Everything changed when Wendy started receiving weekly visits from a concerned neighbor.  Through Grace Church in Racine, Wisconsin, Hands at Work has been working in Susu since 2004 to empower the community to care for children like Wendy--the poorest of the poor.  Hands at Work operates through local people, like Wendy's concerned neighbor, who identified her as incredibly vulnerable and was able to connect Wendy to a program providing a meal every day at school.  Now Wendy has the energy to go to school again, and to play with her friends, too.  Wendy's favorite subject in school is called Creative and Technical Studies, and she dreams of becoming a teacher some day.

Since Baraka Home-based Care began to work in Elena’s village, her life has changed.

Through the meals and other supports provided by Baraka Home-based Care, Elena has been able to return to school. She has stopped working in other people’s field as she used to. She now concentrates in class and all the teachers are happy at her improvement. When she finishes school, she goes straight to the feeding point, where the food she eats gives her the strength she needs to walk to the school and remain attentive during her lessons.

Thanks to a group of concerned Christians in the Chicago area, Hands at Work has been partnering with the community of Baraka since 2009 to mobilize and equip local Christians to effectively care for the poorest of the poor.

But Siphwe's life is changing, because she is now visited regularly by Christopher, a care worker for a small grassroots organization called Susu Home-based Care.  Christopher has been a consistent parental influence and encouragement for Siphwe.  He is someone who she can trust, who loves and supports her.  Christopher ensures that Siphwe is consistently attending the local school here she receives a healthy meal.  This consistent food has been a huge blessing to Siphwe, as she now has the energy to walk to and from her home, to focus in school, and to help her grandmother with household chores.  Siphwe still has many challenges in her life, but Christopher and the other care workers for Susu Home-based Care believe that the longer she is in their care and a part of this program, the more she will grow into a healthy, happy young girl.

"No longer will the poor be nameless." -Psalm 9:18

Thanks to generous American donors like Grace Church in Racine, Wisconsin, the Ten Talents Foundation, Nurses for Africa, and individuals like you, Hands at Work is able to support the village of Susu through Christian volunteers who have big dreams for their community.  If you're interested in supporting a a child like Siphwe through Hands at Work, click GIVE NOW.  Tell Siphwe's story.  Advocate on her behalf.  Give a name to the nameless.  If we can help you, let us know by emailing info@us.handsatwork.org.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Danfield, California

Team leaders in Baraka, Zambia, receiving new bicylces

The volunteers were in need of a way to make their work more efficient. The solution? Bicycles! A proposal was submitted to purchase four brand-new bicycles for Baraka care workers to share. With the assistance of Hands at Work USA and a generous family from Wisconsin, money was allocated and by March 2011 the bikes had been purchased. There was even some spare change to be used to buy spare parts as needed!

Now the distance to visit a home can be covered in less than half the amount of time it takes to walk, remote homes can be visited more often, supplies can be easily carried and sick children can be transported for medical care. Enjoy your bikes!

Nurses For Africa from Brian Hogan on Vimeo.

Nurses from all over Illinois are back with Hands at Work in Zambia for their third year in a row!  You can hear regular updates from the field on their Facebook page, or watch the fantastic documentary created from their 2010 adventures.

The Manna Project & My Love Squared

If you have a creative idea on how to raise money for Hands at Work in Africa, let us know by commenting below.  We'd love to hear from you!!  If you would like to donate to Hands at Work click here.  Remember for only $15 a month you can provide a child with 3 essential services (Basic Health Care, Food Security, and Education) to read more click here.

Thanks

A couple of weeks ago Lauren Lee and I had the opportunity to attend Hands at Work in Africa’s Regional Celebration in Zambia. Each year these celebrations are a time of gathering together Hands at Work international volunteers and the community-based partners from all over Africa to encourage each other and celebrate all that God is doing throughout the global Hands at Work Family. This year, from April 13-16, Hands had its biggest Celebration ever in Zambia with nearly 200 representatives from over 40 communities in Africa as well as representatives from Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.

The theme of the Celebrations this year was, “Going Deeper.” The vision of Hands at Work is the local church in Africa effectively caring for the orphaned, widowed and the dying and unified in this mission with the church outside Africa. All of the different sessions focused on Going Deeper in relationship to make this vision become a reality. The celebration kicked off with a message from Hands at Work founder George Snyman who focused on Going Deeper in our relationship with Christ. He asked the question, “Why do you do what you do?” The motivation for caring for the orphaned, widowed and dying should come out of a deep love for Christ, a thankful spirit for what He has done for us, and a willingness to share that sacrificial love with others through service.

An excerpt of Ephesians 4 was given to everyone at the start of the Celebrations to read. I think it speaks directly to the purpose of these regional celebrations.

"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received ...speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

On the last day of the celebration before the official program started a large group of individuals gathered in the morning to sing songs together. It was just an amazing time. Here is a video of one of my favorite songs, “Ananipenda,” which translates to, "He loves me."

Regards,

Jed Heubner