka CBO in Mafwambisa. Here, members of the local churches are volunteering to care for the most vulnerable children. Telma is one of these Care Workers. She has been visiting Wandile’s family since 2008 when their father died. Telma visits the family at home to ensure Siphiwe has taken her treatment. Lungile fears that without Telma, their mother may die also.

The children used to stay at home alone, trying to help their mother. Now, they are able to attend the Care Point at Siyathuthuka CBO. It was here that a Care Worker noticed Wandile’s infected foot and began cleaning the wound each day with salt water until it healed fully. The Care Point is also where the children can receive help with their homework each day. Lungile is in grade 7 and Wandile is in grade 2. Lungile says her favourite subject is English and she loves to practise speaking it. She also says one of her favourite memories is the day Thandy, a Care Worker, taught the girls traditional dancing at the Care Point.

 Each week, Hands at Work trainers visit Siyathuthuka to equip the local Care Workers. These local Care Workers are not only healing the physical wounds like Wandile’s foot, they are healing the inner wounds of the most vulnerable children. Wandile, Lungile and Philane were in danger of growing up with serious scars – both physical and emotional, but now they are able to be children and have peace knowing that they are surrounded by many mothers who love them.

There is Hope

In the community of Share, South Africa, Ruth has been visiting Mike, Tholiwe and Risuna since 2010 when their mother became very sick.  Ruth is a Care Worker at Nhluvuko Community Based Organization (CBO) and has been caring for these extremely vulnerable children for over 2 years now.  In 2011, their mother passed away.  Mike, 15, Tholiwe, 10, and Risuna, 4, did not know their father.  Without Ruth, they would have been left with only their grandmother, who does not live with them and does not care for them. 

But there is hope.  Although they live alone now, the home visits provided by Ruth have given these children a mother who knows each of their names and their situations.  Ruth ensures all three children are going to school each day.  As the head of his household, she has taught Mike to care for and clean the home. 

Through the 3 Essential Services program, Ruth and Nhluvuko CBO have provided this family with a hot meal afterschool each day, school uniforms, a door and window frame for their home, and a mattress.  Ruth has built a very strong relationship with these children and they love and trust her as their mother.

I Was a Stranger (SA)

Assa and her brother Gabito at the Care Centre in Welverdiend, Bushbuck RidgeAssa and her cousin Gabito were born twelve years ago in Mozam­bique. They travelled together with their mothers (who were sisters) from Mozambique in 2010. When they first arrived in Welverdiend, Assa, Gabito and their mothers stayed with their eldest aunt. After only a short time, this aunt chased them away because her husband was complaining that he did not have the resources to feed them and look after them. At this same difficult time, Gabito’s mother passed away leaving Assa’s mother to look after both of them. With no home or money (being from Mozambique and not having a South African ID and Assa’s mother not being able to get consistent work) the family desperately searched for a place to live. Thankfully, someone from the community offered them a temporary house built by the government and to this day, Assa, her mother and Gabito continue to live in this house. But with temporary housing comes the continual fear that the original owner of the house will return and kick them out, leaving them homeless—a very likely event in a poor and despairing com­munity such as theirs.

But things are not all hopeless for this precious family. Last year, Nomsa a Care Worker for the local Hands at Work partnered Community Based Organisation, Pfunani, heard about their situation and began to visit them at their home every week. She encouraged them to go to school and helped them with their house chores, especially when Assa’s mom was away working at the local orange farm. She also took time to encourage Assa’s mom and urge her not give up even though life is very hard.

In order to lighten the burden even more for their family and other families like theirs in Welverdiend community, Pfu­nani Care Workers cook five nutritious meals per week for the most vulnerable children at the Care Point. Assa and Gabito enjoy playing with the other chil­dren in similar situations as them at the Care Point. Pfunani Community Based Organisation has also helped the family by providing them with blankets and a mattress during the cold winter months. This was a huge blessing because their home lacked these basic items.

“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.”   Matthew 25:35

Ever considered having your next family get-together in Africa? (AUS)

This team, who recently travelled to South Africa, was made up of extended family members from VIC and NSW. Keen to impact their entire family, the team was made up of adults and children alike.  Their aim: To be changed, and to understand more about the work of Hands at Work in Africa…

On the 26^th June 2012 our team of 17 headed off to South Africa via Perth.  After 16 hours of flying and almost 5 hours of driving we arrived safely at the ‘Hands’ village in White River.  Once orientation was over we headed straight to the Clau Clau Service Centre where we had lunch and then went straight into the community.  In typical African style we were welcomed through singing and dancing, quickly understanding that our talents are very limited in comparison to theirs. Part of our team joined with the Care Workers to visit the homes of widows and orphans (of whom most suffered with HIV).  The younger members of the team played an assortment of games with the children at the care centre.   It was crazy at the time to think that within a couple of days of leaving Australia we were standing in the heart of ‘Hands at Work’, being blessed by each child that gave us a high-five, sat in our lap, took a photograph or stole our sun glasses.   

