In addition to clinic days, the Medical Missions teams set time aside to visit the most vulnerable families in their homes with the Care Workers.

Clinic days are an opportunity for our Medical Missions teams to work alongside local nurses and Hands at Work volunteers to assess the needs to those in the community.

“Joining a Medical Missions team in 2016 made me a better nurse and an even better person. When I arrived in Malawi, I was nervous and excited for the adventure ahead of me. I was initially hesitant to open up to the people of Maonde during our Holy Home Visits, but quickly settled into their comfortable embrace. I opened my heart and mind as I listened to people recount their struggles and sat in awe as they praised God for all that they had. During our clinic days, even when I grew tired, I found strength in the hope that was all around me. Every person that came through the clinic thanked me profusely for being there and caring for them. We held education days that included topics from handwashing to blood pressures, female hygiene to prenatal care and though we were teaching something new, I truly was the one learning. My time in Africa was not simply spent tending to the physical needs of the people. Each team builds a long-lasting relationship with the people of Africa that is sustained through prayer and love. I have stayed connected to Africa through additional trips and volunteering with Hands at Work because while my initial trip may have only been a short time of my life, the impact left on my heart was everlasting.” - Diana Kott (US)

Volunteers on the Medical Missions teams taking an ultrasound of a pregnant young woman in the community during the clinic day.

“Participating in a Medical Missions team was an amazing experience for me. Along with giving medical attention, we were also able to build relationships with the people in the community. Hands at Work goes above and beyond to help the people in the community through shelter, food, medical supplies and more. Even though the trip was only two weeks, it left an imprint on me that lasts a lifetime.” – Dana Adamson (US)

Team members teaching the Care Workers how to properly bandage wounds and other basic first aid skills.

"The Medical Missions teams are what attracted me to Hands at Work. Their mission trips are so much more than providing medical care to communities in need. It’s about building relationships and creating a foundation from which these communities can grow. The work that we do on these trips is just a small piece of what this organisation does to help the people in these communities. And the medical work and education we provide these communities is something that they can continue to build on when we are no longer there. And that’s what makes Hands at Work so special in my opinion." – Sarah Payonk (US)

One of the team members checks the heart rate of a young boy who came to the clinic with his mother.

"This is me and Esther* in 2017. Esther lives in the community of Maonde in Malawi. We first met in 2016 when I was there. She didn’t say a word, and wouldn’t even smile. She just wanted to be held; so I held her as long as I could. I thought she must be sick, but a local Hands at Work volunteer in the community told me “She isn’t sick, she just has a broken heart.” I learned she had lost both parents and now lives with a grandmother. I saw her again in 2017, and this time she said a few words and gave me a smile. She remembered me, and it absolutely melted my heart. Thankfully, I have been able to get a few updates on Esther through the local Hands at Work team in Dedza, Malawi, and she and her grandmother are doing well." – Deborah Bullin (US)

Visiting the most vulnerable families in their homes is a foundational part of supporting communities.