Welcome to 2024
Hi everyone! Welcome to the first edition in 2024 of HandsTogether, the email newsletter of the Hands at Work UK Office.
You’ll notice a theme to this edition, which is focused on finances and giving. If you’ve been supporting Hands at Work for a while, you’ll know that this is not a normal focus, but we are doing it because it’s important for the work of Hands at Work at this particular moment. Over the last three years our income, which comes entirely from generous individual and partner giving, has been pretty consistent. However, the needs in Africa have increased. Over the past two years, here in the UK we have deliberately depleted our reserves to enable the work to continue as planned. That is obviously an approach that can only work once; once the reserves are spent you can’t keep topping up the gap.
That is where we find ourselves in 2024. We have a bit of wiggle room, as the exchange rates have been generous to us during 2023, but we know that this is a temporary reprieve. The headline is that we expect income of approximately £220,000 for the three essential services this year, but we need £250,000. That’s a gap of £30,000.
The model of Hands at Work is that of long-term, committed support of vulnerable communities in Africa, backed with long-term, committed giving from individuals and from the International Church. For many reasons, we’d absolutely love to plug that gap by advocating for the need in Africa and for churches and groups to step up to commit to provide the financial support.
However, generous one-off giving has always been a significant part of how we meet our income needs for the 3ES. I mentioned the expected 3ES income of £220,000. Only about £160,000 of that is from committed, regular giving. Approximately £60,000 will come from one-off gifts. This year we need to be more deliberate and intentional in asking for money and more imaginative in encouraging financial support from people who do not directly support Hands at Work at the moment.
You may have heard that we started this year with a day of prayer with a financial focus and we’ll be working hard to try and encourage people to raise money and support Hands at Work. There is already a lot of great activity going on, but we’ve historically not been great in sharing those stories. We’re going to do more, which we are hoping might inspire you to do something similar (or completely different) to help close the gap. For example, you can read in the newsletter about The Neptune Cub pack in Biggleswade who ran a ‘sponsored loo push’ to raise money to support the Mafambisa Community in South Africa.
Knowing that I’d have to be encouraging others to raise sponsorship this year, I thought it would be remiss of me not to walk the walk, and so I’ve started the year with my own fundraising effort. I’ve completed my first ultra-marathon running race, further than I’ve ever run before at 50 miles. I used Just Giving to collect some sponsorship and then sent the link to friends, family and work colleagues, and have managed to raise £1800, for which I am very grateful. As well as the money, however, it’s been an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the work of Hands at Work and to advocate to different parts of my family and social network. It’s also led on to unexpected further opportunities. I was also sponsored with ten amazing jars of homemade honey, which I’ve then sold to raise another £60 – enough to provide support for a child for three months. Now, that doesn’t solve our income issue, but even just my one effort is 6% of the gap. Another 17 and the gap is closed!
Having used the Just Giving system it really is pretty easy to get started. If you search for ‘just giving hands at work’, find the Hands at Work just giving page and then click ‘fundraise for us’, you can follow the steps.
You don’t need to be undertaking a marathon, or even any physical activity. Maybe you have some homemade produce that you can sell at your office or church, or maybe you could organise a bake sale at a summer fete this year. Equally, it might not cost you anything at all: making sure that we’ve got your gift-aid declaration up to date makes a significant difference to our income, and I’d encourage you to fill in the gift-aid form that’s on the Hands at Work website and linked to in this newsletter.
You may find this leads you into interesting conversations along the way. Across the world there are a number of ‘friends and family’ partnerships that support communities in Africa. These are very similar to church partnerships but are where work colleagues and/or family members group together to commit to supporting a particular community for the long term. We have a couple in the UK already, which have made a real difference, and we’d love to encourage more.
Please do hear the call to action this year. We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity of everyone who supports Hands at Work, but we want to see enough money coming in to meet the needs in Africa. It’s tough to provide that support on the ground, and it would be a real shame if it boiled down to just cash being the factor that limited what could be achieved.
So, be moved, be inspired, and do a little (or big) something to help Hands at Work during 2024.
Growing a Healthy Community in Miswa
Many gardeners will tell you how good it is to spend a day tending a garden in the company of friends. The community garden in the isolated rural community of Miswa in Northern Zambia is no exception. It provides a focus for friendship and for the sharing of burdens, as well as much-needed vegetables to feed some of the most vulnerable families in this area.
Like most of the communities supported by Hands at Work, Miswa is ‘off the tar road’, which means that a trip to secondary schools, the clinic, shops and other amenities is a 14-mile journey on bumpy dirt roads. Those living in this community face many challenges, amongst them lack of clean water, food shortages and unemployment.
Walking alongside local volunteers, Hands at Work provides basic food, healthcare and education for 110 of the most vulnerable children in this community. This is done around a Life Centre, where children come each day to receive a hot nutritious meal and where they are known by name and cared for by local Care Workers.
The effects of climate change have the greatest impact on the poorest of the poor, and in Miswa the lack of rain means poor harvests and not enough food for families to feed their children.
In 2021 two boreholes were installed in the Miswa community, ensuring safe and clean access to water, and providing irrigation for the newly-planted community gardens.
This has enabled the Care Workers to plant various vegetables, which are cooked and served to the children as part of their daily meal. The Care Workers also support the young people from the community in managing the income from their youth garden.
This is all part of the Hands at Work strategy of building resilience and sustainability in the isolated communities where they work. With continued challenges such as lack of rain and little access to water beyond the boreholes, there is hope found at the Life Centre and amongst the amazing men and women who are following God’s call to care for the most vulnerable.
