In January 2016, one of our Assistant Heads mentioned there was an opportunity to visit South Africa with a group organised by Link for Life. Curious, and assuming many others would be interested, I registered — only to find out weeks later that I was the only one. And so, I was going to South Africa!

Link for Life had contacted the school partly because Richard Westwood, a former chemistry teacher and the head of the charity, had once worked here. I was invited to a preparation meeting and the school gave me time off to take part, with the hope of exploring whether a partnership with Hands at Work could become part of our wider school life.

Wolgarston High School had long been active locally, but wanted to engage more globally. That first trip in July 2016 confirmed that this was the right link for us. I returned and immediately began planning for a student team to go out the following February. Despite the tight turnaround and fundraising challenges, we were able to take a group of students in early 2017, supported by very enthusiastic families.

Before we left, we worried the students might be too young to cope with what they’d see. But every single one of them was absolutely fantastic and the visit was a huge success.

During that trip, we visited Siyathuthuka Care Point, which later became Mafambisa, and following discussions with Hands at Work this became the community that we partnered with. Since that visit we have taken five more school teams and have witnessed its growth. From a basic wooden shack with no running water, the Care Point now has a permanent cooking shelter, covered gathering space, toilets, a water tank, and secure storage. And through it all, the Care Workers — including Khetiwhe, Dudu, Virginia, Maria and Precious — have shown unwavering commitment, even after the loss of beloved Rose.

At Wolgarston, our partnership with Mafambisa is firmly embedded in our lives. We have displays sharing information with our students, as well as videos and assemblies that we share following our visits. Our link with Mafambisa was even front and centre of our last Ofsted inspection report, because the inspectors could see how important the link was to us and our commitment to it. Each year we have a Diversity Day, to help our students find out about other cultures. We always include Mafambisa in this by doing fingerprinting with our Year 9 students so they can get to know a bit more about Mafambisa at the same time as creating something we can give to the children in Mafambisa as a token of our friendship. Even students who can’t join the trips are connected — Year 10 students engage through talks from Hands at Work, and Zoom calls with the Hub or Care Point are often the highlight of their year.

Every year, we raise funds for both visible improvements, like shelters and toilets, and the less visible but vital needs — ingredients for meals, clinic visits, or even a lock on a door so that a child has a safe space to sleep.

Wolgarston High School is committed to our partnership with Mafambisa. We look forward to the day the community is ready to graduate, and we’re proud to walk alongside them until then.

St Andrew’s, Biggleswade, first connected with Hands at Work in the early 2010s through the initiative of our eldest youth group, who decided they wanted to do something more than just meet and talk. We invited DJ, a former long-term volunteer with Hands at Work, to share his experience.

The group was totally inspired by what they heard and committed to forming a team to visit Hands at Work. They spent the next two years fundraising and made their visit in 2015.

The visit was life-changing for many of those who went and on their return the team shared the visit had affected them with the whole church. They quickly followed this up with a proposal to the PCC to form an ongoing partnership with Hands at Work.

It was a timely suggestion as the church had been seeking a long-term mission focus, rather than supporting different charities each year.

In 2016 the PCC entered into partnership with the Siyathuthuka Care Point (now known as Mafambisa), committing initially to three years of support. That commitment has since been renewed three times. Each year (except during the Covid years), St Andrew’s has sent out teams to support Mafambisa as well as visit other Care Points.

Woodlands Church (Central) in Bristol has partnered with Hands at Work in Africa since 2017, supporting the rural community of Houtbos in Oshoek, South Africa, near the Eswatini border.

The relationship began after church members Hazel & Brad Askew visited Hands at Work in 2015 and returned inspired to involve the church. Houtbos is a high-altitude community where winters are cold, and when the partnership began, 75 children were part of the Care Point.

Over the years, members of Woodlands have visited Houtbos, deepening relationships with Care Workers, Service Centre teams, and children - knowing names, hearing stories, and seeing children grow.

For Woodlands, a wealthy, well-resourced church, the partnership has been transformative. It keeps alive the biblical call to care for the poorest of the poor and provides opportunities to pray, advocate, and speak out for the voiceless.

The partnership with Houtbos has not only supported vulnerable children and families in South Africa but has also shaped the life and mission of the Woodlands church family in Bristol.

It’s also deeply impacted Brad & Hazel as individuals: Brad is now a Board member for Hands at Work in the UK, and Hazel is the Hands at Work Regional Lead for the South West of England.

St. Michael’s Church, Boldmere, has a history of supporting God’s mission around the world. We didn’t quite know exactly what we were signing up for when our Hands at Work partnership with Mutaba in Zambia began in 2024, but the generosity and interest of our church family shows just how much it matters to us. We are hoping to use this partnership to engage with our local community through events including our local Girl Guides and a fundraising concert.

What attracted us to Hands at Work was that it will be a true partnership where we can learn about the lives of the community, we can pray for each other, get to know each other building personal relationships and we can share our financial resources by helping with the provision of health care, education and food. We are looking forward to the journey we have begun.