George Snyman traveling to Canada

Hands at Work in Africa CEO and founder George Snyman will travel to Canada in May to challenge churches about their role in caring for the orphaned, widowed and the dying, to cast the Hands at Work vision, and to attend strategic meetings with the organisation’s country offices and partner churches.

His itinerary is as follows:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada   May 9^th-12^{th
    Sunday, May 10th: Speaking at Westside King’s Church, 9:29 am, 11:11 am and 6:46 pm services.
    Tuesday, May 12th:  Hands at Work in Africa informational meeting held at 7 pm at Westside King’s Church.}

Vancouver, BC, Canada   May 13^th-14^{thCalgary, Alberta, Canada   May 15th}

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada   May 16^th-17^{th
    Saturday, May 16th: Speaking at Lakeview Free Methodist Church, 6:30 pm service.
    Sunday, May 17th: Speaking at Lakeview Free Methodist Church, 10 am and 11:30 am services.}

Calgary, Alberta, Canada   May 18^th-19^th

Toronto, Ontario, Canada   May 20^th-21^st

For any queries or to schedule a meeting with George during his time in Canada, please email lisa@ca.handsatwork.org.

We Are Together

“We are together!” This phrase rang constantly through the weeks of March 18^th-29^th, when Hands at Work in Africa hosted its 2009 Africa and International Conferences. Representatives journeyed from seven of the African countries the organization currently works in to gather together for their only annual meeting as a Hands family. Representatives from the international offices partnered with Hands and many other donors, church partners, friends and volunteers of the organization were also present.

Because the entire Hands family can only gather together once a year, the conferences are an important time for the organization—to bring everyone up to speed on the inner and outer workings of the organization, to remind everyone of the standards and goals we are working for, but mostly to remind those who have devoted their lives to serving others in their African communities that they are not alone in their efforts.

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Better Learning in Zambia

The 277 students of Shekinah Glory community school are enjoying a new roof and toilet thanks to funding from Visionledd in Canada. Shekinah Glory is one of 12 community schools operating in Kabwe, Zambia. The school has been running without a roof for many years. Funding was secured to construct a new roof in mid-2008, but shortly after it was completed a big storm blew it off. The recent repairs funded by Visionledd provide a classroom setting that is conducive to better learning and, so, aid the children.

Food Security in Swaziland

    

Orphans have food security for six months in Kaphunga, Swaziland due to a successful maize crop grown at the homesteads of the volunteers. With the blessings of seed and fertilizer donated by WOW, ample rainfall and timely planting, the Asondle Sive Bomake volunteers were able to harvest 100% of the maize crop they planted at their homesteads.

To tell the story of this successful crop is not only to highlight an excellent planting year. It is a benchmark in the story of a group of volunteers, mobilized by one volunteer, a woman, Nomsa Lukhele. To know Nomsa, the founder and head of Asondle Sive Bomake Home-Based Care, is to know a woman after God’s own heart.

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Thuthukani (SA)

Louise Carroll, a 25-year-old teacher from Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada, arrived in South Africa in mid-January 2009 to assist in education programs for six months. She attends Lakeview Free Methodist Church in Saskatoon.

After just two days in South Africa, still jet legged and groggy, I made my first venture into the communities surrounding the picturesque Mount Legogote. Meighan, another recently arrived Canadian volunteer, snapped pictures furiously as our heavily laden vehicle made its way through the winding dirt roads of rural Mpumalanga. Huts and people sprang up unexpectedly between lush mango trees sagging under the burden of their ripening fruit; every person and plant asserting her place in the majestic scene.

Upon entering the community of Daantjie, we encountered a sea of uniform clad children returning home from school. Somehow Kristal, a long-term volunteer, avoided hitting any of them while simultaneously weaving her way up hills, each one more treacherous and impassible than the last. Finally we rounded a corner and discovered the Home-Based Care center Mandlesive – which Vusi, the logistics coordinator for Hands at Work, translated for me to mean The Power of the Nation. Here we found a large group of community volunteers who cheerfully greeted us and helped unload the food parcels that would be distributed to the children coming later that afternoon.I had the privilege of trying out my 3 words of SiSwati which inspired uproarious laughter. At least if they did not serve their intended purpose: to greet, I still got good mileage out of them.

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A Chance at Life (MOZ)

Laura Eliason, from Canada, and Dara Hillstrom, from the US, are nurses who have been volunteering with Rubatano Home-Based Care in Mozambique since May 2008.

While doing Home-Based Care a couple weeks ago we walked upon a visit where there was a small child who was VERY malnourished. I had never seen a child in this state before. I was with a volunteer who speaks no English so I struggled to communicate in this situation. Despite that, I knew in my heart that I could not leave this child in the state she was in. The mother’s eyes were desperate and shamed. Not knowing what to do exactly I called one of the nurses from the baby clinic at Maforga Mission. With her advisement I did all I could to talk to the volunteers and family about bringing the baby immediately to the hospital. After some planning and discussion, we were able to take the Vovo (grandmother in Shona, the local language) and baby Lucia to the hospital. Thankfully, because of the great relationship between Rubatano and the government hospital, we were able to see the nurse immediately and they admitted the baby.

A week later we returned to visit Lucia. She was a different baby. The previously listless, lethargic child now sat by herself, without crying, with a twinkle in her eye. She was to be discharged later that day. From the hospital, we advised the Vovo to bring Lucia to the baby clinic at Maforga. The wonderful nurses at Maforga have now admitted her to stay at the mission and continue to monitor her nutritional intake and status.

In meeting this child it was clear to me that God has hopes and dreams for this young heart. He was allowing her to live far longer than I would have thought her little body could hang on. I believe she has a role and a part to play in enlarging His kingdom and through Rubatano’s HBC visits they’ve given Lucia a chance at life. A chance she may not have otherwise had.