You and your community are invited to join us as we support these dedicated Care Workers. For more information go to: www.handsatwork.org
The Great Biggleswade Loo Push
A Bedfordshire cub pack, Neptune, has successfully raised the £1700 needed to help fund a new toilet block for Mafambisa Care Point in South Africa! Deemed a flushing success (!) the Great Biggleswade Loo Push involved two home-made toilet go-karts which were ridden in an area of Biggleswade. The unconventional take on raising money captured the Bedfordshire community, who can now proudly say that they have helped to raise money for a much-needed cause.
Mafambisa is the community partner of St Andrew’s Church in Biggleswade, where Neptune cub pack leader, Nick Gurney, attends. Donations on the day flooded in and by the end of the event the £1700 needed was not only reached but surpassed. Nick said: “We are just overjoyed by the community’s response and participation. We always hoped we would reach the donation target, but hitting the amount and surpassing the total is more than we could have wished for”. Any monies raised beyond the cost of the toilets will be used by Hands at Work wherever there is greatest need, serving to build resilience in Africa’s poorest communities.
And it’s not the end of the road for the toilet go-karts, either! They have been invited to participate in this year’s Biggleswade Carnival, so it won’t be the last time they will be seen proudly parading the streets!
Hands at Work in Africa UK Gathering Saturday 30th September 2023
Saturday 30th September 2023
Listening, Learning & Advocating
Listening
September saw the first national Gathering for all our supporters since the pandemic restrictions. Whilst it was really good to be together like that, it was also striking to see the sheer diversity: of ages present, of length of experience of Hands at Work or of complete newcomers! This diversity extended to the voices heard during the day, with video contributions from African leaders and UK volunteers. Long-term UK volunteers, Chris & Jo Poulsom, were able to be present and the voice of the African diaspora was expressed through Hands at Work UK Board member, Ann-Marie Ageyman, who challenged us to be open to what we learn and receive in our partnerships from Africa; “If we cannot express what we receive from Africa then it isn’t a partnership and it’s clouded with pride”.
During the course of the day we heard from UK teams that had visited this year, including nurse, Helen Cullen, from St. Albans, who went to support the Service Centre staff in Kabwe, Zambia, in undertaking pioneering health assessments of our children.
Learning
Chris & Jo Poulsom spoke about the process of communities moving towards independence – ‘graduation’, as we call it in Hands at Work. Working with local volunteers and church pastors, we seek to mobilise the churches in the communities to fulfil the biblical mandate to care for the orphan and widow. Chris & Jo explained how this process works in practice and how, by moving towards graduation, it enables Hands at Work to reach even more vulnerable communities.
Advocating
The Gathering was hosted by Highgrove Church in Bristol, part of the Woodlands group of churches, faithful partners of Hands at Work. They have recently built a new lobby area on the side of the church to create a more welcoming and hospitable space, which it did very effectively. As I stood welcoming people as they arrived, I could look out through the glass walls of the entrance area and see people passing on the street outside. I wondered as I did so whether they could possibly imagine what had brought us all together, this assorted gathering of people? A shared passion for the very poorest in our world, a desire to walk alongside them, learn from them, and share our gifts and resources; each person there called to return to their own context and be a voice for the people they have met and come to know by name and learn their stories – people who are themselves denied a platform. So, after a day of listening and learning, we were sent out to be a more effective voice on behalf of the poor and vulnerable.
David Newsome
Mafambisa in 2023
It was great to see the Care Workers, Khetiwe, Virginia and Marie, as well as Lucia, a new edition to the team, at Mafambisa. They were so welcoming and pleased to see us.
With the restriction on teams in ‘23 we were unable to send a team from Biggleswade. However, my daughter, Alice, had volunteered to be a teacher in a school near Durban for a year, so I travelled alone to South Africa to visit Alice and at the same time make a visit to the Hands at Work Hub and to our partner community.
I flew to Johannesburg and then onto Durban. It was school holidays in South Africa, so we were able to visit a few places before we set out to drive across the country to the Hub. We stopped off at the Nelson Mandela ‘capture’ site, which was the place where they first arrested Nelson Mandela and where he began his 27-year incarceration.
There is a very special memorial sculpture here and also a museum tracing his incredible life. A little fact we learnt is that when they stopped his car Nelson was sitting in the front, wearing a chauffeur’s uniform, and his driver was in the back as a passenger. Just one way that Nelson had avoided capture for 17 months!
We arrived at the Hands at Work Hub and the very next day were off to Mafambisa. It was great to see the children’s shelter completed; last year our team painted several coats of white and then blue paint, but we didn’t have time to do the mosaic design at the bottom – this was done a week after we left!
When we arrived, Virginia, Khetiwe and Lucia were all there. We went straight into chopping vegetables and stirring the pap – it was as if we had never been away!
Before long we set off on a Holy Home Visit – well two actually. Alice went with Khetiwe and Lucia while I went with Audrey to visit Sam, a young lad of 18 who has been coming to the Care Point for years, but recently has fallen in with a bad crowd.
Audrey, Sam and I sat under a tree and chatted. It was great to get to know Sam a little bit. In his last year of school, Sam dreams of being an airline pilot, and this gave us a chance to talk about the pitfalls of getting in with the wrong crowd, and avoiding being an innocent party caught up in an incident.
Both Audrey and I assured Sam of our love and prayers, and our trust. Sam shared that he spends time at a recording studio, where he sets poetry to music. He was able to share some with me, and it sounded great!
Alice writes about her visit:
It was another first on this home visit. We went to a home that we first visited last year. It was lovely to be able to go back and visit a young mother who last year was 16 and had just had a baby four weeks previously.
