The Story of Amlew Community

In 2008, Hands at Work connected with church leaders in Amlew, sharing the vision of Hands at Work and encouraging them to follow the Biblical mandate to care for the poorest of the poor. Boyd Chishimba, a local pastor, grasped the Hands at Work vision and, inspired to mobilise his church, called a meeting to share his dreams with the community. He shared that while it would be difficult for one person to feed all of the vulnerable children in Amlew, they could make a difference if they each contributed a spoonful of mealie-meal to support children.  

Boyd and a small team of Care Workers began walking through the streets of Amlew, identifying children who were in desperate situations and in need of love and care – marking the beginning of the Twikatane Community Based Organisation (CBO). Initially, they were caring for ten children, having identified them through Holy Home Visits. They were committed to providing food and other basic necessities for the children from their own pockets. 

150 Children currently supported

12 Care Workers coordinated by grace Mwila

Basic Services Started in 2011

8 KM  from the KITWe Local Office

In 2010, Hands at Work provided Care Worker training for several local volunteers, teaching what it means to care holistically for the vulnerable children in the community. In 2011, Hands at Work began officially partnering with the Twikatane CBO and supporting the Care Workers in providing a hot, nutritious meal daily and support with education and basic health care to 100 of the most vulnerable children in Amlew – a number that has since increased to 150 children. 

Visiting orphaned and vulnerable children in their homes is the foundation of everything that Hands at Work does. Regularly, Care Workers visit the children in their homes, thus building strong relationships of love and trust. Having developed strong relationships with the children enables the Care Workers to support each child’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs on an individual basis. 

The Twikatane CBO is partnered with the local clinic who help with medication and bringing awareness to the dangers of alcohol abuse and prostitution – challenges that many in Amlew face. Boyd shares, “The children have completely changed. They are being accepted into government schools after graduating from our community school. Children who would have died of hunger are now happy and healthy.”

Today, Grace, strongly supported by 12 other Care Workers, is leading the Care Worker team in unity thanks to the years of investment from Boyd. They are committed to not only knowing each of the children by name but also the unique challenges that each child and their family faces. 

In August 2020, a dream of moving the Care Point to a separate property started taking shape. Phase one of construction was completed, including the renovation of the current structure and the installation of new secure toilets on the new Care Point land.

Meet Paul

Walking on a Holy Home Visit through Amlew, the Care Workers came across a large family. Sensing their vulnerability, they listened to their story, quickly realising the urgency of inviting the children to the Care Point. Shy and quiet, four-year-old Paul* takes time to connect with people but Care Worker Rosemary has learnt that perseverance rewards her with a big smile. The family has suffered immensely.; Arriving with their children to nurse their sick mother, Paul’s mother and aunt were left to support a family of nine with no income after their husbands were killed in a boating accident. Paul* became malnourished. After receiving food consistently, Paul’s health and prospects have greatly improved. He loves to learn about God and enjoys being a child again, experiencing the love and care of the Care Workers.

The local Hands at Work team in Kitwe currently supports seven Community Based Organisations, which exist to care for the most vulnerable in their communities. The office provides training, networking, and encouragement to those Community Based Organisations like Twikatane. It also gives administrative support, including helping with funding proposals, monitoring and evaluation, bookkeeping and reporting to donors.  

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