By Teresa Clarke, Director, Hands at Work in Africa UK
‘…being rooted and established in love… together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.’
Ephesians 3: 17-19
In early June, an International Office (IO) Gathering was held at Kachele Farm in Zambia. This was the first time representatives from the International Offices in the UK, USA, Canada, Germany and Australia had met in person and with people from various African countries for three years, and it was great to meet Hands at Work people from across the globe. Each day started at 8am with a time of singing, prayer and reflection, taking Ephesians 3:17-19, in which Paul talks about ‘being rooted and established in love’, as our guide. This is a time of change for the organisation and Levy Mwenda, Hands at Work Leader, talked about the need to honour the past whilst recognising the need for growth. Hands at Work has grown from a small to a medium-sized charity and he compared it to a family with 12 children which has outgrown its two-bedroomed house! There is a need to develop a sustainable model with clear governance and accountability, but one which does not lose the heart of what Hands at Work does or who we are.
We had Jane Newsome and Wedzerai Chioka with us and they were able to give an update from the Hands at Work International Board. They have been looking at governance and leadership with help from some expert partners. There were discussions about the graduation of communities and the need to involve partners at an early stage, capacity (both in Africa and in IOs), safeguarding, the operation of the various boards, and finance. There was a focus on engagement and empowerment, with lots of opportunity to discuss issues in small groups and feed back our views. It was a great opportunity to learn more about Hands at Work, learn from each other, and get to know the many committed and capable people who make up the Hands at Work community. We were also able to have a look around Kachele Farm, hear about how it is developing, and meet some of the young men who are part of the Youth Discipleship Ministry Programme and being trained there. A few of us visited the Mount Moria Community Based Organisation nearby, which was, as ever, a very moving experience.