This is the blog entry from July 2022
Everything had moved on. The baby is now 12 months old and the mum 17 years old. They were living in the same home with her siblings and grandmother. The younger siblings sell crisps and narchies (satsumas) to the neighbours to raise money for food. Mum and baby are doing well and continue to be supported by the Care Workers (particularly Maria) and the Care Point. They still visit the Care Point most days and mum has gone back to school, which was a hope of hers last year. It was clear from being in this home and community that the phrase “it takes a community to raise a child” is very evident here.
Both of these visits helped us to realise the importance of partnership and of the value of getting to know a community, getting to know the Care Workers by visiting them regularly, sharing with them, going deeper.
Holy Home Visits over, we went back to the Care Point where the children were arriving. As it was school holidays, the numbers were down, but there was still plenty of singing and worship before we served the food.
It was a great first day and during the week we made three further trips to Mafambisa, just being there and walking alongside them. On one of the days we took along some nail polish and painted the Care Workers’ nails – always something that goes down really well! We had a great time out in the community, we shared with the Care Workers, we showed love, we visited homes and renewed friendships, we laughed, we sang, we worshipped, we played, we learnt, we were humbled. Our partnership grew.
The rest of the week was taken up with Youth Camp. This was a first in Africa for both Alice and me. They arrived on Monday evening, one group from Pfunani and one from Sommerset – thirty-five in all. We joined in with their worship and we helped organise games and activities. ‘Stand on a chair’ basketball was a favourite and building the highest free-standing structure using marshmallows and macaroni was competitive, exciting and a lot of fun. We really enjoyed Youth Camp. It was great to see the young people learning, worshipping and having fun together. Our final Friday was their final Friday, and it was a privilege to listen to them feed back at the end of their week.
It was very different visiting the Hub with just the two of us, instead of leading a team, but it was a real chance to catch up with long-term volunteers. It was great to be able to renew our links with the children, young people and Care Workers at Mafambisa, and really impressed upon us the need for teams and the need to establish strong partnerships. Being part of Youth Camp was a real privilege, and it was wonderful to witness this strand of Hands at Work’s outreach.
Alice & Chris Parker
Thank You Hands at Work UK!
Thanks to the swift and generous response from many of you in Hands at Work UK, the vulnerable children at the Care Point in Buhimba in the Democratic Republic of Congo can continue to receive the holistic care, love and safety that is offered by a Hands at Work Life Centre.
Buhimba is a community in the DRC close to Goma, in the north of the country, which has suffered so much from the effects of the ongoing war in that area. Buhimba itself is not in the war zone so families have not had to flee to refugee camps, as has been the case for many of our children, but the ongoing war still has an impact on the vulnerability and the safety of the children in that area.
The land on which the Buhimba Care Point was built was owned by a good Christian man who had huge compassion for the children and supported the work that Hands at Work was doing in the area. He allowed Hands at Work to rent the land for a token $5 a month, and the Care Point became a place where 120 children were fed, felt safe, and were able to play and be well-cared for.
Sadly the landowner died, and his widow faced large medical bills. The local Hands at Work team negotiated with his brother, who initially asked for $15,000 for the purchase of the land, but eventually, knowing how important Hands at Work was to his brother, agreed on $10,000.
When our Hands at Work UK WhatsApp groups were told of this situation, offers of money poured in and the money for the purchase of the land at Buhimba was pledged in about two hours! It was very moving to receive a succession of texts pledging the money in a single evening!
The legal process for the purchase of the land has now been completed, with title deeds and lawyers’ signatures ensuring that the land is safely the property of Hands at Work in the DRC.
In his message thanking Hands at Work UK for their generosity, George commented that the securing of this safe place for the vulnerable children in Buhimba has saved lives.
Thank you to all who were part of this.
Jane Newsome
Reflections on a visit to Mozambique
In the far north of Scotland there is a town named Forres, where Hands at Work partner, Turning Point Church, is located.
Turning Point Church became a partner in 2021, supporting children in the community of Matsinho B in Mozambique.
This year, three members of the Turning Point congregation travelled to Mozambique to visit the children, families, Care Workers, Primary Caregivers and Hands at Work teams who they pray for and had heard so much about.
Judith shares:
In many ways, it is hard to put into words all that we experienced and felt as we prepared for and then went on our trip to Mozambique. Every morning, we loved meeting with the Service Centre team in Chimoio and following the rhythm of Hands at Work devotions. We spent most of our time with our partner community at Matsinho B, which we reached after a bumpy 40-minute journey across the red African soil! We prayed, worshipped, danced and cried with the Care Workers, we went on Holy Home Visits into the community, and we also got to play games and do craft activities with the children.
I have so many highlights – too many to share, but let me tell you a couple:
· On a Holy Home Visit I got to meet three girls and their father who I had been praying for over several years – and the fact that God in His kindness orchestrated that just blew me away. As I learnt their story it touched my heart even more. They had been living in a house where leeches would come up from the ground and eat them as they slept… but thanks to Hands at Work they now have a new brick home with a concrete floor and a mattress, so that they can sleep without harm.
· We were humbled by the Care Workers’ hunger for and need of God, their immediate response to fall on their knees and ask for prayer, their joy in worship of Him despite their own challenges, and their endurance to keep on giving and do their best to care for the children of their community.
We were told on many occasions what an encouragement our visit was to them but they will never know the impact they have had on our lives, how they have taught us about loving and caring and doing what we can for those around us; their hunger to see God work and move in their circumstances and community; and their smiles – they communicated so much, without words! Before we went we prayed that God would build bonds of love between us, despite the language barrier, and He answered that prayer!
