Hands at Work in Africa

Since its initial post-apartheid elections in 1994, South Africa has seen rapid development, especially in the badly-neglected, crime-heavy squatter camp areas surrounding the country’s largest cities. Yet rural communities remain heavily underdeveloped, often still lacking clean water, adequate schools and health care. HIV/AIDS remains the largest issue in the country, which holds the largest population, 3.5 million, of HIV-positive people in the world and an alarming number of new orphans each year.

Hands at Work began its community work in South Africa and currently works in several communities across two provinces. Below are a representation of some of the projects we support in South Africa.

Masoyi Home Based Care

Masoyi, South Africa

Masoyi is a large community, located 14 km from White River, consisting of multiple villages and in total nearly 250,000 people. HIV prevalence is above 20% in the adult population, unemployment rates hover around 75%, and the associated issues of family structure breakdown, crime, and poverty are at devastating levels.

The Project
Masoyi Home-Based Care began as the first community-based project in 1997 with volunteers providing home visits to the sick and dying. The project quickly expanded into the areas of orphan care, weekly feeding, pre-school care, support groups, youth work and life-skills teaching, orphan-home construction, and community gardens.

With over 100 volunteers, plus regularly visiting international groups, MHBC currently reaches over 2500 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and cares for more than 800 patients.

Expansion
Future expansion plans include a dedicated transport system to serve youth and patient activities, broader life-skills and empowerment training, and construction of a youth resource center to facilitate holistic functioning of youth intervention activities.

Ndzalama Home Based Care

Cork, South Africa

Cork is home to a mixed collection of ethnicities largely including Mozambiquan refugees, many of whom walked 20 years ago across the border to escape the brutal civil war in their homeland. Though initially supported by international aid agencies, the refugees were largely left to fend for themselves. So even a generation after their arrival, most former refugees find themselves and their families still lacking even identity cards and thus unable to claim social grants or obtain South African work permits, and often still segregated from the local community.

Unable to return home to the now peaceful Mozambique, the former refugees, often in positions of illegal employment or unemployment and suffering from poverty and high HIV prevalence, are among the country’s most vulnerable people.

The Project
In 2006 a steering committee of local church leaders was formed with Hands at Work to create Ndzalama Home-Based Care, a community-based organisation caring for the sick, dying and vulnerable in Cork, especially among the former refugees. A team of 17 local volunteers cares for 65 patients and 150 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) through a range of activities including home-based care, OVC care, and feeding. By July, 2007 a care center to act as a base for all operations including feeding, training, and child-care activities was nearing completion.

Expansion
Current expansion plans include finishing the care center and initiating a suite of new child-care programs, increasing volunteer base and training, creating micro-finance opportunities for volunteers, and iniating sports intervention activities for vulnerable youth.

Welverdiend Home Based Care

Welverdiend, South Africa

This community of an estimated 10,000 people is comprised primarily of Mozambican refugees, many of whom walked 20 years ago across the border to escape the brutal civil war in their homeland. Though initially supported by international aid agencies, the refugees were largely left to fend for themselves. So even a generation after their arrival, most former refugees find themselves and their families still lacking even identity cards and thus unable to claim social grants or obtain South African work permits, and often still segregated from the local community.

The Project
In late 2006 a local pastor operating a small crèche in the heart of the community was identified. The crèche was located on a good plot of land but the building was dilapidated, lacking even a proper roof and any form of security. As the crèche area is being equipped, a committee of local pastors is being gathered to lead the project, and local volunteers are being appointed and trained to begin both home-based care and orphan care for the community’s most vulnerable.

Expansion Plans
The crèche building must be developed to provide adequate shade and safety for community children to attend during the days and to receive food and education from local volunteer teachers. The land surrounding the crèche must be secured with a fence and guard shack, and a bore hole must be dug to provide clean and adequate water, preventing the community from trekking to the local river for water.