The next day was a prayer event in Bushbuckridge (BBR) about a 2-hour drive away and we were given the opportunity to pray with the Care Workers of that community.  Something you quickly realise is that Hands at Work is all about relationships.  The Care Workers in these communities don’t need us to dish out the children’s food or build them a well or school building.  Through the partnership with Hands at Work, they can do these things themselves.  The Care Workers sacrifice their time and energy everyday to care for the vulnerable and orphans in their communities.  Our role was to motivate them to continue this amazing sacrifice.  We helped them to understand the importance of their work, to ask their name when nobody else does, and to show them the love of God through our actions just as they show us His love through theirs.    

Throughout our time, we visited two communities, one in Bushbuckridge (Pfunani community) about 2 ½ hours away and the second in Senzikuthle in Clau Clau about 1 hour away.  We were given the opportunity to do home visits and to feed and play with the children at the care centre.  Each night we would debrief about our day.  Some days some of us would have plenty to share and then other days there was not as much.  But after every story I heard I was reminded of suffering so apparent throughout Africa.  Children who were not even 10 years old were more mature than an Australian in their 20s, and, most of them have seen or experienced more horrific situations in their short time on this earth than I ever will in my lifetime.   These children are forced to grow up so young, they are forced to father or mother their siblings in the absence of their parents, the girls are defenseless against any man who knows their vulnerability, and the saddest part of it all is that they most likely won’t ever know life can be any different.   

What I love so much about Hands at Work is that they seek to find the most vulnerable and then advocates every single day for their survival.   You see in the West we assume that food and a lack of parents are Africa’s biggest problems.   To an extent this is very true.  However, there are so many more issues that can as easily take a child’s life.  That is why Hands at Work advocates for the vulnerable as well as the orphans and widows.  

I have been back in Australia for almost a week now and settling back in has been a challenge.  Before leaving South Africa we were warned of the cultural disorientation that would surmount.   Well they were right.  It has been incredibly hard to slip back into the life I left behind.  You see Africa changes us whether we think it does or not, but the world we leave behind doesn’t change.  Our lives stay relatively the same and no matter how hard we try to tell our friends and family about Africa words do not give it justice.  I thank the Lord every day for the change that I have experienced because my life and what is important to me needed to be challenged.  Whether God wants us to work overseas or to work in our own communities here we need to understand how blessed we are.   I did not choose to be born here it was through God’s grace that I have a family and food and a home to live in.  When we were over there George (founder of ‘Hands at Work’ in Africa) told us not to feel guilty for what we have but to feel blessed.  Well I now know that I am incredibly blessed.

Not My Love, but His (SA)

Nora is a volunteer care worker at the Mandlesive Community-Based Organisation (CBO) in South Africa. As a care worker, she joins several other men and women who share her heart of servanthood to bring hope to the most vulnerable children in her community. The care workers visit these children regularly, offering help with homework, spiritual guidance, and a listening ear. They walk them through heartaches and encourage them to follow their Father and the plans He has for them. Evidently, their stories are every bit as compelling as those of the children whom they serve.

"After my boyfriend left me alone to care for our daughter, I started selling home grown vegetables to earn a living. It was tiring work, and often left me stressed and tired at the end of the day. At the time both my sister and my mother were very sick, and I found myself caring for them and my sister’s children in addition to my daily jobs.

My only hope was these women who would come and visit my sister each day. They taught me how to bathe her and care for her. Once my sister died and my little family gained four more, children, I decided that it was too much to bear and I needed some way to cope with my life’s situation. Then my mother passed away. This is when I asked to join these faithful women who had been devoting their days to caring for my sister and her family.

Now that I am a careworker at Mandlesive Community-Based Organisation, I couldn’t ask for a different life. I care for nine orphans by assisting them with their daily activities such as washing, cooking, helping them with their homework, just as the other careworkers cared for my family.  Giving to the community from the bottom of my heart is the reason that I get up every day; the reason that I can cope with losing my sister and my mother. There are often times where I must give up some of my family’s support in order to bring necessities to these children, and sometimes it is difficult for me to explain this to my family. Sometimes people laugh at me and tell me that I am stupid to be giving up my life to care for other people. While this hurts me, the pain of seeing a hungry child hurts more.

The Lord has overwhelmed me with his blessings. He has kept me and my family safe – there are many times where I have worked with very contagiously sick patients, and He has spared me from illness. My daughters are happy and healthy, I have sweet potatoes in the garden and mangoes on my trees, and my family has food on the table each night. I am able to love these orphans that I care for as my own children because I recognize that it’s not my love to give. Our Father has so richly blessed us with His love, and I know that the love that I show these orphans does not come from me, but Him.