Karen shares:
I had no idea that my first day visiting the Care Point at Matsinho B in Mozambique would change my life forever. I’ve been back home in Scotland now for several weeks but part of my heart is still there. I almost daily look back at the photographs of the children, the Care Workers, Caregivers and local church pastors, and it fills my heart with such love and joy. I saw firsthand the poverty and the vulnerability of the children but also experienced how Hands at Work makes such a positive difference in their lives through the work of the Care Point and Holy Home Visits. My experiences there have impacted my life in such a way that I feel more humbled and more appreciative of all that I have. I always advocate for the children whenever I have an opportunity to share with friends, family and work colleagues about my trip. My heart’s desire is to go back someday.
Jane shares:
My grandchildren, at 5 and 7 years old, always comment on how I have a song for everything. I remember finding myself singing (in my head) Rhianna’s song, ‘We found love in a hopeless place’. But I was struck by the fact that, in many people’s eyes, the communities that Hands at Work serves are counter-cultural. We found love, overwhelming love, but we also found hope, reflected in the whole Hands at Work community. It was wonderful to arrive at any of the Care Points and hear the passion of their worship. What a welcome, along with those smiling faces that ran out to meet us. Quite clearly ‘Hope has a name, His name is Jesus’ (River Valley Worship).
Rhythm is another key word from the trip. The rhythm of Hands at Work’s week and the rhythm of the people. It was a privilege to be a part of and to be able to continue to join with them in spirit, living out Ephesians 4v15-6: as each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing full of love. Holy Home Visits spoke volumes, as the families were shown that they were loved. What radiant smiles, what transformation.
Hands at Work UK National Gathering
Hands at Work UK National Gathering
You are all invited to our Hands at Work UK national gathering taking place on Saturday 30th September.
Two Churches Become One Team
Becky Warnock shares,
“Over the Easter break, two churches became one team! The Forge Community Church in Suffolk and Hollywood Christian Life Centre in Birmingham joined forces to spend time in Zambia, specifically with the communities of Maposa and Amlew, with whom they partner. The team consisted of Peter, Deborah, Abigail and Thomas Steele (Hollywood) and Becky Warnock, Stephen Shears, Brenda Stannard, Sam Land and Ben Land (The Forge), a mix of those who have been many times, those for whom this is a second visit, and the first visit for two others.
The team spent time in both communities and also ran a four-day kids’ camp over the Easter weekend, where 40 children came and stayed at Kachele, 20 from each community. It was amazing to build relationships with the children and see them open up over the weekend as we focused on the theme of forgiveness. One young girl called Beatrice* told how her brother had taken her to work in his shop and then accused her of stealing money. She didn’t do it, but he beat her up and broke her leg. She shared how she found it hard to forgive him but knew that she had to.
There were many highlights from the trip – Holy Home Visits, walking with the Care Workers, an early sunrise service on Easter Sunday with all the children, and getting to know the long-term volunteers at Kachele.”
Watch a video filmed by team member, Ben Land from The Forge Community Church, about the visit.
A Team Reflection on a Holy Home Visit
A team from the UK recently travelled to South Africa to visit their partner communities of Mafambisa and Zwelisha. The team comprises the Link for Life Penkridge partnership in the West Midlands.
The team journaled some great reflections of their time in Africa on their blog here. All of the team members were really impacted by the Care Workers, children and Hands at Work teams they met. Here is a story from one of the Holy Home Visits they went on.
Aoife and Heidi share:
“The group visited a home about 45 minutes’ walk away from the Care Point. It was the family of a grandmother, Celia*, with four grandchildren, as well as her daughter, Rosa* (in her early 20s), all of whom attended the Care Point. There were many parts of their story which were distressing to hear and they were very poor. As we sat together under the shade of a tree, Celia was picking leaves off some wild plants that she had gathered, in order to make a thin soup as an evening meal for them all.
Originally from Mozambique, Celia came to South Africa following the war in her home country. All of her children and grandchildren are undocumented but, thanks to Care Workers supported by Hands at Work, they have been granted access to a local school.
The team was shown their home which is in need of attention. There were three rooms, one of which had a leaking roof, and another where rainwater was seeping through the floor... And they do not have a toilet. This is the sort of detailed information about a home setting which can only be found out when Care Workers visit a home. These Holy Home Visits (called Holy because the expectation is that God is present and will help) are vitally important to the work of Hands at Work.
As a result of this visit, the Care Workers and the Hands at Work Service Centre staff can assess the needs of the children and the family and see what can be done to help and support them. Their lack of a toilet will make them a high priority.
Amazingly, despite a host of very serious problems, Celia and Rosa were delighted to see us and welcomed us so warmly. We were able to pray for Celia and Rosa before we left. The visit left us with a lot to think about.”
Hand in Hand
Families’ Weekend Away - 2nd-4th February, 2024
A weekend retreat of encouragement, envisioning, fun, friendship, food and reflection for those raising children and young people with Jesus, justice and Hands at Work on their hearts.
Who is this for?
The goal of the weekend is to bring together families and those raising children and young people who have either been out to Africa or are supporters of Hands at Work.
What’s the weekend about?
· Fun activities that engage our children and young people in what it’s like to be a child in Africa, and to gain some understanding of the day-to-day life of the Care Points.
· Eating together and building community
· Worshipping and unpacking the Bible to figure out how justice can fit into our parenting
· Quality time to reflect on God’s vision for our individual families and the communities we’re in at the moment
· Opportunities to build friendships with other families through games/walks
Why a whole weekend?