Hope & Heartbreak (SWZ)

Lacey Shurmer is a volunteer from Calgary, Canada. She has been with Hands at Work since February this year.

I was recently in Kaphunga, Swaziland for three weeks to build capacity into the office administrator of Asondle Sive Bomake Home Based Care. It has been five days since my return and part of me is still unable to comprehend all that has happened. Looking back over my journal entries, I see that each experience falls into one of two categories: hope or heartbreak. It is impossible to rank the significance of either of these feelings. Which should I tell about first? Hope or heartbreak, hope or heartbreak....

Hope: November 5th: This morning Nomsa Lukhele, the woman in her late sixties with whom I am staying and who started the Swaziland project and coordinates the Home Based Care, came and got me for breakfast. She said that some of the volunteers had already arrived for the HBC meeting. The volunteers were so cute, all bundled up in their blankets and jackets because it was plus 8 and they were freezing!

As the meeting started, one of the ladies began singing and as I watched them I choked back tears.These ladies are so beautiful and I can’t imagine the pride God has in them. Three of the ladies are easily as old as my grandmother and use canes, yet they walk extreme and mountainous distances, carrying food parcels and loving the orphans like Jesus would have—using the little that they have to take care of children that aren’t theirs. I was humbled to be with them.

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Watch us online this week! (SA) (MOZ)

The TV broadcast Living Truth recorded stories of the work that we are doing in South Africa and aired it across Canada and the States this past Sunday. If you were unable to watch it you can view it online for this week only. Click here to watch stories from South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi of hope and need and learn more about Hands at Work along the way.

TV Telethon Airing in Canada

In July, Peoples Church (Canada) filmed two TV programs on Hands at Work’s activities in South Africa and Mozambique. The programs will air as part of the Living Truth broadcast October 12, 19 and 26. For information on times and stations see a braodcast schedule here.

George in Canada

Hands at Work founder George Snyman will be in Western Canada Aug 9 to 19 speaking to churches and other organisations. The following key events are open to the general public:

Sunday, August 10 – Westside King’s Church, Calgary, AB – 9:29am, 11:11am, and 6:46pm
Tuesday, August 12 – Lakeview Church, Saskatoon, SK – 7:00pm
Sunday, August 17 – First Assembly Church, Calgary, AB – 9:00am and 11:00am

For more information on these events or to arrange a meeting with George, please contact: deb@manbiz.com.

Update on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 10:22AM by Hands at Work

It is wonderful news that we have just completed a week long visit from Hands at Work in Africa founder George Snyman and co-worker Lynn Chotowetz, who came all the way from Masoyi, South Africa, to help us consolidate our new partnerships and forge the way forward.

Through the generosity and assistance of Westside Kings Church in Calgary, a number of joint events and strategy sessions were scheduled to keep George and Lynn fully engaged with the work at hand.

This trip was essential to help Hands Canada define our role, and establish partnerships with key organizations. We now have a renewed sense of commitment that with the support of the church and community, ordinary folks like us can make a difference, and that we can positively affect change in Africa.

George began his mission in Canada by speaking... (read on)

facelessbook

"Statistics turn people into a number... A quantity... A thing... But AIDS doesn't happen to 20 million people in the same way. It happens 20 million different ways one person at a time.

Each story is different. Each story deserves to be told by itself."

Check out facelessbook.com. There are currently 4 profiles up there now, all stories from orphans, caregivers and volunteers of Hands at Work projects. Courtesy of Dave Zak.

“8 little kids and a dying neighbor”

Last week on home-based care in Masoyi, South Africa I met a lady named Helena. She was about 50 and dying of AIDS. I've never seen anyone so skinny. Just bones. A neighbour lady would check in on her everyday—but this neighbour was an old granny who was looking after 8 orphans (some were her own grandkids, some were from the community). 8 little kids and a dying neighbour.

We got to wash this lady, and talk and sing with her. She wanted us to sing the South African national anthem—I'm afraid I wasn't much help. We washed all her clothes and blankets—African style, in the river. I was so happy to be there, to help this dear woman who was suffering so much. Helena died a few days later, but we were able to get her into a hospice for her remaining days so she could die comfortably.

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A Church Partner Working in Luanshya, Zambia

In March, long-time Hands at Work in Africa partner Westside King’s Church sent a team of congregation members to work with the Hands at Work Luanshya Service Centre supporting the launch of a new home-based care (HBC) organization in the community of Mulenga.

Below is the team’s report of their activities training HBC volunteers, mentoring youth, and generally participating in Zambian life.

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On Tour

George Snyman, founder of Hands at Work in Africa, is touring North America and the UK over the next month and a half. If you are interested in a more detailed itinerary with all the locations that George will be speaking at please email: lynn@handsatwork.org.

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Construction Continues

Construction of the ground-breaking Hands at Work village continues! A large crew of local workers overseen by volunteer Michael Kaufman and construction manager Sal Hunziker have sweated out 10-hour days getting to roof level of the Footprints training and accommodation center and have also started the staff accommodation. A strong boost is expected on October 17 when a construction team from Westside King’s Church in Calgary arrives to lend a hand.

In a previous post it was written that Hands at Work “needs to be off ASM by the end of the year.” This was incorrecly taken by some readers to mean ASM was throwing us into the street on a whim. That is not the case. ASM is also a growing ministry, and a phased transfer over the next few months to the new property will be done in line with the expansion of both ministries. It was, in fact, ASM who generously provided the land for the new Hands at Work village. And the incredible opportunity to move together as a family of staff, footprints, and visitors to our own land far outweighs the challenges!