Nora was recently trained by Hands at Work, through the Walking with Wounded Children Program. The training, developed by a team of counsellors and psychologists, equips those who care for children with tools to lead them on a path of healing from any emotional wounds or losses they may have experienced. This training, combined with the love embedded in the hearts of women like Nora, are bringing God’s hope to vulnerable children across Africa.

Transforming Hearts: The Chongs in South Africa (CAN) (SA)

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.

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Moving Through the Community: Kid's Camps (SA)

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.

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Making a Lasting Impact (UK)

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.”

Building a Future Together (SA)

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.

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Walking with Wounded Children (SA)

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.

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(SA) Pray, Fast, Give for the children - Reflections

                On the 1 and 2^nd of December, our Hands village participated in two days dedicated to Prayer, Fasting and Giving for our vulnerable children. Continuous prayers over the 48 hours were lifted to the One who sees each tear that falls from their cheeks, and our village was blanketed with a feeling that only comes when an entire community comes together to keep their eyes on one common purpose. Nearly a week later, we are still astounded by the work that God did in those two days as we hear stories from all over Africa. We gathered in the village before breaking our fast with communion as we shared our revelations and reflections.

“The thought that came to me was simply have a heart of compassion. I needed to pour out my heart day and night for the children, and follow God’s cry for the heart of the children”

“...I was encouraged to stand and walk with those people, and I found that it’s so important to be there to celebrate with the children when there’s reason to, but to also encourage them when they have little hope. That’s what sincere love is – loving them through both good and bad moments.”

“The New Year is a time of restoration – God will restore his precious children to himself. Each child was fearfully and wonderfully made. He has an identity, a future and a plan for each child. Each child was God-begotten... it was not a human decision. It has been stolen from so many of our children – the freedom to choose the life He had mapped out for them. But He says Live. (Ezekiel 16) He says ‘I’ll wash the blood off of you and I will pick you up where you’ve been discarded. I will adorn you. I will make a covenant with you.”

“To be closer to the Heart of God almighty. Is that not why we’re here? Is there anything more important than this? It is by knowing His heart that we can finally come to know His love for us. It is by knowing His love that we can come to know His cross. And it is by knowing His Cross that we can come before Him emptied of ourselves, willing to give up our lives, and willing to know Him and be filled by Him. It is then that we are able to receive His Heart and his love.

'And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and by careful to obey my just decrees.'"

“My love will always run dry, my strength and my energy will always fade out, my heart will always grow cold. Lord, please give me a new heart and a new spirit; please give me your heart and your spirit. Please give me your love. For your love never runs dry, your strength never fades, and your heart never grows cold. In Jesus’ Name.”

"Father! You saw injustice in Egypt and you got involved by raising Moses to bring hope. You saw me and my hopelessness and you sent your son. Now I see injustice because You gave me Your heart. Give me courage to be like You and Jesus. I want to bring hope!"

"Ezekiel 16 speaks of God’s love and compassion toward Jerusalem. On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water... no one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you... I said to you live, I made you grow... I covered your nakedness. I have you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the sovereign Lord, and you became mine. I clothed you. I fed you. I adorned you."

“Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your heart do not think evil of each other” Zachariah 7:9 – 10

“God is at home. God is your home. He is a father who will protect you. A friend who will watch your back. A brother who will keep you from ever being lonely. He loves you so much and he is holding out his hand. Reach out for it and walk together. He won’t let you go or lag behind. He won’t run ahead, unless it is to protect you. He is your biggest champion.”

“Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these... I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father”
John 14: 12 – 14

“My vision is that Jesus sees all the broken and vulnerable children. He sees our heartache and He encourages us to persevere in care and love to them. As we weep, he weeps over all the injustice”

South Africa/Swaziland Regional Conference Highlight

We just finished our first regional conference last week, and it was a huge success!  For many the highlight of the South Africa/Swaziland conference was Thulile sharing her story of helping children.

In November 2009, five brothers and sisters under the age of 12 huddled themselves in their stick and mud hut on a deserted hillside in rural Swaziland and watched their sick mother die. Their father had died in the same hut a year earlier, leaving the children to look after their sick mother for months before she passed away. They had not been attending school, had no school uniforms or books, and now they were alone without even a single day’s food.

After two weeks fending for their lives, a neighbor found the children eating mud on the bank of a river to keep their stomachs full.  He went to speak with Asondle Sive Bomake (ASB), a hands at work partner CBO in the area.  After the neighbor spoke with ASB, they assigned Thulile to visit the children. When Thulile first went to see the children they ran away.  Thulile said, "They didn't want to be around other people at all." 

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