For many of us, our experience of visiting Hands at Work in Africa has challenged and changed our outlook on life; on the values that we hold, and on what justice and care for the poor means in practice. Visiting Africa with our children may be in the pipeline, or it may be a vision for the future, or it may not be possible and practicable, but we hold the desire to parent in a way that reflects Hands at Work’s values and enables our children to connect with a larger world. The pressures on parents are huge; there are so many voices inputting into what we do and the decisions we make, and not a lot of time to sift through the noise, reflect on what we want our families to look like, and remember what we cherish most. A weekend away as a community may provide opportunities for us to do some of this.
When and where will it be?
Friday 2nd-Sunday 4th February 2024
FRONTIER CENTRE
Addington Road
Irthlingborough
Northants
NN9 5UH
We’re aware that giving up a whole weekend is a challenge in our busy worlds, and that going away isn’t always easy with kids. We hope we’ve booked somewhere that will make this as easy as possible.
· All rooms are ensuite with bunk beds: Group Accommodation | Frontier Centre
· There is a communal living room and kitchenette for our group
· We will be fully catered for over the weekend
How much will it cost?
£120 per person, with under 6s free.
How do I sign up?
Please complete the Booking Form (one booking form per family).
In order to secure our booking at the Frontier Centre we need to send a deposit by the 18th of July. If you would like to join us for this weekend, please send a £50 deposit per family by bank transfer to:
TSB Bank plc
Halesowen Branch
Sort Code: 30-93-75
Account Number: 01054895
Please mark the transfer “Weekend Away”.
Full payment is due by 1st January, 2024.
Who is running the weekend?
Hi, I’m Hannah and I’m married to Mike and we have Eve (8) and Samuel (5). We live in St Albans and are worship leaders at a local church called St Luke’s that has been connected with Hands at Work for quite a few years. We first ventured to Africa with Katherine and Graham before we had a family when we felt called to do something “missional” with our summer holiday… I don’t think we were prepared for how this trip would change us, and not least our understanding of mission! We returned two years later to spend time with old and new friends, and subsequently began to develop our churches’ partnership with Msengeni in Eswatini.
As a teacher, I often find myself caught up in the cycle of day-to-day planning, marking, and crisis management. Likewise, as a mum, it is easy to be consumed by homework, clubs, and conflict resolution! But every time I connect with Hands at Work, I am reminded of the transformative power of real community, compassion, and vulnerability. Of values and priorities that cut through the noise and allow God’s voice to be heard loud and clear. Though we hope to visit Africa as a family soon, I have a real desire to see communities of care built here.
I’m Katherine, I’m married to Graham and we have three busy boys; Joshua (7), Ethan (4) and Benjamin (2). Graham and I both moved to Nottingham for university and then never left! We connected into a church as students, St Giles, and due to the community that we built, decided to stay a while. I’m a nurse, currently working as a Ward Sister on a busy admissions area. Life is chaotic, noisy, and always a bit of a juggle, and it is often our church community that means that we can survive!
Hannah and I first went to Africa together in 2011 - Hands at Work has been a part of both of our lives since. Graham and I have taken teams from St Giles, as well as taking Joshua when he was 18 months old. We would love in the future to visit Zambia with all our boys - we would love them to meet our friends in Malakota in Zambia, the Care Workers we speak of who give selflessly of themselves every day and the wonderful Hands at Work staff. However more than that, we would love for them to understand a little more of God’s heart for the poor, of His call to justice and that we all have a part to play. One day we will take them…but that time is not quite yet!
Please email Hannah if you have any questions.
UK International Volunteers
An update on what our international long-term volunteers from the UK are doing this year, and how you can be praying for them.
Chris and Jo Poulsom
Chris and Jo have spent the last five years volunteering in South Africa and, from March, will spend their sixth year in Zambia, helping to establish a Hands at Work base in the Kabwe area. Chris will continue with his financial responsibilities as well as picking up some new roles, and Jo will be supporting Care Workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as well as keeping her existing roles.
The Poulsoms' two children, Riana and Barney, are off on their own adventures! Riana is working with Christian Youth Enterprises in the UK, and Barney, after completing school in December, is making plans to spend time with a church in the US and with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Australia.
We can pray for them as a family as they are spread across the world, and pray for Chris and Jo as they settle into Kabwe and build community there.
Catherine Clarkson
Catherine shares: “After serving with our International Offices and partners for the past 12 years, 2023 is going to look a bit different as I begin serving in new areas. My role this year will be working within our operations across Hands at Work and one of my responsibilities will be ensuring the well-being of the Hands at Work footprint across Africa. Having started a little of this work in 2022, this is likely to mean lots of travel across our countries, digging into the policies and procedures which guide, support and protect our work, ensuring we stay faithful to our call and DNA, and providing support for some of the behind-the-scenes operations which every ministry needs to have in place! It’s always hard to say exactly how the year will unfold, but I’m excited and willing to serve wherever God chooses to lead me.
A couple of ways you can pray for me are for safety and good health as I travel through Africa – especially around malaria protection, and also that I would be courageous yet dependent as I serve where God would place me. Here’s to a great year ahead!”
Tommy and Morgan Malster
We are really excited for Tommy (UK volunteer) and his wife Morgan (Canadian volunteer) and their 5-year-old son Finnley, who have just welcomed their second child, Nora. After 13 years of living in South Africa and Zambia, the family travelled back to Canada and plan to stay there for the next season. We can pray for the Malsters as they settle into new rhythms and spend time with their Canadian family and friends. We can also pray for Finnley as he starts a new school, and give thanks for the arrival of baby Nora.
Dan and Jen Waspe
Dan and Jen Waspe are in their 14th year serving in Africa with Hands at Work. After spending the last seven months of 2022 in the Kabwe Service Centre in Zambia, Dan and Jen, along with their children, have moved back to the Hub in South Africa. Jen’s roles include heading up the hospitality team, and a new role supporting the Regional Support Team in the Mutare Service Centre in Zimbabwe. Dan’s roles include supporting the Management Team and a new role on the Communications Team. The boys continue to love the outdoor life and excel in sports, and Buhle has started in Grade R (Reception year). Dan and Jen became official guardians for Buhle last year.
We can pray for the Waspe family as they adjust to life back at the Hub, and pray for Dan and Jen as they start in their new roles. We can also pray for the children as they continue with school, for travel, and successful and speedy visa renewals.
If you would like to find out about how you can support any of our volunteers, please contact info@uk.handsatwork.org
Boots at Work for Chinyausunzi
In July 2022, my wife, Jane, & I had the privilege to visit the community of Chinyausunzi in Mutare, Zimbabwe. This community has some of the poorest housing conditions we have witnessed in Africa. We saw rooms that were originally built to house single men, working on the railways or in the mines, now accommodating several families. Despite this, the Care Point, supported by Hands at Work and serving 130 of the most vulnerable children of this community, is one of the most joyful and hope-filled ones we have visited. Here children are safe, well fed, known by name, listened to, and are allowed to be children through games and play.
Boots at Work logo for the walk designed by George Green
We don’t have a church in the UK to partner with this community as yet and so, in October, I walked the 109 miles of the Cleveland Way to raise funds for, and awareness of, this community.All the money raised is going towards providing the three essential services of food, education and healthcare for the children of this community.
The Cleveland Way Trail
The Cleveland Way Trail starts from the market town of Helmsley, heading on to the heather moorlands of the North York Moors National Park, before reaching the coast at Saltburn-by-the-Sea. From here the scenery is replaced by dramatic cliffs, secluded coves and sandy beaches, taking in some beautiful coastal communities and old fishing villages. The path passes Rievaulx Abbey and Whitby Abbey, scene of the Synod of Whitby in 664, so decisive for the future direction of Christianity in Britain
There is something about doing a long walk and feeling exhausted at the end of each day that, in a very small way, is an act of solidarity with the Care Workers who, every day, on top of all their work at home, prepare fires, cook the food for 130 children, serve them, play with them, scrub the huge cooking pots, visit the children in their homes, advocate for them in school and clinics, love and care for them. When thinking of all that these amazing women do (it is mainly women), it actually seems pretty feeble to say I’m tired after a 12-mile walk in beautiful countryside!
Chinyausunzi
Hands at Work Care Points are best described as Life Centres. They represent a place of peace and security. Children, who may be carrying huge responsibilities as the sole carer of younger brothers and sisters, have the opportunity to play and be children again for a moment. It was particularly moving to see how the Care Workers at Chinyausunzi engaged with the children. Not only do they prepare and cook all the food for 130 children, but they played, talked and listened to them all too. One Care Worker was intentionally seeking out and sitting with the quieter children who didn’t want to play boisterous games. Truly it is a place that brings the kind of fullness of life that Jesus talks about. The support generated by the walk is helping enable this work. My hope in walking the Cleveland Way is to put Chinyausunzi ‘on the map’ in the UK, so that we can find a partner for this community and our amazing team of Care Workers.
Thank You!
Thank you so much to everyone who supported my Boots at Work walk, especially to those who gave anonymously and who I haven’t been able to thank personally. The total now stands at £2,715 which with Gift Aid added makes a final total of: £3,182.50. Your support will make a tangible difference: this amount will provide 13 of the most vulnerable children in Chinyausunzi with the three Essential Services of food, education and healthcare for a year.
David Newsome
Hands at Work UK Safeguarding Team
“Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
Maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
”
Here at Hands at Work, we believe that protecting children and vulnerable people is a Biblical mandate, and is at the centre of everything we do. We wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about our Safeguarding Team.
Supported by the Hands at Work UK Coordinators and Board of Trustees, we are delighted to introduce you to Linda Waller, our Safeguarding Coordinator, and Clare Beavon, our Safeguarding Administrator. We’ll let them tell you a bit about themselves.
Linda
Safeguarding Coordinator
“I was appointed Safeguarding Coordinator for Hands at Work UK in September 2021. My professional background in children and families’ social work was enhanced by extra training for the role earlier this year. Together with Jane, one of Hands at Work UK’s National Coordinators, I provided training for the team leaders who visited Africa during the summer – the first teams to go for more than two years.
My involvement with Hands at Work began in 2017 when I became a prayer partner with Audrey, a Care Worker in Msengeni, Eswatini, and supported the St Albans team with their visit. Phil (my husband) and I were fortunate to be members of a team which went to Eswatini and South Africa in 2019. We also helped raise funds for two summer projects: a borehole in Zambia in 2021 and a brick-built toilet this year. Please continue to pray for the much-needed work of Hands at Work.”
Clare
Safeguarding Adminstrator
“I first learnt about Hands at Work from my husband, Martin (before he was my husband!). Martin visited in 2019, just three months before we were due to get married. I had heard all his stories and attended various regional gatherings, and we both felt called to serve with the charity. I am involved with the Safeguarding team and my main responsibility lies in ensuring DBS checks are in place prior to teams going out to Africa. I got the opportunity to visit myself this year and it certainly helped to make all those stories a reality. We have enjoyed sharing our experiences with anyone who wants to listen.”
We think it’s really important that everyone plays their part in keeping children and vulnerable people safe. Safeguarding is all of our responsibility. If you ever have a Safeguarding concern, please contact linda.waller@uk.handsatwork.org.
You can request a copy of our Safeguarding policy by emailing info@uk.handsatwork.org.
Hands at Work UK is a member of the Safeguarding organisation thirtyone:eight.
Zambia visit 2022
A reflection by Garry Summers, Team Leader of the Greenfinch and West Mersea Free Church Team
“Three difficult years have passed since my last visit to Zambia. Due to the pandemic, I really was not sure what we would face or experience during our return. In the past I had been focused solely on Chilabula, the community partnered by my home church of Greenfinch, Ipswich. However, this trip was different, asthe party included Andy and Heather Jones from West Mersea Free Church near Colchester, who are partnered with Amlew, an urban community in Kitwe. Our time in Zambia was going to be split between visiting both communities. Ron and Hilary Michie, also from Greenfinch Church, completed the team.
We knew visiting Africa, after a period of enforced absence, would be different from past trips. We would be the only UK team visiting Zambia in 2022, in fact since lockdown. And the programme reflected this – allowing time in both communities with a need to double up on certain aspects of the visit. But there was no need to worry as the welcome we received at Kachele and the communities was as warm as ever. It felt like coming home!
Our schedule was full-on, but exciting and varied. Although the two communities are quite different, both face severe poverty and vulnerability. Many people simply do not know where their next meal will come from. They rely so much on the care and continued support of Hands at Work. We experienced Care Worker Foundation Training and Relationship Groups in Amlew. We walked with the Care Workers in both communities on Holy Home Visits, where we could spend time sitting and praying with those we were visiting. We enjoyed time with the children and were able to lead art and craft sessions, which the adults enjoyed as much as the children. It was good to spend time finding out about the new 0-5s programmes. There was plenty of opportunity for games which, of course, included many-a-side football. We were able to help at mealtimes, serving the daily meal provided to the children at the Care Points. Care Worker appreciation time felt particularly important on this first visit after three years. The Care Workers did seem tired at times, so we felt that by splitting the time between the two communities, we were not causing too much of an increased workload for them.
So, what are my favourite memories of this visit? Meeting new children and having our hearts broken all over again by their stories. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that lives will be changed by the work of Hands at Work in both communities. I have always had a special place in my heart for the amazing Care Workers, and it was incredibly special to spend time showing our appreciation. To be able to encourage and thank them, and to pray for them, was such a privilege. We were also able to leave each Care Worker with a care package. I also must mention the fun we had visiting as a two-Partner team. Spending time getting to know each other better, exchanging a bit of banter, learning to laugh (and cry) together. Once again, I have left a bit more of my heart in Africa.”
UK Visit by George and Carolyn Snyman
“Isn’t it good to be able to meet together?” This was the comment of so many of the Hands at Work UK Advocates at our first ‘in-person’ Gathering since 2019. Meeting at St. Luke’s Church, St. Albans, we were pleased to welcome George and Carolyn Snyman, Hands at Work’s Co-founders, too. Their presence energized and informed us, sending us out renewed in our commitment as Advocates.
The Advocates’ Gathering was one of an exhaustive programme of events when the Snymans visited the UK for 11 days in September from 16th to 27th. It took them all over the country to partner churches and Hands at Work supporters. Starting in Bristol, George preached at three of the churches in the Woodlands Group. He and Carolyn met supporters at regional meetings in the West Midlands and East Anglia. The final Sunday of their visit was spent at the Forge Community Church in Debenham near Ipswich. They met recent team members and listened to their experiences, talked with new partners, and encouraged long-standing supporters.
George and Carolyn shared stories of the work being done in our communities this year, especially the development of our programmes for 0-5s, African Leadership Development, community gardens and Youth Discipleship. They inspired and challenged us all. At Highgrove Community Church George, lighting a large candle, reminded us, ‘It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness’.
David Newsome
3/10/22
Reawakening in South Africa: Mafambisa Visit – July 2022
After a three-year gap due to the pandemic, our team from St Andrew’s, Biggleswade, was finally able to travel again to South Africa and visit our partner community of Mafambisa. I had supported from home my two eldest children and my wife, who were part of previous teams, and seen the effect it had in their lives. However, hearing stories and seeing the change in others didn’t quite prepare me for the impact of actually being there….
The whole experience, from our initial arrival at the Hands at Work Village, where we were overwhelmed by the welcome from our hosts and a group resident for Foundation Training, to the Care Point and community visits, the times of prayer and worship, and the interaction with the children, gave our visit added impetus and purpose.
The obvious presence of God with us on the trip led me into a depth of relationship with Him that I hadn’t realised I had drifted from over the last couple of years. The thread running through our journey was God’s positive power underpinning our very human, and sometimes feeble, endeavours, to serve Him in the communities which we visited. This was seen most vividly in the words from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength’, which consistently recurred in our prayer, thought and song. He did indeed give us the strength, gifts and encouragement to do His will in all aspects of our trip.
Each day at the Care Point, and each Holy Home Visit, was surrounded with God’s presence. The days were all so different – often with laughter, sometimes with tears, sometimes with hard graft and sometimes waiting and listening, but each full of God’s blessings.
A new dynamic for our church was under-eighteens being part of the team this year. Ben, aged fifteen, and Jack, eleven, contributed greatly and played a big part in every facet of the team. Their mature approach to preparation and prayer, and their insight into the joy and needs of children, were inspirational and valuable lessons to us adults. As one of the local Pastors from White River said, “they are the church of today”.
During our time in South Africa, Jack often led us in poetic prayer. Here is the prayer he composed at the end of our visit:
As we have been at the Care Point
We have played and sung
Which was really great fun
It has been wonderful to be here for two weeks
Some children have been a bit of a cheek
So all I want to say is
Thank you Lord for this amazing opportunity.
God, before I came here I knew some about you
But as I have been here I now know what you always do
You have blessed us all
Who are big and small
So here is a prayer for you to say
Thank you Lord for being here today
Amen
International Office Gathering 2022
In August there was the opportunity for representatives from the various Hands at Work International Offices to gather, hosted at the Hub in South Africa. These are important opportunities for the UK to meet with the US, Canada, Australia and Germany to build relationships, share experiences and learn from each other. They are also great reminders that we in the UK are part of a global community of people just like us, committed to supporting the unique model and work of Hands at Work in Africa.
With everyone gathered in one location it was also a good opportunity for Africa to lay out the plans and priorities for the next few years and for the International Offices to discuss opportunities for the global Church to support those plans. You’ll definitely be hearing much more about these over the coming months, but we were excited to hear about:
0-5s provision – Expanding provision at Care Points explicitly supporting mothers and Caregivers to enable 0–5-year-olds to develop well and give them the greatest chance of success as they start their young lives. The programme of support includes important development issues such as sleep, play, eye contact and verbal interaction.
Youth Development provision (initially for young men) – Children who approach the end of their schooling and start to lose regular contact with the Care Point face huge pressures and challenges. The Youth Discipleship Programme is designed to nurture and support these young adults in order that they can become men of integrity and maturity. It builds practical skills, attitudes and disciplines to encourage them to be a husband of one wife, to provide for their family, to contribute to their community and to follow Jesus.
Community gardens – Care Points have often provided a good environment for communities to work together and nurture community gardens that can provide some additional food for the Care Point. With the volatility in food pricing and the likelihood of increased scarcity, the plan is to further encourage and incentivise this by paying for produce from community gardens at the same rates paid in the open food market. This obviously helps keep money within the community, but also encourages working together and the development and employment of practical skills to the benefit of the community.
Investment incentives – Hands at Work is exploring ways to provide additional practical support to communities through the provision of incentives to Volunteers who serve the Community Based Organizations to support an investment initiative. These may take the form of money with which to buy seeds or livestock to generate a small sustainable income, enabling the Care Workers to support their families whilst remaining a Volunteer at the Care Point.
Although these are exciting developments, there was also no avoiding the inevitable discussions concerning the global economy and the pressures facing supporters of Hands at Work from across the world. We are really grateful for your committed support and realise that this generosity comes at a cost to you - thank you. We strongly believe that God is in this work and in these plans, however, and so we are committed to supporting them, including raising additional funds where we can. We’ll keep on asking and trust that God will provide!
Dreams and Visions for Under-Fives
Those of you who have visited some of our partner communities in Africa will be very familiar with the sight of babies and toddlers tied to their granny’s or older siblings’ backs. I guess that, like me, you will have marvelled at the skill with which they are attached so securely. But perhaps we haven’t thought about what long hours of being carried in this way does both to the child and to the granny or older child.
During their recent visit to the UK, Carolyn and George Snyman, the Co-founders of Hands at Work in Africa, shared with us some of Hands at Work’s dreams and priorities for 2022, one of which is for work with under-fives. Carolyn asked us to think about what it is that the child sees when s/he is attached to her Gogo’s (grandmother’s) back, and of course the answer is “just her Gogo’s back”! Carolyn reminded us that a child’s early years are vital to their physical and emotional development, which is why Hands at Work is creating a programme for under-fives in the Care Points across all of the eight countries where we serve. The idea is to make the Care Points safe, nurturing places where toddlers are fed, able to play, learn and grow, and have space to sleep, which in turn gives their grannies a few hours of freedom to tend their crops or fetch water, and their siblings the freedom to attend school, or just to play and be children.
Alicia Ralph, one of the Canadian long-term Volunteers based at the Hub in South Africa, was given the task of making this dream a reality across Africa. She began by appointing Under-Fives Champions in all of the Service Centres across Africa, and communicating to them the five principles underpinning the work with under-fives, which are: security, food, love, sleep and play.
These Champions have the task of appointing a Care Worker for the under-fives in each of the Care Points, and of teaching, supporting and encouraging them in their work.
During our visit to Hands at Work Care Points in Zimbabwe in July, David and I had the privilege of seeing what the under-fives programme looks like in practice. We saw Care Workers who had really caught the vision of nurturing the little children at their Care Points. One of these is Florence at the Chinyausunsi Care Point, one of the communities supported by Hands at Work UK which does not yet have a partner.
Florence had created a kind, safe and caring atmosphere for the children and was teaching them through play and song. They even had a special song which they all sang as they trooped off to the lavatories together! There was a designated space for under-fives work which the Care Workers had created by sectioning off part of the children’s shelter, with blinds made from mats, rush mats for them to sit on, and mattresses for their afternoon nap.
The work that we witnessed at Chinyausunzi and some of the other Care Points we visited in Zimbabwe is being replicated throughout all of Hands at Work Care Points in Africa. The under-fives programme is just one of the 2022 Hands at Work ‘Dreams and Priorities’, which are making a real difference in the lives and future prospects of some of the most vulnerable children in Africa.
Jane Newsome
October 2022